WorkWell’s Meeting Room Guide

WorkWell on July 16, 2024

Why opt for a hired meeting room in Leeds?

Leeds is home to over 536,000 individuals, making it the UK’s second largest city. The business-oriented city attracts many organisations to its trendy cosmopolitan streets, creating appeal around hiring quality, well-facilitated and flexible spaces to hold meetings, events and seminars.

Leeds is a practical city to run meetings out of, with fantastic transportation links for the whole of the North and even to the south, it makes it simpler for anybody across the UK to attend a meeting.

Whilst the transport links offer convenience, Leeds offers more practicalities, with a plethora of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars for food and drink to be gotten from. Being surrounded by so many options can reduce the time spent navigating to the nearest local shop.

Leeds is a developing city, with money being put into improving the city’s infrastructure and green spaces. This means that whilst you may want the convenience of a meeting room in an urban environment, you can still find green spaces to enjoy your lunch or a long walk.

Potential issues to consider with hiring a meeting room?

Hiring a meeting room comes with a lot of considerations to be made, whether it is the budget, the capacity of a space, or the technological capabilities. Considering each aspect of your ideal meeting room will set you up for success.

  • Ensure the space has the technical capabilities and IT support for those days where it may be causing some issues.
  • Will you have access to other facilities? I.e. printer access or a kitchenette
  • Location is king, make sure everyone attending can get there without it costing too much money or time!
  • Consider taking a tour, there’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re trapped in an arrangement that doesn’t meet your business needs. Try before you buy will help protect from any issues.
  • Make sure to book with plenty of time to prepare. Don’t try booking the day before, make sure you and your meeting room provider are prepared for your attendance, more so, making sure they’re not booked up!

Stretching your meeting room budget

Looking for ways to make the most of your meeting room budget? Accessing a high-quality environment for meetings helps increase your business’s credibility and can contribute towards the general success of your organisation.  However, stretching your budget isn’t always a practical solution for just the one meeting, so we’ve come up with some ways you can stretch your budget:

  1. Connect with another business – Do you know anyone that would be interested in sponsoring your meetings? This could be in the form of anything from providing the catering for your meeting to handing out branded goodie bags to your attendees. If you do the relevant research and get a bit creative with your approach, this tactic can really pay off.
  2. Look for hidden costs – Some of the seemingly-cheaper meeting rooms often come with a variety of hidden costs. This could be for anything from the catering to using the wi-fi! We can’t stress enough how important it is to ask exactly what is included in the price before you make your booking.
  3. Opt for all-inclusive packages – It could be a lot more cost-effective to book an all-inclusive meeting room package. Take time to look for a package to suit your business and you could end up saving a lot of money on things you usually pay extra for!
  4. Host out of the city – People often assume that a city centre location is perfect for your meetings, but that’s really not the case! More rural locations don’t just tend to be more cost-effective compared to city-centre meeting room facilities, but they may also provide a more convenient location for your attendees.
  5. Have a fixed budget for all meetings –Sometimes it can really help to visualise things by writing them down on paper. Take some time to work out exactly how much you can afford to spend on each meeting, down to the penny. From here, you can keep this figure in mind when booking your meetings to make sure you don’t go over your budget.
  6. Create an opportunity for funds to be raised – This is no short-term solution, but creating additional means to fund your meetings can be a great way to subsidise any excess costs from your budget.
  7. Booking in bulk – Some meeting room providers offer discounted rates for bulk bookings. Simply ask around and find the perfect place for you.
  8. Electing to use a smaller space – Consider the size of the space needed to comfortably conduct a meeting. Instead of picking one, you can roam around in, look for one that comfortably sits attendees and provides you with the necessary amenities to conduct.

For more tips on finding meeting space and overcoming the challenges involved in planning and running meetings, the WorkWell blog is a mine of useful information and advice – subscribe today for regular updates.

 

Monday Morning Meetings at Carrwood

WorkWell on September 7, 2018

Monday Morning Meetings at WorkWell

Think of your Monday morning meeting as a productivity booster for your team

This week, given the beautiful weather we have been grateful to receive lately, we decided to conduct our weekly management meeting in one of our outdoor areas. Ok, so we know we are incredibly blessed to have 120 acres to play with, and not everyone has access to rural areas within their workplaces, but at WorkWell, we have it, so we’re going to use it!

Natural light, a bit of vitamin D and countryside sights are an idyllic way to start the week, but it’s not just all about supporting staff well-being; we also place a high value on increasing productivity in the workplace.

The objective of a Monday morning meeting is to ensure everyone in your team has a clear picture of the week’s objectives against your monthly/quarterly plan and how the objectives can be met, along with the progress to date. The meeting should be held in a private room and needs to have a clear and concise agenda, and at the same time, each Monday, if possible.

