Corporate life sometimes calls for extra care and attention to be paid to the meeting room venue. For example, there may be a HR meeting that involves highly sensitive and confidential discussions, a visit by a high-value client, or a closed board meeting to discuss business strategy. Here are some tips on selecting the right meeting space.
Look for a professional and neutral environment
Your own office or that of a client may not be the best place for a sensitive or high-stakes meeting. It is not easy to guarantee confidentiality as interruptions are more likely to occur, and it is more difficult to be discreet about who is attending the meeting. A neutral venue can help to diffuse any tension there may be around the meeting.
Look for a meeting venue that offers purpose-built rooms with good soundproofing, and the arrivals and departures will be handled discreetly by the in-house reception team.
The meeting room should be an appropriate size for the number of guests and nature of the meeting, with good lighting, tasteful and calming decor schemes, adequate ventilation and ergonomic furniture to keep participants comfortable and focused on the matter at hand.
The venue should be centrally located to avoid an excessively long journey for any of the participants, with good parking and convenient access to public transport. For longer meetings, explore refreshment and catering options.
Secure and reliable digital technology
The meeting room should be equipped with modern AV systems, secure high-speed WiFi with the option for private and encrypted connections, and on site-technical support to handle any digital disruptions or incidents.
This will enable you to include remote participants, or make use of confidential shared information on digital devices, with peace of mind that proceedings will run smoothly and securely.
Provided that the internet access is secure and private, digital devices have a lower risk of security breaches than paper documents, which can easily be lost, stolen, or even left behind on public transport with no passwords or two-factor authentication to protect them.
Other tips for planning a successful meeting
If the stakes are high or the nature of the meeting is highly confidential, then it pays to plan the meeting carefully to help put everyone at ease and ensure a good outcome. Set out a clear objective for the meeting and outline the agenda in advance.
Decide as soon as possible who should attend the meeting, and make sure that the content is directly relevant to them, and their presence is absolutely essential to achieve the objective of the meeting.
Send out the meeting agenda in advance to allow everyone to prepare and ensure availability (consider using a password protected document to enhance confidentiality). On the day, arrive at the meeting venue early so that you can prepare and set up the equipment.
Arriving at least 30 minutes in advance is ideal to give you time to arrange the room, and also feel mentally prepared and ready to meet the challenge ahead.
