High-Tech Conferencing Furniture Improves Collaboration

High-Tech Conferencing Furniture Improves Collaboration

Collaboration is necessary for increased sales, higher customer satisfaction, faster innovation, reduced employee turnover, and improved employee morale. But the increase in the number of remote workers, with a significant push from COVID-19, has made effective meetings more challenging. That’s one reason why improved employee collaboration ranks high on many organizations’ lists of objectives. At Pacific Office Interiors, we use high-tech conferencing furniture and technology to help improve collaboration, no matter where the participants may be.

Traditional Conference Room Furniture and Design Inhibits Collaboration

Nevers Eventi Tables provide clear view on onsite team to remote participants

Traditional conference room design and furnishings have been ineffective for years, especially since organizations started using digital conferencing tools like Zoom, Skype, Teams, and similar technologies.

The problem starts with conference room design, which have been traditionally modeled after “boardroom” style layouts, featuring a screen at one end of a long conference table with participants neatly spaced around it. This design used to work fairly well with entire teams physically present, where everyone could see and hear everyone else.

However, traditional designs stumble badly once remote participants are added to meetings.

Remote participants…

• May not be able to see many of the on-site attendees
• May not be able to see or identify the active speaker.
• May be confined to a tiny window on the single primary conference room display.
• May not be able to be fully heard by on-site attendees

AirCharge by Dekko

In short, they cannot be equal participants in the meeting. But on-site participants also have issues. They…

• Often lack necessary power, charging or network connections
• May not be able to hear remote participants
• May not be able to be heard by remote participants
• When seated along the sides of the long conference table, may be forced to look to the left or right for the duration of the meeting
• May be compelled to use spaces that are too large when meetings include a small number of on-site participants
• Typically lack the control over individual audio or video settings

This arrangement creates a visual and audible inequality that can lead to disengagement, feelings of disrespect, inability to participate fully, and other inefficiencies for all attendees.

Modern Conference Room Designs Energize Collaboration

Our high tech conferencing furniture and meeting ideas for 2023 are designed to eliminate most hurdles and inequalities among onsite, WFH, and remote attendees. Today, we routinely design modern conference rooms with high-tech conferencing furniture for improved collaboration, including:

• Unique tables enabling remote participants to see everyone, like the Nevers Eventi Conference Table
• Improved connectivity to keep onsite employees connected to both the network (WiFi or Cat 6e) and power supply (corded and cordless), like the Power Solutions line of products for retrofitting and upgrading non-tech enabled furniture by the Global Furniture Group or the AirCharge wireless charging accessory by Dekko
• Technology-enabled furniture for new spaces like the Ready-to-Ship Kayak Boat-Shaped Conference Table from Scale 1:1 with optional built-in power and data connectivity
• Integrated acoustics (wall panels, ceiling baffles) for privacy, audio clarity, and reduced distraction for employees near the meeting, like the distinctive Sound Absorbing Wood – Byron 002.1 acoustic wall panels or the Acoustic Ceiling Grid – Prichard 001 suspended baffles by CSI Creative
• Use of free-standing pods and nooks for small, impromptu meetings like the Openest Conference Booth from Haworth or the Gateway Wall Mounted solutions from Nienkamper supporting the work-from-anywhere trend
• Create larger, reconfigurable full-height conference walls with the Enclose Frameless Glass 2 Channel system from Haworth or moveable, foldable acoustic partitions like the BuzziScreen from BuzziSpace
• Effective use of high-efficiency artificial (parabolic and baffled fixtures) and natural lighting
• Energy-efficient, effective temperature control for enclosed meeting rooms with advanced HVAC designs including variable air volume distribution, wall washing diffusers on sunlit glass walls, and more.

The Ready-to-Ship Kayak Boat-Shaped Conference Table promotes a feeling of equality

Create conference spaces everywhere with the Haworth Openest Conference Booth

Folding BuzziScreens from BuzziSpace allow easy space reconfiguration