Once, in the not-too-distant past, office workers all had the same meeting experiences. Participants gathered in a conference room to discuss performance data, collaborate on upcoming projects, and brainstorm new ideas together. Then the coronavirus pandemic triggered a massive paradigm shift in how and where we work, ushering in a new era of remote workforces and digital workspaces. In the post-pandemic workplace, hybrid meetings with in-person and remote participants are the new norm, and now meeting experiences aren’t the same for everyone. 

Now, the goal of modern conference room design isn’t equality, where employees have the same meeting experiences, but equity, where employees have fair meeting experiences. Simply put: how can we make the hybrid meeting experience good for everyone?

Keep reading to learn three considerations for redesigning your conference rooms in Scottsdale, AZ, or worldwide to be more equitable for all participants.

As a new year looms, there is no shortage of predictions about the next big thing across every industry. Some, like bell bottoms making a comeback, won’t really matter either way. Others, like what new audiovisual technologies will drive innovation and collaboration, are predictions that no company can afford to ignore. Conference rooms are a critical setting for that innovation and collaboration, so it’s especially important to keep those spaces up-to-date. Keep reading to learn more about five trends in conference room design that your company should be prepared to adopt in the new year.

A lot has changed in the workplace since the days your grandpa or dad put on a tie, suit coat and hat and headed out the door to the office day after day. Every day is casual Friday and employees are just as likely to work from a coffee shop as a desk. And there are other, more significant changes that go deeper than the surface. The way people actually do their work—and want to do their work—has evolved as well. To get the most creativity, innovation, and productivity out of your workforce, you have to create an environment and corporate culture that matches employees’ preferences and expectations. Many companies have discovered that huddle rooms are the key to letting employees work how they want, which in turn means companies get what they want out of their employees. Below are some key ways work styles have evolved and how huddle rooms can help you capitalize on those changes.

You might know a car enthusiast who dropped a lot of cash on some fancy rims or a movie buff who invested a little extra dough equipping a killer home theater, but when was the last time you heard someone bragging about tricking out their corporate boardroom? When it comes to meeting spaces, companies often try to get by with the bare minimum in audiovisual solutions, but without the right boardroom technology, you could end up losing more time and money in the long run.

These days huddle rooms are the rule rather than the exception, and for good reason. Huddle rooms help mitigate one of the main downsides of open floor plans—noise and distractions—so employees can focus on productive collaboration. Huddle rooms also provide flexibility and are often a more practical use of space than large, infrequently used conference rooms. However, huddle rooms are only as good as the audiovisual technology they are equipped with. While most huddle rooms include some standard components—a display, a camera, a microphone, a control system, as well as collaboration software and network access—the quality of those components can make or break your huddle room. And their cost can make or break your budget. 

There are as many different professional AV solutions as there are uses for them. With such a wide array of audio visual solutions available today, and as that number increases with the ongoing evolution of technology, audiovisual design and consulting services provide expert interpretation of needs and selection of AV solutions that fit the application and budget of a client.