Hiring a meeting room is not just about booking a space to hold your presentation. Before you book a room for a meeting it is worth checking out the AV facilities beforehand to avoid any problems on the day.
Check Your Cable Connections
Even if a meeting room offers a number of cable connections, you should always ask beforehand if all cables are available. Most meeting rooms are equipped with HDMI connections, but USB-C is becoming more and more the standard connection on new laptops. Bring your own adapter if necessary.
Match Screen Size to Room Depth
A 55” screen is likely to be okay for a presentation to 8 people seated close together, but for a longer, deeper room with 15 people or more, a much larger screen is needed. A rough rule of thumb is to multiply the diagonal measurement of the screen by 1.5 and ensure that the farthest point in the room is this distance or less from the screen.
Test Wi-Fi Before a Live Demo
Rural venues have uncertain connectivity. Use Ofcom data on how broadband speeds vary by location to compare rural venues with urban ones. Request the venue’s dedicated broadband speed. Have a downloaded copy of your presentation ready too. Meeting Rooms Forest of Dean is worth getting right.
Ask About Microphones for Larger Groups
For groups of 10+ an unamplified voice can often get lost. Does the meeting room have a handheld or lapel microphone available and will it be wireless or do cables need to be run to a fixed point?
Confirm Blackout Options for Projectors
Natural light is wonderful in most meetings, but terrible for projecting images. Ask your venue if the meeting room has blinds that can be closed for blackout or if there are curtains that can be closed for blackout.
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Most of these questions can be answered by making a quick phone call to a venue before booking and they can be answered within 5 minutes.