Meeting rooms are an inevitable part of the coworking space offer. With the proper approach, they can bring considerable income to your business. However, before starting to get profit from the meeting room lease, you need to put some thought into amenities design, equipment, and technology.
This is exactly what our article is about. Read on and you will not only get inspired by incredible meeting room design ideas but also pick up some technological and revenue tips along the way.
Decide on the Rooms Purpose
Before plunging into creativity, art, and design, think about what kind of meeting spaces you would like to provide in your center. Here are some common types you may want to consider:
- A traditional conference room is an ideal place to discuss business questions or hold important meetings. It's furnished with a large table and comfortable chairs, so everyone has plenty of space to spread out their materials. Plus, there's usually a whiteboard or projector for presentations.
- A board room is where important decisions are made. It is typically furnished with a large table and chairs for business sharks to sit around, as well as a desk and chair for the meeting chairman. Often, there is also a whiteboard or projector screen for presentations and a tablet (meeting room display) for checking availability at a distance.
Meeting room at the Creative States equipped with a check-in display
- A brainstorming room, also known as a think tank, is a meeting room where coworkers can gather to come up with new ideas. It's often used in business and politics to generate new ideas for products, services, or policies. The best brainstorming rooms are equipped with whiteboards, markers, and plenty of paper for people to sketch out their ideas. As a rule, brainstorming rooms have relaxed and informal layouts.
- A teleconference room is a special type of conference room that is used for video conferences. It has all the same features as a standard conference room, but it also includes a video conferencing system that allows participants to see and talk to each other in real time. This can be very helpful for businesses using hybrid work models or that want to hold virtual meetings with employees or clients who are located far away.
- A skype room or phone booth is a place where members can make calls without being interrupted or overheard. It's basically a private room within the coworking space that they can use for phone calls, video calls, or just to get some peace and quiet.
- A training room is a place where members can come for a workshop or a class to learn new skills or improve existing ones. Training rooms usually have plenty of space so that participants can spread out and have room to maneuver. There may also be AV equipment set up so that presenters can use multimedia to enhance their sessions. Depending on the type of training being offered, the training room might contain specialized equipment. For instance, if cooking classes are being held, there might be ovens and stoves for students to use. If computer classes are taking place, there might be a bank of computers with the relevant software installed.
- A gaming room is where members can come to make a break, relieve stress, blow off some steam, and have some fun with colleagues. It's also a great way to build relationships and bond with people who share similar interests. Whether your members are into first-person shooters, puzzle games, or anything in between, there's bound to be something for everyone in the gaming room. The gaming space is usually separate from the main work area and often has multiple TVs or monitors set up, along with comfortable seating and plenty of floor space for people to move around. Some gaming rooms also have built-in kitchenettes or massage chairs for gamers to use while they play.
As you see, meeting rooms come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: they're designed to facilitate collaboration. Now, let’s take a look into some awesome settings where creativity, communication, and collaboration of your members could thrive.
30+ Wildly Creative Meeting Room Design Ideas
Bright colors, cozy poofs and swings
If you want members’ brainstorming sessions to be creative and engaging, then have some fun with the seating arrangements of your meeting rooms. Nothing beats sitting in an uncommon rocking chair, soft poof or on a swing for ideas that just won't come when sitting perfectly still at a desk!
Source: The Wave Coworking Offices Hong Kong, https://pin.it/4gpAmAv
Futuristic design
Give members an opportunity to become heroes of a space odyssey by turning your meeting room into a futuristic spaceship. Rounded corners, chrome elements, and geometric wall textures will intensify the illusion of intergalactic flight.
Source: Hayden Place by Cuningham Group, Creative agency workspace
Designer lighting and art walls
Lighting is extremely important for productivity, but when lighting arrangements intersect with art, members' productivity soars.
Source: societyM Seattle South Lake Union, Media Storm office by David Howell Design
White colors and a lot of air
Timelessly chic without ever being fussy or difficult to mix with other colors in modern design schemes white will always be a popular choice for those looking to make their meeting spaces stand out from anything else around.
Source: https://pin.it/6J5Ovct, https://pin.it/4bKucQO
Islands of peace and quiet
Coworking spaces are usually bubbling with energy and interactions, so designing meeting rooms as small islands of harmony and concentration may become a beneficial idea because concentration often shrinks when there are other voices around.
Source: AOL's Unique Office Conference Room Design
Scandinavian style
Scandinavian style in meeting room design often features clean lines, a lack of clutter, and an open feel. Some of its hallmarks include light wood tones, white walls, and simple furniture. This type of design is thought to encourage communication and creativity, making it ideal for meetings.