Without a Monday morning meeting, your team may not have a clear idea of what the expectations are for the week. Take this time to ensure your team is informed, motivated, and any issues from the previous week are addressed.

Think of the Monday morning meeting as a weekly productivity booster. Equally, it is not a training/discussion time. If that is necessary, then you may want to consider holding a more formal meeting with an agenda right after the meeting/a lunch and learn with only those people required.

Here are our top tips on how to utilise your Monday meetings effectively:

  • Information is key! Up-to-date news is important.
  • A week’s plan is essential. How are we going to meet our objectives for the week? Don’t forget to review your progress from the week before against your month/quarterly plan.
  • Motivational! Where possible, try the good news – bad news – good news approach. You want your team to understand the issues, but ensure your team is ready for a productive week.

Once you have a few Monday morning meetings, your team will look forward to them because they know they don’t take much time, and the information they receive will make their day/week more productive.

An easy guide to finding your perfect meeting room

WorkWell on March 10, 2017

Meeting room guide blog.jpg

Is your current meeting room not up to your standards? Want somewhere in a more convenient location? Maybe you don’t currently have a purpose-built meeting room? If you found yourself nodding whilst reading any of the above, then you may have given up on finding your ideal meeting room. But there’s no need to worry, that ‘perfect’ meeting room is very real! You just need to know how to find it…

Read More about An easy guide to finding your perfect meeting room

The History of Meeting Rooms in Leeds

WorkWell on May 10, 2015

 The city of Leeds is known for many things – but in recent years it has emerged as one of the most important hubs for business, innovation and enterprise. Many large organisations have been investing money and confidence in Leeds, from Google launching its Digital Garage in Leeds to the government investing £17.5 million for businesses to improve skills. Leeds City Council continues to focus on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone, and last year, Leeds University announced plans to develop a £25 million enterprise hub, as reported by Business Editor Bernard Ginns in the Yorkshire Post.

All of these are very positive signs for Leeds as a thriving centre for business in the North and in the UK as a whole. But what about its meeting facilities? Has meeting and conferencing been able to keep up with the rapid changes and demands of modern Leeds business needs? Let’s explore a little of the history of meeting rooms in Leeds, and how these vital spaces, where crucial deals are made, winning business ideas created and useful networking opportunities seized – have changed over the years.

A look back at Leeds meeting rooms of the past

Let’s face it – meeting spaces of a few decades ago could be distinctly uninspiring. Four walls, a table and chairs were the basis of most meeting rooms in Leeds and the rest of the UK. In fact, some businesses would make do with any spare space, no matter how small or unsuitable. People would hold meetings in a tiny office or cubicle, at the end of a bank of desks or the break-room, or even in the local coffee shop, where the noise of customers and coffee machines would drown out most of what people were saying. Needless to say, these were not ideal spaces for holding meetings.

For those who recognised the importance of holding meetings in a professional, dedicated meeting space – see our blog on the subject – some of the available options were too grand and formal, too expensive or too inaccessible for many smaller enterprises, or those looking for a more innovative or informal way of working. It’s important to hold casual meetings too.

What’s more, meeting rooms in Leeds from 20 or so years ago were missing an essential element that is absolutely crucial for today’s business spaces – technology.

How technology has transformed meeting rooms in Leeds

By far, the biggest impact on business, meeting and conferencing facilities in recent times has been technology. Technology works best when it can make our lives easier, when it can solve problems, save time and help us to work more efficiently. This is why it is so widely used in modern meetings, from videoconferencing and meeting management software to presentation tools, meeting apps and even 3D screens, displays and projections to help us explain our ideas. Technology is changing all the time, as meetings technology consultant Corbin Ball points out as he lists the ten top trends for 2015.

We can now use cloud computing to collaborate, whether we meet in person or not, along with virtual meeting software which allows us to connect with participants from all over the world. It really is amazing how the way we work, and the way we meet, has changed in such a relatively short time – and meeting spaces have had to work hard to keep up.

It’s not enough to have a meeting room where you can bring your own equipment. The room needs to be set up and ready with all the latest meeting technology already integrated – otherwise, you’ll be wasting valuable time on setup (and inevitable snags and technological hitches) each time you hold a meeting. This is why all the great quality modern meeting spaces used by businesses in Leeds, from big companies to innovative start-ups, are equipped with the latest technology and ready to roll from the moment you sit down at the meeting table.

We’re more flexible nowadays – meeting spaces should be too

One of the other factors that has transformed meeting rooms in Leeds is flexible working. We no longer stick religiously to the 9-5 working day, and many of us work from home, remotely or on flexible hours. Some choose to mingle with like-minded professionals in Leeds co-working spaces – our blog explains how this way of working can benefit everyone from freelancers to start-ups.

