Best Audio-Visual Equipment For Hybrid Meeting Rooms [2024]

Since 2020, the number of remote positions available across America has skyrocketed — so much so that it’s predicted that by 2025, one in five employees will be able to work from home.

What does this mean for modern businesses? To keep up with competitors, you’ll need cutting-edge audio visual equipment for meeting rooms to provide an authentic hybrid experience for users.

If your business is interested in creating a hybrid workplace for clients and employees, you’ll need to prepare a proper conference room. So, let’s dive into the best equipment, the optimal setup, and the benefits of using top-notch audio visual (AV) meeting room technology.

Quick Summary:

• A hybrid workspace needs high-quality equipment, like microphones, cameras, and sound systems, to be functional
• The setup of your hybrid meeting space can affect employees’ experience, so it’s crucial to organize the space well.
• With new AV equipment and an optimal AV setup, your business will improve hybrid communication and accountability and provide positive team bonding opportunities.

Why AV Conference Room Technology Is Essential for Hybrid Meetings

If you’ve ever been in a hybrid meeting, chances are you’ve experienced at least one meeting with a subpar conference room AV system. Between scratchy audio, poor visuals, and limited communication, attendees may leave feeling confused about their expectations and goals.

When you work with remote clients, inferior AV equipment can cost your company lucrative business deals. Think about it this way: If a client can’t hear or see the members in a meeting, they may misunderstand what’s discussed. Worst case scenario, they don’t come back.

With the rise of high-tech AV technology, many companies have switched to a hybrid model for their employees and clients. If your company fails to update to the newest business standards, you may lose valuable clients and hard-working employees.

Here’s a complete guide on the best conference room technology for more info.

The Best AV Meeting Room Equipment for a Hybrid Workspace

Here’s what you’ll need to set up the best meeting room for your in-office and remote employees:

Wireless Internet (WiFi) with an Ethernet Cable Backup

First and foremost, your company needs a stable internet connection to avoid outages during essential business meetings. A poor network will experience frequent shutdowns and connection issues — which won’t help businesses secure new clients or relay information between workers.

A hybrid model needs to be able to support anywhere from 50 to hundreds of computers working within the same area with minimal load times.

When all else fails, you’ll want a backup plan. Ethernet cables provide faster connections than WiFi, so it’s essential to have ethernet connections in your AV meeting rooms. If remote employees report issues with audio and visual quality, using an ethernet cable may stabilize the connection.

However, remote employees’ internet connections are a crucial piece of the hybrid meeting room puzzle. It may be worthwhile to offer these individuals stipends for home internet service.

Microphones

A virtual meeting room needs high-tech microphones for an optimal meeting experience. A high-quality microphone will pick up every voice in the conference room, even when multiple people are speaking over each other.

This allows remote employees to listen to their in-person peers and acknowledge what is said accordingly.

It’s also ideal to supply high-quality microphones to your remote workers to ensure that communication on their end is also clear. If they are in charge of their own, the audio quality may vary — which can be distracting during meetings.

It’s important to note that microphones only work efficiently when the AV meeting room has an excellent speaker system. Without it, in-person participants may have trouble hearing remote employees when they speak.

Camera

Long gone are the days when remote workers looked at an aerial view of a traditional conference room and watched their coworkers interact. With today’s cutting-edge technology, remote individuals can see who’s talking in real time, with cameras that zoom in on whoever’s speaking.

One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is underestimating the need for a high-quality camera for a hybrid meeting room. Great visuals will help attendees understand the business plan and listen attentively to the speaker.

Microsoft 365, highlights remote employees’ video feeds while they’re speaking during meetings, further improving the hybrid experience.

Consider sending remote employees company-approved cameras to ensure that they are perfectly visible to in-office workers and clients. While this is an extra expense, it’s best practice if you want a hybrid meeting room that stands out from the competition.

TV Monitor/Projector

You’ve got excellent WiFi, high-quality microphones, and high-tech cameras. But now, it’s time to think about how the in-person employees will see the remote ones. Your business will need to invest in a large TV monitor or a projector so that remote employees will appear on-screen and be seen by everyone in the room.

This piece of AV equipment is vital to hybrid meeting rooms. Non-hybrid rooms may use whiteboards, but these collaboration tools aren’t always visible when some of the attendees are virtual.

Sound System

A state-of-the-art sound system combines all the essential AV elements to create a solid hybrid meeting room experience. In-person employees need to be able to hear and speak clearly across platforms to remote workers; otherwise, all of the company’s investments in AV equipment are useless.

A good sound system will filter out any background noise and allow its settings to be altered. It might also be beneficial to post a flyer in the meeting room outlining optimal control system settings to prevent valuable meeting time from being wasted configuring the control panel.

But sound systems can be finicky. It’s important to have a skilled technician check your system’s condition regularly to ensure that it remains intact for a high-caliber virtual meeting experience.

Keep Up-to-Date on the Latest AV Equipment

You can’t have a hybrid meeting room without staying updated on the latest AV equipment.

When the start of COVID-19 led many companies to make the shift to remote work, the tech industry worked diligently to improve the quality of audio-visual equipment. And there are lots of different systems out there.

Funding an entire AV workspace can be pricey, but if you already have hybrid meeting rooms, you can slowly replace your equipment as new advancements come out. This will save you money in the long run and improve communication among those who use your facility.

The Optimal Setup for a Hybrid Meeting Room AV System

You can have the best equipment possible, but without a proper conference room AV setup, your business may ostracize its clients and employees.

Suitable Camera Placement

A good-quality camera means nothing without great placement. It’s crucial that it’s positioned in a way that lets remote meeting attendees see (and zoom in on) every employee in the meeting room.

