Today's workforce is no longer confined to traditional office settings. With remote and hybrid work on the rise, "the office" can be right at home, a coffeeshop, or co-working space. This article from AV Network discusses how companies can ensure meetings are equitable, engaging, and productive for every employee, regardless of their location. 

AVT Question: Please share insights and best practices for ensuring meeting equity for all employees and how to deliver the best collaboration experience regardless of location.

Thought Leader: Petro Shimonishi, Director of Pro AV Solutions and Connected Ecosystems at Panasonic Connect North America

In today’s world, there’s no pinpoint definition of “the office.” The modern workforce’s corporate spaces span from bedrooms, personal offices, co-working spaces, and more. However, the exciting flexibility that comes with working from anywhere also raises the issue of keeping employees engaged when they’re not physically in the same location. Ultimately, it’s not enough to just live stream meetings and conferences. Today, making meetings more immersive through advanced AV tools truly enables more creative, experiential, and engaging workplaces.

With the proper technology integrated into a meeting or conference space, presenters (in person or virtual) can integrate an added layer of immersion into their presentation or discussion. Information sharing and collaboration are key for a productive meeting environment. Companies can better hold attendees’ attention and build productive spaces by adopting a holistic, all-inclusive suite of AV solutions. These technologies create more engaged meeting spaces, scaled based on specific needs and requirements. 

AV systems for meeting spaces need to be thoughtfully designed with both in-person and remote attendees in mind. PTZ cameras with auto-tracking capabilities are necessary in these types of environments, as they allow remote attendees to feel like they are in the room following the conversation. The same goes for 360-degree camera speakerphones. These devices take the stress out of meetings by allowing presenters to capture footage and audio using one device, ensuring clear sound collection and amplification. Speaking of sound, wireless handheld microphones are also great meeting space tools, especially those optimized for speech intelligibility and featuring background noise suppression technology.

Work from anywhere isn’t going away anytime soon and meeting spaces still have a place in our future. To ensure employees embrace the true benefits of a work-from-anywhere lifestyle, employers must utilize AV tools that foster collaboration and seamless experiences for in-person and virtual employees.