Your meeting room should, of course, be functional and fit for purpose.
Does that mean it has to be four uninspiring cream walls? No.
Part of learning engagement and productivity can involve choosing the right meeting environment, whether this is creating a meeting space creatively or opting for a built-for-purpose venue to capture the attention of your attendees. Either way, you need to step up your meeting room game. Whether you need one-to-one meeting space or meeting design to fire up your group of participants, here are some awesome aesthetically pleasing meeting spaces to inspire you. Some of the ideas we share for more intimate gatherings can always be used on a bigger scale for events which need greater participation and space.
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Library Learning
This breakroom would be excellent for informal mini meetings and small groups. The library feel can make you want to settle down and be productive. These cubby shelves filled with books could have inspirational authors or double up as research material and with the softly lit squares creates a cool atmosphere that is comfortable, yet functional. Add in vibrant rugs like this to help offset the corporate vibes and this could be an easy nook to for relaxed but productive meeting design.
Credit: Clara
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Funky Ceilings
Interesting patterns and artwork might trigger innovation and creativity within your participants, particularly for brainstorming sessions and when you’re trying to solve complex problems. Having it on the ceiling is a quirky idea and if you’ve ever leant back in your chair trying to think of new ideas, this could be just the inspiration you were looking for. If nothing else it’s a great way of having plenty of color in the room without overpowering or overwhelming.
Credit: Citadines Kuta Beach Bali
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Natural Light
Bringing natural light into the workplace can help boost productivity, with studies showing that it reduces the amount of sick leave employees take and improves their sleep at night. For eventprofs or those in stressful professions, this could help to reduce burnout and work related stress. Environments that include natural light found that they had up to 40% more productivity and sales as well as a 15% increase in creativity too, so add this to your meeting space and you could be onto a winner.
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Patterned Glass
Glass cubes are popular but they can be boring (and lack privacy.) Patterned frosting on the walls, like in this example, gives a bit more privacy while still getting a view of the office and looks more interesting (outside and in) for attendees and other employees. You could use this as an opportunity for branding, sponsorship and signage, particularly if you use temporary decals on the glass for the meeting.
Credit: The Executive Lounge Business Centre
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Privacy Pods
Create temporary meeting spaces at a conference, trade show or other events by using these circular pods complete with privacy curtains. They would also go well as a permanent fixture in the office if you don’t have a set meeting space and offer unique areas for staff to use. The privacy function would be great for avoiding distraction, particularly with the glass walls but you could change the curtain color to suit branding of the event or organisation.
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Motivational Wall Vinyl
Motivating attendees and employees is important for productivity and incorporating this into your meeting design space is an excellent way to do this. Wall vinyl stickers are increasingly popular and temporary which means you could change the quote a few times per year (or a few times per event) to keep it fresh. This is an excellent example of a quote that lends to productivity but you could include something like the company or brand ethos or message that you want everyone to remember.
Credit: Zehra AYAZ
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Branding Opportunities
If you’re unable to change the way the room looks or make temporary alterations, start looking at the items you are bringing in. For example, these notebooks are simple but have branded sleeves and pens to make them more engaging. You could opt for other ideas like table décor or fabric runners, corporate chair covers or table activities to make the room feel more personal, even though you can’t change the room itself.
Credit: Design Foundry
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Modern Lobby
This is a stunning meeting area with plenty of corporate space and facilities for a ready-made solution and meeting aesthetics. This example is one of the ways you can have a chic, modern setting for your meeting without having to put any effort into creating it.
Credit: Qvistgaard & Co.
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Chalkboard Walls
Make your walls interactive and facilitate learning by using chalkboard paint! If you don’t have the ability to do this in your meeting space, make sure you have large boards that you can hang instead. These are excellent for collaborative learning and brainstorming, require minimal tech and can be useful for bringing teams together.
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Diner Chic
Opt for informal meeting spaces like these that are simple but effective. This meeting space is quirky and lower than street level and the different seating options works for your different learner types. The exposed brick and historical photographs add character and the fact that there is on site catering is always a bonus too!
Credit: Comptoir Rodin
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Bold Corners
Your meeting space doesn’t always have to be a designated room, it can be a corner or area in the cafeteria that is designated for meetings and informal chats. For those who are used to short, meaningful meetings this can be ideal and save on the costs of hiring actual rooms. This is a cool idea because the décor hints at the space and the bold color makes the corner pop, without needing to be “official”.
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Fun Focus
Why not make your meeting room, or even your furniture multifunctional. For example, the table for this meeting room doubles as a ping pong table which promotes a fun atmosphere and allows for multiple uses of a room if you have limited office space. The company branding is also a quirky addition, particularly with the use of the marquee letters to stand out and make the room look quirky!
Credit: Agence Verywell
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Regal
Add a bit of history and opt for a regal venue like The Ritz in London which offers upmarket meeting rooms like this one. It would be an excellent boardroom to showcase as a special treat for attendees with the backdrop of formal art pieces and dining experiences. Venues like this can show your staff or attendees you care by focusing on the finer details.
Credit: GP Consultancy & Events
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Indoor Garden
If you want all the benefits of an outdoor working space but don’t have the weather to back it up, this is a cool idea for an informal, indoor garden meeting area. Faux grass carpet combined with mixed seating and beanbags makes it easy for attendees to pull up a chair and have a chat or to host an informal break out session at your event. This space integrates well with informal workplace cultures and can be used year-round!
Credit: Pacific Workplaces
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Repurposed Spaces
Promote sustainability for your meetings and create repurposed spaces or those that have multiple uses. This is obviously an extreme example of an old shipping crate that has turned into a multi-level meeting area for different atmospheres depending on the type of meeting. Underneath is a comfortable space for private meetings while the open top area is more conversational and informal.
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Canadian Cabin
Go for rustic vibes by getting a cabin for your meeting! This could be part of a retreat or if your office has garden grounds you could make a homely executive cabin, complete with fireplace and beam ceilings. This is a cool themed cabin with a great set up for a comfortable but official boardroom.
Credit: Predator Ridge Resort
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Rooftop Terrace
If you have an open top area to your office, make the most of it and transform it into a comfortable meeting space for everyone to use. This concept has live walls, low tables and versatile outdoor seating which is particularly useful if you benefit from a regularly warm climate. The outdoor kitchen area is also a bonus to cater to a meeting and you could always add an extending sunshade or waterproof covering to protect half of the space to make it useable all year round.
Credit: TAMENarq
In Conclusion
It’s time to show that meeting spaces don’t have to be boring and sometimes where you are holding your meeting can vastly impact the atmosphere and attitude going in. Attendees that enjoy their surroundings have increased productivity, creativity and innovation so give it some thought and dare to be different.
