• Collaboration
• Hybrid & Remote Work

Essential Meeting Technology for Office Board Rooms

Summary:

• Cutting-edge technologies make modern office board rooms and hybrid meeting spaces more human-centric and accessible for executives. This can foster idea-sharing and innovation.
• High-definition audio visual equipment helps create immersive experiences that make conversations and meetings feel more natural and engaging. They also help preserve the face-to-face dynamic when in-person interactions are unavailable.
• Wireless presentation systems like ClickShare make it possible to connect to boardroom display systems, join meetings, and collaborate in a single click. Interactive whiteboards and touchscreens give people the power to annotate, brainstorm, and even manipulate visuals in real-time.
• Interoperability with Slack, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Zoom, and other collaboration tools ensures people can chat, share files, and stay connected 24/7.
• Real-time monitoring helps lower the risk of intrusions, unauthorized access, downtime, failures, and compliance violations.
• Usage statistics and other analytics can provide valuable feedback about how people use your boardroom and whether any pain points exist. This can help future-proof your board room.

Hybrid work is now the standard, rather than an exception to the rule. Board rooms need to be stocked with the right technologies if you want to make these trends work for your business, rather than against it. 

High-definition audio-visual systems, wireless presentation tools, virtual whiteboards, and touchscreens aren’t just conveniences in a modern boardroom. They make it possible for leaders to communicate ideas seamlessly from any location during high-level decision-making sessions and strategic discussions.

As an award-winning provider of scalable audio-visual solutions for hybrid teams, ET Group specializes in designing human-centric meeting environments that empower executives, partners, key investors, and other industry leaders to work in sustainable, healthy ways. Below, we’ll walk you through the best boardroom technologies and why they’re essential.

High-Definition Video Conferencing Equipment

The ability to work from anywhere makes scheduling board room meetings and presentations easier, reducing unnecessary delays. But it can also introduce new challenges for leadership by stripping away the ability to detect subtle non-verbal cues during negotiations and critical conversations. 

Here’s the simple truth: as humans, we collaborate and communicate best when we can see and hear one another face-to-face. Email, text, voice, and chat alone just aren’t the same.

High-definition video conferencing equipment preserves the face-to-face dynamic. Executives can focus on building rapport and making a strong impression instead of trying to interpret tone from text or voice.

The Impact of HD Video

• Crystal-clear high-definition video makes it easier for people to ignore distractions when they’re working remotely and focus on each other instead. That fosters empathy and effective collaboration.
• Large 21:9 ultra-wide displays let you see participants at the same scale as if they were right in the room with you. Arrange video calls, presentations, and people across a single panel, or install multiple screens for even better organization.
• Smaller tabletop displays nestle into even the smallest spaces without sacrificing quality or HD clarity. This makes HD video more accessible in offices or board rooms where space is limited.
• Mobile video carts and 360° cameras with AI-powered speaker tracking features let leaders get up, move around, or rearrange meeting spaces on the fly.

Remote monitoring support extends these benefits even further. If and when something goes wrong with your video feed or connection, ET Group will receive an alert and take immediate action to correct it.

Advanced Audio Systems for Meeting Clarity

High-definition video is only half of the equation. Leaders shoulder a lot of responsibility even when businesses are thriving, so every minute counts. If they spend more time fighting to hear one another over poor quality audio streams, it will cause frustration, misunderstandings, and project delays. 

Advanced audio systems eliminate distractions like these and ensure that everyone has a chance to have their voice heard, regardless of ambient noise levels in the board room.

The Power of Advanced Audio Tech

• Cutting-edge noise cancellation technology filters out intrusive noises and background distractions. The focus remains on the speaker and what they have to say. 
• Hi-fidelity audio makes conversations feel as natural as if everyone was in the same room, even if they’re dialing in from multiple locations across the globe.
•  AI-powered speaker tracking automatically adjusts volume and focus, preventing comments, movement, coughs, and other intrusions from causing confusion.
• Multi-microphone support can be customized to allow multiple people to talk, or give just one person the talking stick. Adjust features like these on the fly anytime.

Advanced audio systems can often be seamlessly integrated with accessibility platforms, including real-time transcription services, assistive devices, and sign language platforms. These integrations make your board room more inclusive and welcoming.

Related: 10 Ways You Can Nail Your Conference & Video Meeting Rooms

Wireless Presentation Systems

HD video and advanced audio systems are crucial for effective hybrid communication, but fostering collaboration goes way beyond just being able to see and hear one another. Leaders need to be able to share and develop images, videos, notes, documents, presentations, reports and other business assets in real-time to truly bridge the gap. 

Wireless meeting room systems turn your board room into a global hub for video conferencing and collaboration. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) functionality lets leaders and team members connect, broadcast, and share content from virtually anywhere in the world, right from their own laptops, computers, or smartphones. 

One-touch join technology makes launching a meeting or presentation quick and painless. Jump in or begin collaborating in as little as a few seconds. Or, set up an always-on video window to let people walk up and participate whenever they want to join the conversation. 