If you plan to have a TV monitor in your hybrid meeting room, consider buying one that has a built-in camera at the bottom. This combines two essential pieces of AV equipment for extra convenience.

Well-Placed Conference Table

Ideally, a meeting room conference table is placed in the middle of the room, in plain view of the camera. This allows for all speakers to see all remote employees and vice versa.

Organized Cables

With all of the high-tech audio-visual equipment available for meeting rooms, employees may find themselves swimming in cables. Of course, this isn’t ideal — one wrong move and the entire conference room audio-visual display could come crashing down.

So, consider optimal cable placement when coming up with your conference room setup, and be prepared to make any changes you need to if you have exposed wires.

Updates As Necessary

As with all technology, regular software updates are necessary for seamless AV equipment use and flawless.

Some systems use a cloud feature and install updates automatically. But it’s important to schedule these updates outside of business hours — the last thing you want is a forced software update interrupting an important hybrid meeting.

If you don’t have a cloud option, assign a tech employee to install any necessary updates while the meeting room is not in use.

Without continuous updates, the quality of your conference room AV equipment could worsen, leaving remote employees and clients with a poor audio and visual experience.

How High-Quality Audio-Visual Equipment for Meeting Rooms Improves the Hybrid Workplace

If you have a hybrid workspace, you know how poor-quality AV equipment can negatively impact the user experience. Investing in the latest AV equipment and creating an optimal conference room setup helps improve remote collaboration.

By the way, here’s a neat guyide on the top-notch hybrid meeting equipment.

Effective Communication

Top-of-the-line AV equipment for meeting spaces means in-office and remote employees can communicate effectively and achieve their work goals, even though they work in separate locations.

High-tech cameras and microphones help bring physical and remote workers together during meetings.

Accountability

Running a hybrid workspace requires trust in remote employees, which is one of the big reasons many companies hesitate to switch to this relatively new business model.

But top-of-the-line conference room AV equipment creates an immersive experience that helps keep employees accountable.

In-office and remote meeting leaders can easily detect inattentive workers with effective video conferencing technology.

Team Bonding

Without a proper setup that highlights open communication and collaboration, hybrid teams can feel disjointed and awkward.

Some companies provide in-person opportunities for remote workers to meet their fellow team members. However, when teams are spread across different states, in-person bonding experiences aren’t always possible.

That’s why businesses need to have excellent audio equipment and use superb video conferencing platforms. These tools provide an innovative conference space that almost feels like remote and in-person employees are physically together.

Why Using the Right Hybrid Work Software is Important?

You have thought about equipping your conference rooms with the best audio-visual equipment.

Great.

But…

Have you thought about using hybrid work software to manage bookings, entice employees to come to the office more often and optimize office space?

If not, check OfficeRnD Workplace. It’s a hybrid work management software that can make a positive difference in how you manage a hybrid workplace. It can help you with:

• Desk and conference room bookings on a beautiful visual map
• Enticing employees to collaborate in person for the moments that matter thanks to advanced collaborative scheduling features
• Analyzing office space to optimize it and save costs
• Implement various seating arrangements such as hot desking and desk hoteling, known to boost productivity and optimize space

Plus, it integrates with all the tools you already use so you don’t have to juggle between multiple apps.

Seriously, check it out. Click here to start for free with OfficeRnD Workplace, no strings attached. You can also click here to book a live demo and talk with one of our workplace experts.

FAQ

What Does AV Stand for?

AV is short for “audiovisual.” This equipment is essential for creating hybrid workspaces, as it lets remote and in-office employees communicate freely without physically being in the same room.

What AV Equipment Is Needed for a Conference Room?

A state-of-the-art conference room has:

• WiFi with backup ethernet cables
• Microphones
• Cameras
• TV monitors or projectors
• A high-quality sound system

Larger meeting spaces need even higher-quality AV equipment to guarantee that each attendee can see and hear the presenters clearly. Consider investing in large screens, heavy-duty sound systems, additional cameras, and multiple high-quality microphones.

What Is the Difference Between a Conference Room and a Meeting Room?

In many companies, the terms “conference room” and “meeting room” are used interchangeably. However, there is a slight semantic difference between the two.

Conference rooms are usually large areas that can hold many employees at one time. They are used for department meetings or company-wide meetings.

On the other hand, meeting rooms typically hold smaller groups of people.

What Types of Equipment Do Remote Employees Need for Hybrid Work?

At a minimum, a remote employee needs a computer connected to the internet and a high-quality microphone, camera, and headphones or speakers. Consider delivering AV equipment to your remote workers to provide the best hybrid meeting experience.

What Technology do you Need in a Conference Room?

In a conference room, essential technology includes a high-quality video conferencing system to ensure clear visual and audio communication. A reliable high-speed internet connection is crucial to support seamless streaming and connectivity. And an interactive display or smartboard enables effective presentations and collaborative sessions, while adequate sound systems and microphones enhance audio clarity for all participants.

What Equipment is Needed for a Virtual Meeting?

For a virtual meeting, essential equipment includes a computer or laptop with a high-resolution webcam and a stable internet connection to ensure clear video and audio transmission. Good quality microphones and speakers, or a headset, are crucial for clear audio without echoes or background noise. software platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet are needed to host or join virtual meetings, facilitating features such as screen sharing, file transfer, and real-time collaboration.

What is an AV Checklist?

An AV checklist is a comprehensive list of audiovisual equipment and setup steps used to ensure that all necessary technical aspects are covered for an event or meeting. This checklist typically includes items like microphones, speakers, projectors, screens, and video conferencing equipment. It also covers the testing of these devices, checking for proper connectivity, and ensuring compatibility of all components.