Meeting Room vs Conference Room: Which One Do You Need?
To ensure productivity and overall success for your business gatherings, choosing the right meeting space can be significant. With the continuous evolution of workspace and modern smart office technology, the debate of meeting rooms vs conference rooms becomes more prominent. Businesspeople often confuse these two distinct concepts, leading to making a futile choice for a productive meeting. While both may share some similarities, they vary in terms of functions, each being more suitable for specific business occasions.
To determine whether a meeting room or conference room is better suited for your upcoming meeting, we must learn what the definition of each space is, and consider their unique features and usages in comparison.
What Is a Meeting Room?
As a designated space within an office or a separate facility, a meeting room is designed to accommodate smaller groups of people for both formal and informal business gatherings. They often feature a table and chairs arranged in a way that fosters open communication and interaction and are equipped with basic technology such as whiteboards. Examples of meeting rooms include small phone or video booths, one-on-one rooms, and huddle rooms, with their primary focus on facilitating teamwork, a quick idea exchange, and internal and external communications.
What Is a Conference Room?
In the strictest sense, a conference room is a type of meeting room but with a larger and more formal meeting space. Designed to accommodate a large group of attendees, conference rooms are designed for various large-scale meetings and group activities. They often come equipped with advanced audiovisual technology such as projectors and screens. There are many conference room types, including boardroom, U-shape style, classroom, and auditorium, with the latter two types designed to foster a more structured and collaborative environment for both one-way communication and discussion.
Meeting Rooms vs Conference Rooms
Upon learning the definitions of meeting room and conference room, you may need to take a close look at them to further grasp their differences. The following is an overview of meeting rooms vs conference rooms in terms of characteristics:
| Feature | Meeting Room | Conference Room |
| Size & Capacity | Smaller, accommodating 4-8 people for focused discussions. | Larger, designed for presentations to audiences of 12 or more. |
| Technology | Basic amenities like whiteboards or flipcharts for interactive discussions. | Advanced audio-visual equipment like projectors, screens, and high-quality video conferencing capabilities for presentations and remote participation. |
| Atmosphere & Formality | Less formal setting conducive to brainstorming and team collaboration. | A formal environment that emphasises clear communication and presentations. |
| Duration | Shorter in duration, typically 30 minutes to an hour, with agendas that may be flexible or developed on the spot. | Can last for several hours or even days. Agendas are meticulously planned and followed to ensure efficient use of time, especially for multi-day conferences. |
| Privacy | More intimate setting for confidential discussions. | May require additional privacy measures like white noise machines or soundproof walls, depending on the nature of the conference. Some rooms are often designed for maximum privacy with soundproof walls and doors. |
| Layout | Typically arranged around a central table, allowing for face-to-face interaction and participation. Some meeting rooms may have additional seating areas for larger groups or breakout sessions. | Consisting of various layouts depending on purpose. A formal type of conference room, such as a boardroom, often has a rectangular table with chairs positioned around the perimeter, allowing everyone to participate in discussions. Theatre-style layouts, with rows of chairs facing a stage or presentation area, are ideal for large presentations or lectures. |
Ultimately, the best choice depends on the nature of your meeting. Companies should carefully consider the number of attendees, the purpose of the gathering, and the level of technology needed to make an informed decision.
What Are Meeting Rooms Used for?
Meeting rooms are versatile and serve a multitude of purposes within a company. Teams can leverage them to brainstorm new ideas during collaborative sessions. Whether it’s a marketing team developing a new campaign or a software development team tackling a technical hurdle, meeting rooms provide a focused environment where ideas can flow freely. They’re ideal for ongoing team discussions, where project updates can be shared, and solutions can be strategised. Regular team meetings in meeting rooms foster communication, keeping everyone on the same page and ensuring projects move forward efficiently.
Additionally, businesses utilise meeting rooms for client consultations, ensuring a productive exchange of information in a secure and professional setting. Interviewing candidates is another common use case for meeting rooms. The space provides a private and distraction-free environment for both the interviewer and the candidate, allowing for a focused evaluation.
With its smaller size, a meeting room can be used for small group training sessions, perfect for onboarding new employees or providing professional development opportunities for existing staff.
What Are Conference Rooms Used for?
Unlike meeting rooms for daily interactions, conference rooms cater to larger business gatherings or functions such as group presentations. While many companies prefer conference rooms for product launches, these spaces are not limited to corporate functions, as academic organisations can unveil their research findings during a conference session in this environment.
While large corporations use conference rooms for company announcements, shareholder meetings, or strategic planning, business-to-business companies, regardless of their sizes, utilise them for detailed sales pitches, where the professional setting creates a positive impact.
Typically equipped with projectors, screens, and sound systems, conference rooms enable clear communication of complex information and product demos, compared to regular meeting rooms. Its technological capability means that video conferencing is regularly used, expanding the meeting’s reach for remote participation.
Looking for a Meeting Room or Conference Room for Your Business?
If you have a clear sight of whether you want a meeting room or conference room for your business gatherings, contact Eaton Club for assistance today. Eaton Club offers a variety of meeting and conference room solutions to cater to your specific needs. Schedule a consultation or explore our available spaces online. We can help you find the perfect environment to host your next productive meeting or corporate gathering.
