Why meeting room demand has risen in a hybrid world

Posted on: 14th March 2023

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The shift away from the traditional office setup has led to a rise in the popularity of meeting room rentals. As a growing number of businesses adopt hybrid working, the need for more flexible, yet professional and easily accessible workspaces has become increasingly important. This includes professional meeting rooms.

With workers becoming more spread out geographically, meeting room rentals provide a convenient solution for bringing team members together, fostering effective communication and collaboration, and ensuring that work can be done efficiently and effectively.

This increase in demand is a reflection of the changing nature of work and the need for businesses to adapt to the new reality of a more decentralised workforce.

We take a look at why meeting room rentals are so important with hybrid work models, and what has facilitated its demand.

Why is there an increasing demand for meeting rooms?

87% of workers state that they prefer transitioning to hybrid working. With this in mind, it's no surprise that companies are increasingly on the hunt for the perfect flexible meeting space.

As businesses look to adapt to this workplace strategy, they will be faced with several options. This includes downsizing their office space, relocating to a coworking space, or giving up a physical office completely, and instead opting for a virtual office.

Meeting rooms serve as a link between office-based and remote workers in a hybrid environment. They create a sense of community among team members who may not be working together daily but are within physical distance of each other.

Virtual meetings help employees keep up with each other during busy schedules or when everyone isn’t in the same location. However, in-person meetings still aid collaboration, such as with strategising.

1. Facilitate better collaboration

From small businesses to large enterprises, collaboration is essential for success. That’s why having a productive meeting space is so important, to help get everyone on the same page in person.

Meeting space rentals provide a unique setting for collaboration and idea-sharing among team members from different departments. By creating a neutral territory, meeting spaces foster a sense of unity and encourage team members to engage with one another productively and openly.

The opportunity to come together in this way often leads to the exchange of new ideas and perspectives, allowing for a more diverse range of opinions to be heard. As a result, this type of collaboration can result in the consideration of ideas and opportunities that might have otherwise gone unspoken or unnoticed.

2. Offer privacy and security

Having a secure location easily accessible for meeting room bookings means that you have somewhere safe for confidential conversations and private meetings. After all, resorting to meetings and collaborating in the corner of a coffee shop can easily compromise privacy.

Conference or meeting room rentals help avoid running the risk of sharing confidential information, as well as uncomfortable distractions caused by a noisy environment.

To help with this, we offer our Regus membership. This makes conference room bookings easy and on-demand, among many other benefits.

3. Provides a dedicated space for meetings

As businesses continue to adopt a hybrid way of working, finding a larger space for meetings has become more essential when bringing together larger groups of remote or virtual workers.

Gone are the days of cramped boardrooms and limited seating. Instead, there is a greater need for naturally-lit, spacious meeting rooms that can accommodate everyone.

Whether for a small training session or a large conference, dedicated meeting spaces ensure they can run smoothly.

4. Access the latest technology

If you need to video call with remote workers or a potential client, you may worry that you or your company don’t have the tech capabilities in-house. It’s here that a bookable meeting room can offer everything you may need.

By booking a meeting room, you can be confident that the necessary technology for the meeting will be provided. This includes video conferencing capabilities as well as other useful features such as reliable WiFi, plenty of power outlets for charging devices and screens for presentations.

5. Meeting rooms can make a great first impression

If you need to meet with clients but don't have a suitable space, booking a meeting room can help. You can even use meeting spaces to host a face-to-face interview, so you can get to know the person better.

The right meeting venue provides a productive and professional setting that can help make a great first impression with clients, without distractions.

6. Convenient productive workspace

Focus your time by booking a meeting room that is ready to go before you even arrive. This means you have more time to prepare for your meeting, with fewer concerns about seating arrangements, table space, and technology requirements.

7. Safe, clean and sanitised rooms

With the ever-changing climate of work, having a secure and hygienic space to hold business meetings is now more important than ever.

Ready-to-use meeting rooms should provide a clean and sanitised setting for client or employee interactions. This allows you to conduct these essential gatherings with utmost safety.

How are meeting rooms being used?

Adopting a hybrid working pattern, which combines remote and in-person work, is becoming a popular and productive approach for many businesses. Approximately 63% of high-revenue growth businesses have already embraced this model by giving their team the flexibility to work from wherever they are most productive.

To facilitate this approach, booking meeting rooms on demand can play a crucial role in enabling businesses to fully realise the benefits of hybrid working.

On an ad-hoc basis

Not all your business meetings will be the same. Some longer discussions may require more meeting time. They may also be best conducted in person, or simply via a video call within a more private space.

When booking a conference room, you choose the time you the room for need. Thanks to this, there’s no concern of overrunning.

Relief from remote work

Research reveals that approximately 80% of people are working hybrid or remotely. With this in mind, there’s no denying that remote working has become one of the most preferred ways of working for many employees.

Being in your own environment can allow your creativity to flow as many workers feel more relaxed. There’s also no commute and often, a greater work-life balance.

However, working from home can become a little monotonous, isolated and repetitive. It can also be full of distractions.

Having a meeting venue is a great way to spend focused time on a particular project in a fresh environment, or to stay connected within a team. It can also boost productivity as it allows workers to see their colleagues, hold presentations, or host corporate events.

Find a meeting room with Regus

As hybrid workers come together in need of specific facilities, it’s no wonder meeting rooms are in high demand. When looking for a meeting room provider, there can be several factors to consider before committing to a new meeting environment.

A dedicated meeting venue not only enhances a company's professional credibility but also provides the perfect setting to promote collaboration and stimulate the flow of creative ideas.

Finding the right meeting room to facilitate a team from all angles can be challenging, but with Regus, it’s made easy. The simplest way to find a space that works for you is to use our meeting room booking tool. With this solution, you have on-demand, flexible meeting or conference rooms as and when you need them.

We’re here to help find solutions for what you’re looking for, including searching and booking a room, scheduling a meeting and the current occupancy level all within our app.

Speak to an expert today to find out more about our meeting rooms all over the world.

 

Topics in this article

  • Productivity

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