Liven Up Your Virtual Meeting Rooms and Physical Meeting Spaces

Virtual Meeting Room TOOtheLOUNGE Seating

Step away from the same old environments and change up both you virtual meeting room and physical meeting spaces to keep your team engaged. Freshen up your in-office environment and your online world.

Think about it this way.

Got Zoom fatigue from too many online meetings? You might not get it with in-house staff who are full-time because you’re often meeting face-to-face. But you might still need to have online meetings with remote workers, clients, and vendors.

Don’t forget that you’ll also have training sessions if you need to be updated on new technologies or brief your team on compliance issues for your industry.

When you’re meeting virtually with teams and addressing people who have different roles and functions, then you’ll benefit from having online meeting spaces that reflect an in-person experience.

The Virtual Meeting Room Environment

There are virtual meeting spaces designed to appear on-screen like an actual office environment. You’ll see avatars at open benching solutions or cubicles in bright colors and you can easily move from a general meeting space to one-on-one chats.

Use interactive elements like YouTube videos and virtual whiteboards for jotting notes. Your virtual meeting room should be designed to keep the attention of attendees.

Now let’s look at your physical meeting space, too.


Photo: OFS Intermix Collaborative Table

The Physical Meeting Space Environment

Host from a comfortable in-house office space designed for teleconferencing and then connect with remote workers using their mobile phones, laptops, or desktops. Use furniture with integrated technology and connection portals.

Get inspired by what your conferencing center can look like. Check the 2010 Office Furniture’s Inspiration Page for Modern Conference Room and Meeting Spaces.


Photo: Source Scape Lounge

Liven up the dreary and stiff meeting spaces and create an atmosphere that opens people up to collaboration. Who says meeting spaces need four physical walls?


Photo: OFS Obeya Architectural Structure

Imagine a meeting space with a large monitor on a wall for easy viewing of video presentations with another wall used as a whiteboard. Another side of the space has a translucent architectural wall that lets light flow in while keeping the sound within the meeting area.

Making the Virtual Meeting and Physical Space Work

A dedicated physical or virtual meeting room is only one part of having a successful meeting. Set the proper expectations.

Create a positive meeting experience using protocols and the right technologies that support your goals. Send out key points of an agenda and, if appropriate, have people pre-meet to discuss the points and suggest courses of action.

Open a meeting with a brief personal check-in, especially with remote workers who don’t get much “water cooler” time in the corporate office. This breaks the ice and can foster positive communication. A minute or two for personal sharing can build bonds.

Keep people focused on the agenda, so don’t allow multitasking.

A virtual meeting space that simulate a live office environment provide a sense of realism and depth. The way we interact online is still different than if we were in person since picking up cues from body language isn’t as noticeable on a computer monitor or smartphone screen.

So wait for others to finish, and speak slowly when it’s your turn. Use icons to signify that your hand is raised.


Photo: Arcadia Avelina Table

For training sessions, use a well-designed virtual meeting space on a large screen. A larger conference table is a solution, but don’t crowd people so they’re uncomfortable.


Photo: DARRAN Bota Table

Try using individual tables or small groups of a few people per table if the topic requires note-taking and interaction with co-workers.


Photo: OFS Applause Table

Use Different Space Sizes

Step out of the same old meeting room by varying the space sizes. Use huddle spaces for up-close conversations. A style like the Encore Hado Lounge Seating can provide comfort and keep you at ease. Use a nesting table that can be easily removed when not needed.

Put your breakroom to strategic use with booths and seating solutions that offer some privacy.

The ERG International Laguna Lounge Seating arrangement is perfect for meeting over coffee or lunch. It’s designed so the conversation is channeled and has power management tools so you can stay connected, especially for your virtual meeting room.

Design a Home-Style Meeting Space

Get the durability of commercial furnishings with the comfort of home-like fabrics and colors. Create a resimercial meeting space with the Arcadia TOOtheLOUNGE Seating. The TOOthe LOUNGE can be configured for one person or can accommodate several people.

Want more ideas on relaxed meeting and working spaces? Check the Resimercial Office design on 2010 Office Furniture’s Inspiration page.

Stay Current with 2010 Office Furniture

Stay up-to-date with trends in planning office spaces and furnishing the office environment. Connect with the team at 2010 Office Furniture for input on your project.

The 2010 Office Furniture team has more than 50 years of combined experience advising and sourcing furniture for clients who are among Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, nonprofits, and small businesses.  Let their experts help you design and create your next virtual meeting room or physical meeting space!

Read Also: Staying Productive with an Effort for Holistic Office Wellness
Main Photo: Arcadia TOOtheLOUNGE Seating
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: Arcadia, DARRAN, OFS & Source

Planning for Happiness and Productivity in the Office

Happiness and Productivity in the Office OFS Heya Table
Cultivate strong morale and you’ll have more employees who are happy and engaged in their work. But is happiness in the office really important? Shouldn’t people just buckle down and do their work?  Read on to learn how to plan for happiness and productivity in the office.

