As hybrid work becomes more common, conference room design must be adapted to support the versatility needed to meet the collaboration styles of employees. That means adding mobile furniture and smart technology to enable spaces that can quickly shift from conferencing to creative brainstorming sessions.

The theater-style layout is an effective way to direct attention to a speaker or presentation area. This arrangement works best for training or seminar meetings.

Lighting

Effective lighting in conference rooms can significantly improve focus and mood during meetings, boosting collaboration and effectiveness. It can also enhance presentation quality, minimise distractions, and create an immersive environment that captivates audiences.

To achieve these benefits, consider incorporating lighting fixtures with dimming capabilities that allow users to adjust brightness based on specific scenarios. This approach optimizes energy usage and promotes sustainability. It can also be used to highlight key areas in the room like presentation stages and whiteboards.

In addition to the aforementioned benefits, thoughtfully designed lighting can also add aesthetic appeal to conference rooms. For example, the use of lighting colors and effects can align with the company’s brand identity, creating a unique atmosphere that resonates with audiences.

Seating

The conference table is one of the first things guests notice when they enter your meeting room. The right table is a key element of meeting room design that encourages attendee engagement and collaboration. Choose sturdy tables with built-in tech hookups and consider investing in waste storage bins to ensure that the conference room stays clean before and after each use.

Boardroom-style conference rooms are arranged with chairs around rectangular or square tables, ideal for discussions and presentations. Classroom-style conference rooms feature rows of seats facing a speaker, suitable for lectures and training sessions.

Huddle rooms are designed for quick meetings and require less furniture, making them the perfect solution for offices with limited space. When choosing a conference room size, perform a Needs Analysis to determine the capacity you’ll need for your meeting. Remember to account for social distancing and acoustics. It’s important that attendees are considerate of the next group who uses the meeting room, so leave the room without leaving any mess behind and don’t remove dedicated equipment like microphones or speakers.

Tables

The conference tables in your meeting rooms set the tone of the space and determine how people interact. There are multiple types of conference tables available to accommodate different seating arrangements and the number of attendees.

For instance, round tables are ideal for creating a more collaborative atmosphere because they encourage eye contact and equal footing for all participants. However, they can take up a lot of space if you’re trying to seat many attendees. In these cases, a boat-shaped table or a live edge slab table may be more practical choices.

Some tables are designed to have power ready features that enable people to plug in their devices without getting caught up in a mess of cords and wires. This can make it easier for attendees to use a video conference system and other meeting technologies.

Colors

The colors you choose for your conference room walls have a powerful impact on the productivity of your employees. Color psychology is a fascinating field that studies how different hues influence our emotions and behavior. The right paint can transform your conference room into a productive and inspiring space.

Neutral tones like white and gray create a professional atmosphere that allows furniture, art, and other decorative elements to shine. They also allow the brain to remain calm and focused during meetings.

Blue is a popular choice for conference rooms because it symbolizes stability and trustworthiness. Brighter shades of blue can inspire bold ideas and innovation during brainstorming sessions, while softer shades of blue promote a sense of tranquility during strategy discussions.

Yellow stimulates mental alertness and muscle energy, making it ideal for conferences that require high-level thinking. Red evokes feelings of passion and aggression, which can be helpful for teams working toward competitive goals. Green encourages a healthy work-life balance and is a great choice for conference rooms that focus on wellness.