otWhile the idea of having an offsite meeting isn’t a new concept, its set of advantages in a post-pandemic world is greater than ever. Sure, it might be more practical to have a face-to-face meeting in your office or even a virtual meeting. But if your meeting is all about encouraging everyone’s creative juices to flow, your location plays an important role.
In this article, let’s take a look at the 6 benefits of organising face-to-face meetings outside your office, be it in a business-friendly cafe or a professional conference venue.
1. Not all physical office spaces have a meeting room
Let’s start with the obvious: not all physical offices have meeting rooms specifically designed for fostering productivity and collaboration. If you’re a small business or startup, chances are that you’re facilitating meetings in the lounge or pantry. In most cases, you’ll just ask your employees to turn their chairs around and face the wall with a whiteboard.
If you’re planning to take important meetings outside of the office, you can tap into a wide array of conference venues accessible to your attendees. Conference rooms are quiet, private, and professional spaces that can help make your meetings run more smoothly. They are also equipped with everything you need, like comfortable seating, presentation equipment, speedy wi-fi, and tech staff.
2. A change of scenery encourages fresh ideas
Whether it’s in a quiet and laidback cafe with long tables or a professional conference venue in Dublin, taking your meetings elsewhere can break up the monotony — something employees look forward to. Many office workers experience the 2:00 p.m. slump, resulting in poor focus and concentration.
A change of scenery makes your employees feel awakened, energised, and even more motivated to contribute their best ideas. By booking an off-site meeting, employees are more likely to put their best foot forward to achieve a common goal.
3. Have meetings with fewer distractions
Even the smallest distractions, like phones ringing, printer noises, and desk clutter, can adversely affect the meeting’s outcome. When you book a quiet, professional meeting space outside of a traditional office setting, attendees are more likely to focus, stay on topic, and collaborate.
4. Get the physical and mental benefits of walking
Let’s say your meeting is scheduled at 3 pm and you’ll have a couple of minutes to walk from your office to the meeting venue. The fact that everyone’s getting some sought-after physical activity instead of just pivoting their desk chairs could improve the output of your meeting.
When you walk outdoors, you’re likely to be more creative and productive in your thinking process. Ever noticed that people who walk tend to be more talkative compared to those sitting? Movement allows ideas to flow freely and you can arrive at solutions more efficiently.
5. Chance to surround yourselves with nature and other outdoor elements
You can even take your meeting literally outdoors. Nature has the impact to improve one’s mood and memory, increase productivity, creativity, and focus, and reduce stress. If your meeting doesn’t require too many screen-based presentations, you can book an outdoor space, like a beautiful garden or a quaint cafe with a veranda patio.
Even the opportunity to be outdoors (not necessarily in a place surrounded by trees) can refresh a person’s thoughts and stimulate the senses. Unlike the four walls of your office, the outdoor environment is always changing, and this may inspire new ideas and creative thinking.
6. Fun places waiting outside the venue’s doorstep
Planning to treat your employees to a post-meeting coffee? How about a dinner with some drinks as a fun way to end the productive week? Meeting spaces are often located in the heart of the city. That means you’ll have a bunch of cafes, restaurants, and bars within your reach for socialising opportunities.
You can even integrate the post-meeting get-together into the agenda, so your attendees would be more eager to participate and give their best shot.
In a nutshell…
Taking your meetings outside of your office might cost extra but the outcome will surely outweigh its price. They’re a cost-efficient way to provide a focused setting for collaboration, training sessions, brainstorming creative ideas, and getting the work done.
Author Bio: Carmina Natividad is a passionate writer for Meet in DCU, a unique conference venue in Dublin which is perfect for corporate meetings, conferences, seminars and events. Writing articles about travel and lifestyle is one thing she finds enjoyable, next to playing the piano.