When you picture a meeting room, you likely envision a colorless, fluorescent-lit space, a large rectangular table with numerous chairs bordering it, and perhaps a projector hanging from the ceiling for that all-too-familiar PowerPoint presentation – your “standard” meeting room, right? So why do we mention “Meeting Room Essentials” if a meeting room usually comprises of the same things?

Well, our notion of “Meeting Room Essentials” sways a bit from the norm, or “standard” prototype. We wouldn’t go as far to say we’re experts in meeting room feng-shui, but we do strongly believe in a few key meeting room essentials. Hear us out…

Now, imagine a meeting room – sans table. A meeting room – sans projector. A meeting room – sans plasma TV. In other words, an open room (no table – yes, forget the giant table in the middle!) with a set number of chairs, and an inviting atmosphere*.

So what are the advantages to a table-less meeting?

• Mobility – people are free to move around rather than being locked into one sitting position.
• Communication flow – when you can see the entire person, you’re more prone to give your entire attention. No hiding behind your laptop or phone.
• Participation – this goes hand in hand with communication – when a table is removed, body language and accountability in being a part of the meeting are emphasized, encouraging others to participate and listen!
• Distance – when you remove a table, everyone sits closer to one another, enabling everyone to speak more freely and comfortably.
• Democracy – seating people in a circle, for example, signals that everyone is equal. While there likely exists a hierarchy in your company or organization, meetings are an important time to represent organizational democracy.

Now what do we mean by an inviting atmosphere?

We believe walking into a meeting room doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience. That it can actually be quite the opposite! We also believe in the joint notions of simplicity and subtlety. Ever hear of K.I.S.S.? (No, not the band, but the acronym…) Keep It Simple Stupid? At Starfish Taylor, we like to think of it as Keep It Simple Subtle.

Keep it Simple:

• Remove the clutter – get rid of anything that isn’t directly of use or relevant during the meeting. Take down those old posters of the initiatives from five years ago.
• Remove any distractions – place the table for food and coffee outside and remove any excess chairs that would enable anyone to sit outside of the “collaborative zone”.
• Objectives in Large Words – write the meeting’s objectives out in large font and place them somewhere visible to everyone. If you have a graphic scribe or are artistically-inclined, create supporting images for each objective.

Keep it Subtle:

• Welcome Wall – while this may not be absolutely necessary, it is a nice (and simple) touch that sends off positive energy, and expresses your appreciation for the participants involved.
• Plenary Start – start the meeting by placing the chairs in a semi circle. No extra seats and no desks. This forces everyone to sit in the [dreaded] front row right off the bat.
• Music – we’ve written a whole article on using music in a workshop or meeting and how it can truly boost your workshop session. In essence, we are advocates of playing music at appropriate interims; however, we similarly emphasize the importance of knowing when to omit music. Music can be the subtle element that softens the sometimes-intimidating atmosphere, giving it a warm glow, despite whatever lighting your meeting room has. Some examples of music to include: Arrival music, Module music, and Cue music.

Check out our playlists on YouTube and Spotify for an eclectic range of playlists for various occasions.

The last four meeting room essentials are quite straightforward. They are the elements that go unspoken, and at times, are forgotten or left to the last minute. But we’re here to reiterate their importance, as without them, the flow of your workshop session is going to be thrown off. And we all know time and fluidity are precious commodities!!!

Don’t forget:

• Water and water glasses
• Badge Table
• Lost and Found
• Parking Lot

So what’s the bottom line? Think of Meeting Room Essentials as these three things: simple, subtle and straightforward.

WE LOVE WORKSHOPS