Let’s think it through and see how to turn happiness into something that’ll fuel a competitive advantage in your company.

What would you rather have?

An employee constantly daydreaming of splashing in the surf off Malibu or skiing in Big Bear while wondering how they can rage apply for jobs at other companies? Or an employee who’s happily focused on finishing their tasks to the best of their abilities?

Happiness matters. Employees who are upbeat and positive will deliver.

In the book, The Happiness Advantage, author Shawn Achor concludes, “A decade of research proves that happiness raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37%, productivity by 31%, and accuracy on tasks by 19%, as well as a myriad of health and quality of life improvements.”

Think of high job satisfaction as a competitive advantage.

But can companies do anything to affect an employee’s happiness?

Create a Destination Place for Happiness and Productivity in the Office

In September 2022, a discussion on the social media platform Reddit surveyed what makes people happy in Los Angeles. Attractions like the Greek Theater, Hollywood Bowl, and Sunset Strip ranked high as did food, like the variety of ethnic foods—from Mexican and Peruvian to Thai and Ethiopian.

You’re not expected to turn the workplace into a resort, but you’re making the office a desired place to settle in and work. In the age of hybrid work schedules and remote work possibilities, create an upbeat atmosphere where people want to be. Make it part of your internal branding.

And as far as food, once or twice a year have entrees brought in that reflect the diverse tastes of Los Angeles.

Here’s what matters.

Plan Spaces

An office with an effective workflow isn’t just a random collection of desks. You need to think of who the users are and how they need unique spaces:

  • Executive decision-makers
  • Managers
  • Full-time in-house employees with specific functions
  • Remote workers
  • Temporary employees


Photo: Enwork Cayman Height Adjustable Desk

An executive may spend hours at her desk, but could her office, or the area just outside the office, also serve as a strategic planning center?


Photo: Friant Anza Lounge Chair

How about creating touchdown spaces? These are more informal lounge areas where remote workers coming into the office for a meeting can sit and prepare. They also serve as meeting areas for in-office workers with an atmosphere that’s more relaxed than conference rooms.

Use Supportive Equipment

Ergonomics is key to achieve happiness and productivity in the office. Keep in mind the benefits of ergonomics and that they set the tone for happy employees. A range of products can help you achieve your goals.


Photo: AMQ Tizu Work Chair

Quality ergonomic chairs that adjust to support the lower back, elbows, and knees reduce the stress of sitting.


Photo: DeskMakers Hover Workstations

Height-adjustable desks make it possible for computer monitors to be at a comfortable eye level so any strain on the neck and shoulders is minimized.


Photo: Snowsound Corner Desk Panels

Ergonomic accessories like proper lighting are a necessity to reduce eye strain. Good lighting is more than lamps. Maximize natural light since it’s proven to boost moods and aid in a person’s natural cycle of waking and sleeping.

Physical discomfort is a distraction and results in much higher rates of absenteeism. Supporting your workers with ergonomic solutions is part of an overall wellness strategy.

Make Clear Communication A Priority

When people know what’s expected of them, then they can handle their work confidently and feel like they’re moving forward with work that matters.

Clarify your vision, mission, and goals.

Listen and address the challenges that arise.

What you’re doing is building a community where people trust each other and believe that management values them.  This will lead to happiness and productivity in the office

This effort “improves processes and procedures and ultimately creates greater efficiencies and reduces costs,” as described by the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) in an article, “Managing Organizational Communication.”


Photo: Friant System2 Workstation

Make communication areas part of your office design. Managers can use cubicles like the Friant System 2 Workstation which can accommodate one to three people for meetings.

Use videoconferencing with remote workers. Everyone can hop on a call using their own laptops, but there could be advantages to having a media space with architectural walls.

Or, use a media table in a compact area. 2010 Office Furniture carries several models.

The Scale 1:1 TeleMeet Connect Table can be expanded to accommodate anywhere from six people to a few dozen staff gathered.

Install a “designated island of productivity” with the OFS Intermix Collaborative Table.

Get Help on Boosting Happiness and Productivity in the Office

Plan for a sustainable and profitable future by fostering happiness and productivity in the office. Trust input from the team at 2010 Office Furniture who have a combined half-century of helping notable clients throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.

Planning your office space and using furnishings that bring out the best in your team will give you an edge in retaining employees who are engaged in their work.

Contact 2010 Office Furniture with your project needs and questions.

Read Also: The Best Office Spaces are Responsive to Employee Needs
Main Photo: OFS Heya Table
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: AMQ, DeskMakers, Enwork, Friant, OFS & Snowsound