If you are planning a small meeting, then your first instinct might be to book a room in your regular office building. However, familiar environments can impair creativity and fresh thinking, and you and your fellow attendees may be interrupted or distracted by day to day office business. Here’s a look at the advantages of hiring an off-site meeting room.
A level playing field and fresh perspectives
When everyone is in a neutral environment, it creates a more level playing field, with a blurred sense of distinction between levels of seniority and those employees who might usually work remotely. This breaks down usual hierarchies and cliques within the office, and can spark more open and innovative ways of thinking.
A new environment is mentally stimulating, sharpening minds and senses, and the attendees will naturally be more alert and ready to participate. A change from the usual day to day environment can help people to see situations from different perspectives, and this could lead to more effective problem solving or generate new ideas.
Encourages team bonding
Off-site meetings can help teams to bond by providing the opportunity for them to interact outside of their regular surroundings. This could be through an informal chat in the breakout area as they take refreshments such as tea or coffee, or through more structured workshops that are designed to encourage collaboration and team building.
Often, day to day office life can plough the same furrows and employees can get entrenched in their usual roles. By changing up the environment, they can feel empowered to start a conversation with someone they may not usually interact with. This can help staff to learn more about each other’s job roles, or simply to get to know each other better.
Better quality of facilities and resources
If you choose to book a room at a dedicated conference and meeting centre, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your meeting experience.
For example, you can select a room size and layout that best suits the number of people and the purpose of your meeting, such as a boardroom style, classroom style, or semicircular arrangement of chairs.
The facility will have a high standard of audiovisual equipment, superfast WiFi, professional acoustics, and optimum lighting to help you deliver high quality talks, presentations or training sessions.
This can improve your communication and delivery of the meeting content, and also make it easier for the attendees to engage and participate. The venue can also provide in-house catering options to keep attendees refreshed and energised during longer meetings.
Being able to take a break from the usual setting can be an enjoyable experience for employees, who will return to their roles with boosted morale and a sense that they are valued and appreciated. This can lead to better job satisfaction and motivation.