Source: City Hall Neder-Betuwe | Buro Bogaarts, HM Sampoerna Office
Flashy Art Deco Design
If you're looking to create an art deco-inspired meeting room, there are a few key elements to keep in mind. First, think about using rich colors like navy blue, black or gold to create a luxurious and elegant look. You can also add in some geometric patterns and details like chevron stripes or zigzag lines to give the space a more stylized feel. Incorporating hand-painted artwork can bring a unique, artisanal touch to the room, elevating its sophistication. And don't forget to use plenty of glamourous metallic finishes like brass, chrome or silver for added luxury.
Source: Creative States, Ukraine
Set up a self-service room booking system to improve customer experience and save time for staff
Warm and welcoming pub style
Creating a friendly relaxing pub-style meeting room starts with creating the right atmosphere. If you want members to feel comfortable and at ease as soon as they walk in, consider adding some cozy touches like soft lighting, plush furniture, and maybe even a fireplace or bookshelf with some reading materials. Some indoor air-purifying plants would also make a good addition to the workspace.
Source: Basement Brewhouse – Pony Design Co
Minimalist and unconventional
How far can you go in your pursuit to impress the customer? What about landing a helicopter right in the center of your open space and turning it into a meeting room?
Source: LIFT99
Reflect on local culture
When designing a meeting room that reflects the local culture, you can get inspired by the character and preferences of people that will use the amenity. For instance, a clean minimalist layout can become a perfect solution for Germany while Malaysian design is all about mixing and matching different elements to create something new and beautiful.
Source: Monday Offices - Hamburg, Google's New Office In Malaysia
Meeting nooks
With a few simple pieces of furniture and some helpful planning, you can create a charming space that's perfect for small gatherings in the open area of your coworking space.
Source: Pumpkin Room by edg Creatives, Meeting Nook
Eccentric shapes
If you want your meeting room to be more fun and engaging, try playing with shapes and materials! Utilizing different structures can really liven up a space. Adding in some playful furniture or decor can also help encourage creativity and collaboration. Ultimately, it's all about creating an environment that makes people want to work together.
Source: https://pin.it/7frNiAm, Qihoo 360 Headquarters by David Ho
Flamboyant Design
Bright colors and flamboyant style in meeting room design? Depends on your workspace culture. If you're aiming for a cutting-edge, modern vibe, then just go for it!
Source: Juliana Lima Vasconcellos, Ogilvy & Mather – Jakarta Office Space
Choosing the right design for your meeting room is only half the battle. Now let’s figure out how you will manage and earn money with the facility.
Manage & Monetize Meeting Rooms with Ease
There are two ways to manage your meeting spaces—manual and automated.
Manual way can be an option for very small coworking spaces that have a single meeting room and offer it to members for free most of the time. Such spaces use Google Calendar and Google Sheets to handle bookings and payments. This method has significant drawbacks, which you can get to know here: Meeting Room Booking Software vs Google Calendar. Which Is Better for Your Coworking Space?
Automate meeting room bookings
Most coworking spaces prefer to automate meeting room bookings with the help of specialized software. It can come as a standalone tool such as Skedda or as a holistic platform such as Spacebring with all features (bookings, invoicing, membership plans, and more) required for coworking space management included.
No matter which app you will choose to manage your bookings, your goal is to provide customers (members and non-members) with an easy way to book and pay for your amenities. Ideally, the process should boil down to opening your app on a smartphone, choosing a suitable room and time slot, and paying instantly with a bank card, invoice, or credits.
Please note that not all coworking space software copes with the task excellently, some systems don’t have mobile apps for members and managers, which is really bad as the future belongs to mobile.
It goes without saying that if customers book and pay for the rooms autonomously without calling or messaging your administrator, it takes a monstrous task off administrators’ shoulders. They don’t manage bookings and don’t accept payments but just supervise the process and make sure that all members are happy and engaged.
What’s more, they can easily track meeting rooms' popularity and make changes to ensure maximum occupancy, which means maximum revenue from the amenity.
Wind up
I hope you liked our showcase of amazing meeting room designs and maybe even picked a couple of ideas for yourself. If you are planning to make some money off your meeting rooms, just pay attention to their utmost accessibility both for members and non-members. By following the above tips, you can create a meeting space that is both functional and inspiring – and one that helps you make a little extra cash on the side. Have you put any thought into how you can maximize your meeting room revenue? If not, now is the time to get started!