As we are no longer tied to the office and we embrace a more flexible approach to work, this is reflected in the meeting spaces we choose.  We need inspirational spaces we can adapt and adjust to suit our needs, from informal meeting areas to encourage networking and the sharing of ideas to dedicated presentation spaces with the latest in meeting technology at our fingertips.

What we don’t want is to be staring at peeling paint on the walls of a drab, uninspiring cupboard of a meeting room – and that is why meeting rooms in Leeds have undergone such a dramatic change. According to Startups.co.uk’s annual round-up of statistics for new businesses launching in the UK, the city was home to a massive 2,970 start-ups in 2014, showing that Leeds is continuing to attract new enterprises left, right and centre.  Business facilities in the city have recognised the needs of its innovative, forward-thinking businesses, as well as the need to attract others, and they have adapted to suit. Let’s look forward to the next generation of meeting rooms – what changes will happen next?

10 Tips on Planning Your Own Networking Meetings

WorkWell on December 11, 2013

Meetings can be a one-off chance to bring a group of key business people together for an important objective.

Getting the meeting room set up right is so important. If the meeting’s objectives are not met because people are uncomfortable, tired or unable to network due to space or timetable issues, then an important opportunity has been lost.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips on creating the right environment for your meetings and choosing the right meeting room set-up for your planned activities.

(1) The Guest List: Meeting Size

My golden rule when it comes to numbers is ‘walk before you can run’. If this is your first seminar or you haven’t held one for a while, then keep numbers small. It is much better to run 5 smaller sessions for 12 people, than one seminar for 60 people, where half of them don’t turn up. Keeping numbers low allows you to give very targeted content and is much more personal, with each member of the group feeling more valued. This decreases the dropout rate and keeps discussions lively. You can send messages out to larger groups via email, through newsletters or video instead.

(2) The Guest List: Planning Numbers

Follow the “50%:50%:50%” rule. If given sufficient time to diarise a relevant meeting, expect around half the people you invite to give a positive RSVP.  From 60 positive RSVPs, the chances are that 30 will show, especially to a free event. As you still need to book and pay for all confirmed attendees, this is even more reason to keep numbers low and maintain personal contact to decrease dropout rate.

(3) Amount of Space

Meeting rooms should be large enough to comfortably accommodate however many people you expect to attend, including all their equipment (bags, coats, briefcases, luggage, etc). Speak to the meeting rooms manager for advice on appropriate space. They should be able to give you detailed information about how much space would be required for meetings with different numbers of people and different seating arrangements.

(4) Best Seating Arrangement for Planning

The best seating arrangement for planning meetings is the ‘horseshoe’ arrangement. If all participants are required to contribute to the same discussion led by a single speaker, the ‘horseshoe’ (with the speaker at the front and everyone in a semicircle around them) allows everyone to comfortably see each other and the projector screen.

(5) Best Seating Arrangement for Discussions

The best seating arrangement for encouraging networking and interactivity among participants is ‘rounds’, whereby you place small tables seating 6-8 people each around the room. If you’re using a projector for some of the meeting, people will have to adjust their chairs so they can see the screen, so there should be sufficient space for them to do so.

(6) Plan for Networking Time

Allowing networking time before and after your event for networking serves a number of purposes. It allows a buffer time for people running late, it allows you time to build personal relationships before the main speakers begin, and if you present at the meeting, it allows you time to answer individual questions afterwards.

(7) Plan Regular Breaks

For meetings of over 2 hours, we recommend that you take a short break, at least every 90 minutes. Even if people just simply stand up and move around, the physical activity will increase blood flow and oxygenation, which will liven everyone up, help them to re-focus and promote better discussions.

(8) Don’t Sell

It is important to show your audience respect, so if they’ve given up valuable time to come to an event, you must not simply sell to them. Giving them valuable information that is relevant in the current economic climate and is targeted to them is the way to encourage people to return. The time when selling may be permissible is in response to questions asked after a presentation, if you identify a business need from your audience that you may be able to help them with.

(9) Offer Refreshments.

Providing refreshments is not only polite, it can give people an opportunity to network informally together during break times, rather than going off-site to buy food. Many new ideas and new business ventures have begun with a chat over coffee.

(10) Appoint a door monitor.

An appointed door monitor avoids those awkward moments and disturbances when outside noise occurs and everyone jumps up to shut the door (or everyone looks at each other wondering who will), or when new people arrive and don’t know where to sit. The door monitor takes charge of opening and closing the door for temperature control and noise level. This allows individuals sitting near the door to concentrate on the meeting, rather than worrying about the comings and goings of other meeting participants.

If you would like to discuss your meeting requirements, do please give us a call. We have many different types of meeting rooms available across the WorkWell locations, and we will be happy to chat with you about how we can help make your meetings successful.