Modern workplaces are embracing a new wave of immersive conference room innovations that bring people together in an environment that mirrors natural, in-person conversations and collaboration.
Video conferencing tools are becoming more dynamic, allowing for free movement, natural interaction, and collaborative discussions without compromising visual or audio quality. These innovative technologies are enhancing the conference experience and driving engagement.
Concrete
Your conference table is a central element of the design of your meeting space. So it’s important to choose a design that looks good and is functional and practical.
A new trend in concrete conference tables is the use of steel fibers that increase the concrete’s resilience, tensile strength, and flexibility. They are added to the mix simultaneously as the cement and aggregates are mixed, ensuring that the resulting concrete is more resistant to cracking.
When this is done, it can also reduce the number of micro-pores in the concrete. This reduces the amount of air entrained in the concrete, which can lead to more complex, stronger concrete.
It is a common practice to use admixtures in concrete to achieve a specific goal, such as speeding up the setting time or increasing the compressive strength. The admixtures can be additives to the water used in the mixture or a chemical that enhances the properties of concrete.
Leather
A leather conference table is a stylish and functional way to enhance your workspace. Not only does it make a statement, but it can also inspire your employees to push boundaries and think outside the box.
Genuine leather is a byproduct of animal skins – typically cattle, sheep, and goats – tanned to make apparel, footwear, bags, luggage, furniture, and automotive products. 65% of all manufactured leather in the world comes from cows.
Leather isn’t just a luxury item; it’s a byproduct that helps create livelihoods for millions of people around the globe. Buoyed by rising global demand, the production of leather tanned in developing nations is increasing.
This is not to say that these countries can’t compete with Western tanneries in manufacturing quality leather. Instead, their most significant challenge is maintaining ethical working standards in a highly competitive environment. Fortunately, these challenges can be overcome with innovation and modern manufacturing techniques. For example, bonded leather is an eco-friendly solution that uses shredded and reconstituted animal skins bonded with polyurethane or latex to produce a material with many of the same characteristics as the real.
LED
LED technology lets you display stunning high-resolution video walls and screens in conference rooms. These technological upgrades capture meeting attendees’ attention, reduce eye strain, and are energy-efficient.
LEDs are made from compound semiconductor materials that combine elements from groups III and V of the periodic table (known as III-V). They consist of a thin layer of LED material on top of a phosphor. This solid-state electronic material emits electromagnetic energy in the form of light when energized with an electric current.
Today’s LEDs are highly advanced, with some able to tune for precise color rendering and others able to pump out extra photons in specific wavelengths for enhanced brightness. In addition, they tend to be more efficient than traditional lighting sources.
Despite their advanced nature, however, LEDs still need to be cheaper compared to incandescent bulbs and CFLs. They also require a specialized fixture or a specific type of power supply to operate, and they only last for a short time as other forms of illumination.
Living Walls
Living walls are an excellent way to bring nature to your conference table. They create a beautiful focal point in your room and serve many purposes, including providing a relaxing space, improving your mental health, helping to reduce energy consumption and water usage, and creating a healthy environment.
According to research, green walls reduce stress and tension. They also increase productivity and creativity. They are known to improve people’s mood, decrease blood pressure, and lower medication use and length of hospital stays.
Additionally, they provide environmental benefits such as reducing air pollution and noise. They also help to promote social interaction (Rakhshandehroo et al. 2015), enhance collective memory, and provide opportunities for self-expression and identity.
In addition, green walls help to improve the urban fabric of streets and buildings. They create an active edge along the road, increasing footfall and making the streets safer.
Comfort
Keeping your team comfortable is key to their productivity. Whether you’re a team that works remotely or in person, the right conference table can make a big difference in the quality of your meetings.
For some, sitting in uncomfortable chairs can worsen musculoskeletal issues and cause fatigue. If you have a lot of meetings where people have to sit for long periods, consider investing in ergonomic chairs that offer support and comfort.
Many multi-tenant office buildings are beefing up their amenity suites by putting more conference rooms on floors that can be reserved for any company in the building. This allows employees to attend meetings without having to leave their building.
Boat-shaped tables are designed to provide clear sight lines for everyone so that presentations can be seen easily. They also give you more space to work with papers and other items.