The modern office spectre is changing. With flexibility at the core of contemporary working practices, there has never been so much choice in terms of when and where you work.
Similar levels of choice can also be applied to meeting rooms. Long gone are the days when company directors, managers and clients would pour into the same uninspiring boardroom they had been using for so long they even knew where every crack in the walls were and every flake of paint! No, today’s meeting rooms are much more inspiring, stylish and diverse.
Though with everything that allows choice, pros and cons are usually present. Take a look at the following different meeting room layouts and the advantages and disadvantages that go hand in hand with them.
The Boardroom style setup
The word ‘boardroom’ might conjure connotations of ‘old-school’ meetings and employees being compelled to listen to an irate boss get their quips of their chest for the next hour or so, but modern boardroom style meeting rooms are considerably more stimulating.
The Boardroom style meeting room typically incorporates an oval or rectangular table, with chairs set around the table.
The pros
Suitable for a number of different types of meetings
Boardroom style meeting rooms are ideal for small business meetings, committee meetings, Board of Directors meetings or strategy sessions that comprise of anything between 5 – 15 people.
A good working atmosphere
As the boardroom style meeting room is centred on one focal table, meeting are fairly intimate and offer a good working atmosphere for attendees to bounce ideas around, interact with ease and generally have a productive meeting.
The cons
Limited space
Boardroom style meeting rooms are not ideal for meetings that comprise of larger groups or conferences as they do not typically have the room or facilities to facilitate high volumes of people.
Another potential problem with this style of meeting room is that if the table is too large it can be difficult for attendees to hear what colleagues are saying at the other end of the table!
These types of meeting rooms are also not ideal for audio-visual presentations.
Theatre style setup
With the theatre style meeting room rows of chairs are set out which face the front. The chairs are usually divided in the centre and/or by side aisles.
The Pros
Maximises room space utilisation
As the Fine Speakers Bureau points out, the theatre style setup maximises room space utilisation and works well when the audience is required to take minimal notes.
The Cons
Not ideal for all-day sessions
Theatre style meeting rooms are not ideal for all-day meetings and are designed for gatherings of approximately two hours.
Does not encourage delegate interaction
As the layout of the room is rows of chairs facing one speaker, this style of meeting room does not particularly encourage attendee participation or interaction.
The classroom style setup
The classroom setup meeting room might sound a little antiquated and ‘old-school’ but are convenient for larger groups with a central speaker.
As its name suggests, the classroom setup meeting room comprises of rows of chairs and sometime tables all facing the front. There is often a stage at the front of the room, making the space resonant of a lecture theatre.
The pros
Great for formal training sessions
This setup is ideal for larger groups and formal training sessions. With a table placed conveniently in front of them, it enables delegates to bring their laptops or notebooks and make notes.
Room for tea and coffee
This style of meeting room is designed to be comfortable as delegates and presenters can be in it for a fairly lengthy period. As the room is typically large in size, there is plenty of room for tea, coffee and refreshments!
Eye-contact
As all the meeting attendees are facing the front, the presenter can make valuable eye contact with delegates.
The Cons
The classroom style meeting room doesn’t encourage interaction between colleagues and delegates, after all, who wants to talk to someone with their back to you!
The U-shape style setup
In the U-shape style meeting room conference tables, typically of around six to eight foot in length, are positioned end to end to form a U-shape. Chairs are placed on the outside of the U.
The pros
Great for seminars that require audio-visual presentations
This style of meeting room is perfect for training seminars and committee meetings as it enables attendees to view audio-visual presentations with ease.
Encourages interaction
The layout of the U-shape setup encourages colleagues and attendees to talk to one another and interact, which again, is desirable in committee meetings and training sessions.
The cons
Doesn’t cater for larger groups
The style of meeting room is confined to smaller groups. Groups of above 25 attendees would struggle for room and as the U-shape would become too long it would make interaction difficult.
Cabaret style setup
The cabaret setup consists of clusters of round tables with delegates seated around two thirds of the tables. It is typical for 6 – 8 people to sit around a table designed for ten. This enables delegates to have a clear view of the screen or stage and so no attendee has their back to the presenter.
The pros
Attendees can talk freely to each other, which is good for nurturing discussion and interaction.
Great for big, glamorous events
This style of meeting room is ideal for award nights, which is devoted to presentations and handing out awards.
It can also be used for large business meetings, enables attendees to take notes and talk to one another in the breaks.
The cons
Can be costly
As the cabaret style meeting room takes up a lot of space, it requires a bigger than normal room which can impact the cost.
Not suitable for smaller meetings
The cabaret style room is not appropriate for smaller meetings as colleagues would feel ‘lost’ in such a big room.
The herringbone style setup
The herringbone layout comprises of tables set to form a square, which are surrounded by chairs.
The pros
Great for smaller meetings
As this style of meeting room creates a more enclosed type of feel, it is perfect for smaller meetings in which the audience can interact with the presenter.
The cons
Confined to smaller meetings
The herringbone style is not ideal for larger meetings as attendees would feel too ‘on top of each other’.
Dinner/dance layout
With this style of meeting room the tables are laid around the outside of the room with a dance floor in a central area.
The pros
Has a great aesthetic
The dinner/dance style room is ideal for large, glamorous events such as weddings, dinner dances and other evening entertainment.
The cons
Not appropriate for business
The layout of this style of room is not appropriate for business meetings as the dance floor would be a superfluous space.
Costly
This type of room generally costs quite a lot to hire.
There are many options when it comes to room layouts for meetings, hopefully this post has helped to clear up any questions you may have and helped you decide upon the best set up for you.
If you are looking to hire a meeting room in Leeds, Carrwood Park has a number of different style of rooms to cater for a whole host of different meetings and events. Our meeting rooms ae light and stylish and are ideal for smaller meetings of around 2 – 6 people. Carrwood Park’s well-facilitated boardrooms are perfect for larger meetings of around 10 – 24 guests. Whilst our Carrwood Suite is ideal for larger events, accommodating up to 120 people in style and comfort. We can change our meeting room layout styles to suit your needs.
For all your Leeds meeting rooms requirement, get in touch with Carrwood Park.
