AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for ensuring meeting equity for all employees and how to deliver the best collaboration experience regardless of location.
Thought Leader: Lauren Simmen, Director of Product Marketing at Crestron
The research that Crestron’s undertaken over the course of the last year has revealed that most businesses have adopted a hybrid model: On any given day, a portion of the workforce is in-office, and a portion is working from home. The constant presence of virtual attendees has informed the way we look at meeting rooms, and some fairly important attributes of those spaces—large and small—should be addressed.
The constant presence of virtual attendees has informed the way we look at meeting rooms, and some fairly important attributes of those spaces—large and small—should be addressed." —Lauren Simmen, Director of Product Marketing at Crestron
The first of those attributes is the right technology. Proper connectivity with enough cameras, mics, and displays gives every meeting attendee an equitable experience. Speaker- and presenter-tracking options are key to the creation of “equal pixel real estate.”
The second attribute to consider is non-traditional room design. Changing the room orientation from “portrait” to “landscape”—putting cameras and displays on longer walls—creates better camera angles. Implementing curved or trapezoidal conference tables can give in-room attendees better sightlines within the room. The use of non-traditional seating design, including soft seating and homey touches (fabrics, drapery, plants, and so on,) can further help make the commute worth it. (A plus: Soft surfaces mitigate the unpleasant sound reverberation that can make for poor audio in the modern office, with its hard angles.)
The third attribute is proper lighting and shading. Backlit in-room attendees, washed-out display screens, and a host of other visual issues can be addressed when the right lighting and shading is in place.
And finally, controls should have an intuitive interface. They should be easy-to-use—and even automated when possible. The trick here is to mirror the at-home and in-office experience so the transition is seamless.