The Power of Wireless Presentation

• Start, launch, host or end a meeting in as little as one touch. 
• Make your board room more flexible for executives who travel often.
• Avoid the need for costly individual installations in homes or satellite offices.
• Collaborate on projects and assets directly within the platform from almost anywhere in the world.

Advanced security features protect the privacy of your boardroom and participants. Models that support centralized management can also be monitored remotely for problems, either by ET Group or by your own in-house IT team.

Interactive Whiteboards & Touchscreens

Interactive whiteboards and touchscreens are a game-changer for board rooms. When executives, investors, and other decision-makers can simultaneously view and contribute to projects, brainstorm ideas, and strategize in real-time, less time is wasted on inefficient workflows. 

• Increased Resources: Real-time collaboration lets each person contribute instantly. 

• Instant Feedback: Ideas can be shared and discussed in seconds, fostering innovation.   

• Fewer Bottlenecks: No need to wait for files to sync or someone to send that email. 

• Make Progress Faster: Address pressing deadlines by working together from anywhere. 

The board room is where most important business plans and decisions take shape. When everyone can see and interact with the same canvas, whiteboard, or presentation, it’s easier for leaders to highlight fine details, provide valuable insight, and adjust the material. Meetings become more efficient.

Seamless Collaboration Tools

The shift towards hybrid and remote work increased demand for collaboration platforms. The sheer number of options can be a bit of a double-edged sword, especially in the board room.

Executives and investors may need to interact with teams, projects, or individuals who prefer a specific solution, like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meets or Google Workspaces. 

It’s vital that your meeting system can seamlessly integrate with these and other third-party platforms, even if leaders don’t use them in-house. When these invisible background connections don’t exist, communication fragments and opportunities may be missed.

Why Interoperability Matters So Much

It’s important to design your board room to fit the needs of your people and participants. Designing for interoperability ensures that you can collaborate with people who may be working on other platforms without the need for total conversions or workarounds. 

Let’s say your business creates a room specifically for Microsoft Teams. Executives and other decision-makers still need the ability to connect to Zoom or WebEx from their meeting tech. Designing the room for interoperability in the first place ensures that these seamless integrations are always available.

Why is this so important? It grants leaders the power to meet others where they are and how they work. That’s a great way to break down any communication barriers—or even close that important deal with a new client or investor.

Related: What Is Interoperability & Why Is It Essential for Effective Hybrid Workplaces?

Security Features & Data Protection

Communication and collaboration are inherently data-driven, and data security has never been more important. Major companies who have experienced breaches, intrusions, breakdowns, downtime, or network issues know first-hand just how much can go wrong, even with security features in place.

The consequences of unchecked problems are serious: downtime, financial losses, reputational damage, and legal repercussions can easily cripple a business. The risk of an unintentional leak or breakdown in communication is even higher in the board room because discussions may involve sensitive data.

Remote monitoring and technical support ensures you have access to fast meeting solutions that won’t disrupt communication or jeopardize confidentiality.

• Get critical support for your hybrid meeting tech on the fly.
• Gain access to real-time analytics that help you plan and pivot.
• Take the pressure of your IT team with expert support for meeting systems.
• Keep leaders seamlessly connected with scalable support as your business grows.

ET Group has over 45 years of experience delivering support to audiovisual and meeting systems for clients in high-security industries with complex compliance needs, like fintech and higher education. From on-site support to custom solutions, we can help keep your board room meeting system safe and reliable.

Future-Proofing Board Room Technology

As hybrid work models evolve, it’s increasingly critical for companies to have access to flexible technology with the power to handle multiple methods of communication. Future-proofing your board room starts with investing in agile, adaptable systems that seamlessly integrate without the need for overhauls.

The essential technologies listed here transform meetings into a potent tool for brainstorming, collaboration, and presentations. They also make working easier—and more human!  Contact ET Group to learn how we can help you make your board room a central hub for communication from anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions about Meeting Technology

I have a new startup—can my team still benefit from meeting tech?

Yes! In fact, meeting technology can be particularly valuable in the startup environment, which can be fast-paced and chaotic even at the best of times. Audiovisual equipment and interactive workspaces help to organize those big ideas and collaborate on them as a team. Scalable solutions let you grow at your own pace without spending any additional money when budgets are tight.

Meeting systems also make it possible to contact investors, clients, and partners anywhere in the world without ever leaving the office—or your home!

Is the ET Group Help Desk always available?

Response times and availability are always outlined in advance within your service level agreement (SLA), and may vary slightly. Our Help Desk team is generally available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). See our holiday schedule for information about specific dates.

How do I know when it’s time for a new meeting system?

Look for pain points. Frequent downtime, technical issues, excessive downtime, and complaints from executives or partners are a red flag for inefficiency or inadequacy. If meetings are taking too long or the system can’t keep up with conversations, it’s time for an upgrade.

My entire team is remote—can ET Group still help us?

Absolutely! We specialize in designing meeting systems from the ground up to scale—even if that scale happens on an individual level. Our Remote Work Essentials include everything you need to reliably communicate or create your own virtual boardroom without ever leaving home.

Book a discovery call with our team today and find out how we can help make hybrid work for you.

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