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MEETING & CONFERENCE FACILITIES “NEW MEETING


TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO BE SIMPLE


AND SEAMLESS.”


AV ADVICE It’s integral for facilities managers to keep their conference and meeting


room facilities up to date, so that they can adapt to changing environments and requirements. Digital signage and room booking can offer attractive, sleek and professional looking designs, says Anders + Kern’s Jenni Kerr.


Extending front of house service with digital signage can really help with efficiency and time saving. In the age of smart phones, information and updates are expected instantly and are considered ‘the norm’. Networked signage products, such as PADS4, can be connected to existing administrative systems to communicate to end users in real time. If you take this approach, bear in mind that the digital signage product that you choose will need connectivity to a variety of databases. It goes without saying that it also needs to function seamlessly alongside the ones that you already use.


Facilities teams need to be on the top of their game when it comes to catering for a diverse range of event requirements. Here, the ability to tailor is key, and PADS4 is fully customisable. Another important factor is that the technology needs to be sufficiently user friendly and intuitive for the team who will be tasked to use it. If you or your team are on the move a lot, consider a cloud-based solution such as PLAYIPP, which can be accessed from any PC and does not require your own server to install the software on. Templates that are easy to customise design-wise are another crucial feature to consider. Templates can be used to reinforce and build brand loyalty whilst helping to present a competent, sophisticated brand image to the outside world.


Just as instant communication is now the desirable, so are realistic time-saving techniques. Managing multiple meeting rooms can be frustrating at the best of times, what with double booking scenarios and spaces being booked and then left empty. Here’s where room booking solutions can save the back and forth of fruitless emails or tirelessly inputting a spreadsheet or calendar.


38 | TOMORROW’S FM


CAFM software solutions like Concierge Room Booking and resource management software automate the coordination of resources, such as car parking and catering thus relieving front-desk staff of time-consuming activities. They can also be used to order supplies, invoice suppliers and its digital signage facility can print badges for visitors.


Another inevitable benefit of kitting out and updating areas of your current meeting and conference areas, is attracting new business. Knowing who your end users are will ultimately affect the purchasing decision you make and it’s important you know this from the outset when assessing product functionality. Involve other relevant team members (such as the IT team) in the tendering process where you can.


With that in mind, function-rich software always carries the risk of being under-utilised so it helps to look for a solution that already operates with the familiar, such as Microsoft Outlook. In- house IT teams will also agree that the choice of new meeting technology needs to be simple and seamless, with minimal interruption of established network set ups.


The ability to drill down into data will add endless value to the product that you do decide to invest in. Knowing which rooms are most often utilised, which ones could do with a little extra ‘push’ (or even be turned into a different space) is all valuable information that achieves ROI.


Businesses and organisations of all sizes, from all industries, are taking advantage of the benefits of room booking and digital signage for their conference spaces. Whether it’s modernising a space, building brand loyalty or streamlining work processes, these solutions have something of extra value to offer.


www.anders-kern.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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