Hybrid meetings are the future: how to set up your meeting room.

The days of everyone spending hours in a dull meeting room seem to be over for good. Even though the return to the office has begun, we are still video calling more than ever – both at the office and at home. Is your meeting room ready for a future of hybrid meetings? We are here to help you get started.

What is a hybrid meeting?

A hybrid meeting is a meeting where some participants are present in the office, while others dial in online from another location. During the pandemic, video conferences such as Teams and Zoom calls became well-established. But now that employees are returning to the office in many companies, albeit often only a few days a week, this new way of meeting is making its entrance.

You do not necessarily all need to be in the same meeting room for a productive session. Besides the comfortable slippers on our feet, online meetings offer several advantages: you avoid unnecessary travel, can plan more flexibly, easily invite additional participants, and can record the conversation. Hybrid working is therefore the future.

Some employees prefer to stay at home to focus fully. Others find inspiration with colleagues around them. The meeting room of the future? It doesn’t exist as a single concept. It is better to design your office spaces according to the needs of your employees. Flexibility is key!

Alternate quiet workstations with different types of meeting spaces that stimulate collaboration and consultation. Think of a classic meeting room for formal discussions, a casual seating area for weekly status meetings, high tables near a whiteboard for inspiring brainstorm sessions…

Will you choose open, semi-open, or closed meeting rooms? The sky is the limit, but always consider hybrid meetings when designing. Employees and clients dialing in remotely must be able to see and hear their counterparts in the office clearly. And vice versa, of course!

1. The bare necessities for a smooth hybrid meeting

Nothing is as annoying as missing half the conversation due to a poor internet connection or substandard image and sound quality. “I can’t hear you!” “Oh, you froze for a moment.” “I can’t see your screen.” Sound familiar? Yes. Professional? Not really.

To ensure every hybrid meeting runs smoothly in the future, stable office internet and high-quality microphones, speakers, cameras, and screens are truly not an unnecessary luxury. You can even have these technological gadgets neatly integrated into your ceiling or the meeting table.

2. Shh, ideas are ripening here

Chatting colleagues, a bubbling coffee machine, and ringing phones. Typical office noises that already distract you during a physical meeting will certainly break your concentration during a hybrid meeting.

Limit annoying background noise with sound-absorbing wall panels or curtains. Choose acoustic flooring such as carpet or needle felt, or place a number of plants in your meeting room. Greenery in the office not only ensures a pleasant and healthy workplace, it also – believe it or not – dampens sound.

3. At the head of the table…

…sit your colleagues or clients who are not present in the office. The screen, that is. In the meeting room of the future, there certainly won’t be a tall filing cabinet or a lush plant at the head. Makes talking rather difficult, don’t you think?

Keep the field of vision completely clear for all meeting participants, regardless of their spot at the (digital) table. For this, it is best to choose a round or oval meeting table. This shape also allows for more eye contact, which stimulates interaction.

4. The light is on

In your meeting rooms, you don’t just hang any lamp from the ceiling. If the light intensity is too low, it makes you sleepy. If the lamp shines too brightly, your meeting space quickly feels clinical and uninviting. Choose lighting that evokes the right atmosphere and does not reflect on screens.

Are you unsure which lighting best fits your meeting rooms? Gain some insight at our Concept Place and be inspired.