Over the past year, we have been embracing Zoom calls and virtual meetings, but as we slowly return to normality it’s time to welcome back the face to face meetings we previously took for granted.
If your business is the type that regularly welcomes visitors in the workplace, you need the perfect meeting room. The ideal space is always ready for last-minute arrangements and is flexible enough to accommodate everyone’s needs. It should be somewhere that you’re always proud to use, after all, it could be the first impression of your services to an outsider. How do you create such an important space? It just takes a little planning and meeting preparation to give your visitors a first-class experience every time.
1. Position
First of all, consider the location of your meeting room. In some buildings, you haven’t got a choice of rooms, but if you are starting from scratch, choose a room that’s not too difficult to get to. It’s not a good start to a relationship if you have to walk through miles of corridors or up numerous floors to reach the space. If you can have a meeting room close to the entrance, it makes everyone’s lives easier. Then there is the view to think about – look out of the window or doors and pay attention to what your visitors will see. If you can’t change a poor vista, think about obscuring it in some way. Adhesive frosting for glass looks neat and business-like, or clever planting can work wonders.
2. Comfort
No one likes to be uncomfortable, whether it’s you, your staff or the visitor so choose appropriate seating and a table that’s the correct height for taking notes. You might long for a squishy sofa but how suitable is that for presenting new ideas or discussing financial terms with your client? You might want to think about providing drinking water, coffee or snacks especially if some meetings are likely to last longer than an hour or so.
3. No Clutter
Don’t overfill the room with stuff. You might want to have enough chairs so every member of staff can get together, but if most of the time the room is used for just 4 people, find a way to streamline the seating. Equally, don’t use the space as storage, even if it’s just temporarily. That never goes to plan. Keep surfaces clear and the office equipment to a minimum. A tidy space is nicer to work in and looks more organised. That said, don’t make it a stark and clinical setting. A carefully chosen piece of artwork or a well-tended plant softens the place a little and makes a room feel more relaxing.
4. Equipment
Make sure you have a decent laptop, projector, TV – whatever your regular meetings require. An ancient PC in the corner or an AV setup that is an afterthought can be embarrassing for everyone. Don’t get caught scrambling around last minute dragging equipment from another room, make sure your meeting room is always prepared for the modern way of doing things. A couple of pens and some paper should also be to hand as a minimum – this is an excellent opportunity to have your brand’s logo on a notebook or give-away biro.
5. Aroma
If your meeting room doesn’t get much use, or it has a stuffy atmosphere, pay attention. Smells create a lasting impression, so make sure your room either has no aroma at all, or that it’s a good one. Don’t overdo it with artificial smells, it should be subtle and sometimes simply opening a window in preparation of a meeting works wonders.
6. Temperature
Welcoming visitors into a room that is freezing cold or stifling hot is awkward. Most people will brush it aside when mentioned but then they suffer in silence for the duration of the meeting. Having sufficient heating in the room and an air conditioning system will enable you to control the temperature easily. Make sure you know how to work everything – there’s nothing worse than someone fumbling around for ages trying to adjust unfamiliar controls with no results.
7. Cleanliness
Having everything spotlessly clean is a must for a meeting room. Visitors will not be impressed if the room is dirty or dusty, it will create a poor impression of your business. All the surfaces need a regular wipe, windows and sills should be clean and smear-free, bins emptied daily and the carpets vacuumed twice a week. It’s also hygienic to sanitize frequently touched areas, such as door handles. Having a reliable service to keep on top of the cleaning makes life a lot easier – it’s one less thing to remember.
Here at Cleanology, we are an established company that can be trusted to keep your meeting room in excellent condition, using chemical-free products so visitors with allergies are protected and the environment is looked after too.
To employ our team of professional cleaners, get in touch with a member of our team today.
