A conference room plays an essential role in any business premises, especially since it has a variety of uses. You can use your conference room as a formal location for client presentations or board meetings, and you can also use it for brainstorming sessions amongst your team.
Of course, you can use your conference room for informal gatherings such as birthday celebrations and other social events. And thanks to technological advancements, you can even use your conference room to hold essential video conferences with partners, employees, or clients from across the globe. But if you are designing your conference room, you have to do it right.
Are you wondering how you can design – and equip – your conference room so you can maximise its use? Here’s your essential guide to planning and furnishing the best conference room ever.
The capacity
The first thing you need to do is determine the optimum capacity of your conference room. If you are aiming for space for at least 30 people, then you need a place with dimensions of at least 9 metres by 4 metres. It wouldn’t do to have a cramped conference room where people end up elbowing each other. Besides, a conference room which is too small will be uncomfortable and may lead to a feeling of claustrophobia.
You want an open, welcoming space where people can conveniently get up, move around, and mingle. Choose a table which is just the right size for the room, and the same goes for chairs – make sure the chairs you select are cushioned and have ample back support as well.
The impression
When designing your conference room, you have to think about the impression the room gives, especially true if you are planning to hold conferences with partners, clients, and vendors who will see your conference room and form an impression of your company based on how your conference room looks.
When planning the décor and design of your conference room, think about the impact you’d like to make. Are you an innovative and trendy company? If so, you may give the right impression with striking design elements and bold colours, modern décor, and unusually-shaped chairs.
If you are a small yet traditional business, it’s best to design your conference room with tried and tested classics such as solid wood conference tables and staid and elegant colours and décor.
The efficiency
You also have to think about efficiency when it comes to your conference room. Design it in such a way that participants or attendees can take care of specific tasks while they are in the room. For instance, make sure you have data ports and telephones, and design the room so it can easily incorporate the use of printers, laptops, and fax machines. Make sure to have an AV screen as well; you can choose to have a portable one or have it installed permanently. Televisions may also be a necessary addition to a conference room, so make sure you have a quality, sturdy TV display stand.
You can also equip your conference room with specific amenities. If you have enough space, why not include a buffet table where you can serve snacks or beverages? You can store serving dishes, cutlery, and glassware in the buffet table as well. A small refrigerator is also an excellent addition to a conference room, and it can come in handy when you have long brainstorming sessions.
