Conferences and meetings are a daily part of any business today. These are held by people involved in businesses of restaurants and cafes, hospitals and clinics, retail stores and malls, etc. Long hours here could be tiring and boring for most people. Anyone going in for a meeting wishes to have a comfortable room with excellent décor, comfortable seating, proper ventilation, great acoustics, etc.
Have you sat through any of these conferences yourself thinking about how much better a conference room could be? Well, here is your chance to get the audience and attendees to be more attentive and enthusiastic about attending any meeting or conference. Try these décor ideas for various aspects of a great conference room.
1. Seating
Meetings can last anything from 15 minutes to even days of workshops and conferences. Make the attendees sit comfortably in the conference room; it’s only then will you get a responsive audience. Keep the table and seating in an oval or rectangle shape. This allows each member to see the other quickly. The table is usually sleek and cold have a thickened glass top. Other proper arrangements are the U shaped or round tables.
Have the convener sit at one long end of the arrangement. His seat back is usually higher than the seats of the other members. Have adjustable seat heights. Revolving chairs are a good idea. Make sure that the seats are cushioned and straight-backed for comfort. Keep placards with replaceable name chits in front of each chair.
2. Audio Visual Set Up
Often heard complaints that one couldn’t hear the speaker or the dialogues in an audiovisual clip clearly? Make sure that there is excellent audiovisual equipment in the conference room. Fix the wires, speakers, amplifiers, etc on shelves or inside cabinets. Use designs from modular arts to create these shelves and cabinets. Make the room look classy and neat with this arrangement. Keep sufficient stand mikes on the table for the speakers if the room is large and the gathering is big.
3. Acoustics
Echoing sounds and blurred audios can take away the impact of a good meeting or any conference. The room has to have proper solutions for the acoustics. It is crucial to filter out external sounds from disturbing the discussion as well as prevent sounds from the room going out. What are some of the ways to do this? One way is by using acoustic wall panels as a soundproofing solution. These panels come in many designs like planar tiles, bookcase looks, bumps, plates, slats, sheers, etc. You could also try using soundproof ceiling tiles to mute the sounds. You can find fantastic designs as cumulous clouds, decorative drop ceiling tiles, flaps as acoustic solutions, etc.
4. Ventilation
Keep the conference room well aired and ventilated. Ideally, go in for centralized air conditioning or heating in the place. Fans, whether ceiling or wall, do make some noise which could be disturbing during meetings. Allow the vents to bring in the cool breeze from the ceiling air conditioning systems. The best way to hide these vents and yet allow the air is to fix decorative and elegant flaps in the ceilings. Try to open the windows at least once in the day for fresh air. This will take away all smells and keep the room clean.
5. Materials and Storage
A conference room will require some amount of storage for stationery items, some crockery, and other important documents. Use the room divider screen with the stencil looks for partitioning any area or corner used for storage. These look colorful and will go well with the decorum of the room.
6. Color Scheme
Since the conference room is an official room, it is better to go in for neutral colors here. Olive green is an excellent choice for the cushioned chairs. Use red carpets on the floor. Give wooden paneling to the walls. These colors make the room look very elegant and posh as well. You could give a complete wooden paneling to one end wall at the long end. Hang your projector or television monitor against it.
7. Lights and Lighting
The room should have sufficient light to keep it bright and energetic. Dull and dimly lit rooms are not very motivating for the discussions that will take place here. Hang ceiling down lights and other decorative, yet simple lights from it. If possible, have tall French windows which allow maximum sunlight into the room. These large windows give a very elegant room to the look as well as allow a wide horizon to view outside. Keep the blinds rolled up as much as possible.
8. Natural Connection
Any room looks drab without some fresh greenery in it. Keep a couple of no-nonsense flower arrangements on the table. Go in for flat and long ones rather than great methods. A single flowering twig with a green leaf inside mini flower vases also looks excellent. Keep potted plants at the corners. It adds grace, beauty, and freshness to the room.
9. Clutter-Free Looks
For that ultra-modern look, keep the conference room clutter free. Keep away extra furniture from the room and give it a spacious and large look. Having the bare minimum chairs and tables in the place makes it look sleek and formal too. Keep a set of coasters on the table, a telephone, some note pads, and maybe a calling bell on the table. These could go into a drawer once the meeting is over. Hang a wall clock, digital or analog, on one wall. Keep the walls bare otherwise. Let the panels speak out on their own.
Your conference room should have the best of facilities for getting the business deals that you want. It’s here that all discussions will take place and agreements will be signed. So, put in that bit of extra effort to get it into good shape.