Believe it or not but with changes in technology, and the use of remote workers on the rise, companies need to have an ideal video conference room. It’s convenient for your workers, and for clients that are located halfway around the globe from your company who still want to do business.
You will need to make sure that the room produces quality audio, that there are enough screens to share charts and other figures, and your color palette isn’t overwhelming for your online visitors.
This may sound like a lot but we’re here to tell you about these basics and more so you can build your dream video conference room.
1. Choosing Your Room
When choosing your video conference room, you need to consider what you mainly need it for. If you can get by without booking the most expensive room with 5 screens and all the trimmings than do so.
Sure, these rooms can look really nice, and impress potential clients, but you can do the same thing with a room with two screens. If you primarily have less than a handful of people attending meetings, go for a smaller room. Don’t pay extra for what you’re not going to use.
2. Meeting Room Booking Solutions
You would think that arranging a meeting would be pretty seamless, but you would be wrong. It can be a nightmare to find out when everyone is free to meet and to book the room that you want.
If you use booking solutions, you can grab the right room ahead of time and because it’s being arranged well in advance, everyone has time to prepare. If you’re worried about someone interrupting your conference to see when the room will be available, the right booking solutions software will post that information right outside the door.
3. How Are You Going to Communicate
There are many factors to consider when you’re deciding what form of communication you’re going to use for your video meetings.
If your company relies heavily on collaboration, you’ll want to use something that will allow you to easily share documents and screens as you talk. If you just want to talk, then a simple tool like Skype will do.
Figure out what you want out of your meetings and do a little research to find the right communication software for you.
4. Lighting
You’re going to want an even amount of lighting throughout your entire meeting room. This will ensure that there aren’t too many shadows being cast around. If you want you can have plenty of lighting in front of your staff’s faces so they can be easily seen.
The best ones to use is diffused fluorescent lighting or candescent lights. You’ll also want to throw in some backlighting so your staff doesn’t disappear into their chairs and walls.
5. Check Your Audio
Audio is probably the most important part of your video conference room. What’s the point of holding a meeting if nobody on either end can hear each other? You’ll need to take a few precautions.
First, sound equipment can be really sensitive so it can pick up echoes and sometimes the acoustics can make you sound muffled. You’ll want to use carpet and another padding options to absorb sounds.
It also can’t hurt to do a few mic checks before you get the meeting going. This will ensure no hiccups happen when the conference starts.
6. Dual Monitors
You will want to have multiple monitors in your conference room, complete with their own TV wall mount. This will make showing charts and other figures go a lot smoother.
They make collaboration easier just because you can easily share information with both parties. Duel screens really create a personal experience with your potential clients. It’s almost like they are in the same room as you.
7. Windows
Most conference rooms are going to have windows, but the sun isn’t the biggest help to your room’s lighting. They can cause a glare on screens and people which just make it really hard to see properly.
You should use blinds, curtains, or drapes to block out Mr. Sun and keep the lighting in the room where it should be. The best curtains to get are those that are a neutral color. Don’t go for any crazy patterns or anything silky because they can be a little distracting.
8. Color Palate
You want to watch the color palate of your room because certain colors can affect people’s moods more than others. For example, the color red is an intense color that tends to make you hungry.
Some are just easier on the eyes which decreases the chance of someone getting a tension headache due to eye-strain or being overwhelmed by bright colors in general.
You also want a more neutral color because those are more likely to not cause you and your staff to become floating heads in the meeting space.
Setting Up the Perfect Video Conference Room
Setting up the perfect video conference room isn’t hard, but there is a lot of things that you need to consider.
You need to think about lighting because you don’t want your clients to see floating heads. There is no point of being in a video conference if they can’t hear you so you have to look at audio, and then look at your room and software options.
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