Hybrid meetings without the distance – How one solution changes everything
The way we hold meetings has changed considerably over the last few years. Whereas previously it was just about a camera and a microphone, the focus these days is increasingly on the experience and the connection. But how do you make sure meeting participants feel included, even when they aren’t physically in the room? This is a question, Wim den Hollander, Audiovisual Consultant at Bechtle, is frequently asked.
The answer is, technology on its own isn’t enough, but a smart solution can make a huge difference. A good example is Neat Center and in this blog, Wim den Hollander explains why one camera can be the difference between simply showing up and really taking part.
Distant conversations and miscommunication in hybrid meetings
How are your meeting rooms set up? Many companies still have a more traditional setup of a long table with a screen and camera at one end and a microphone that generally manages to pick everyone up most of the time. This allows participants in the room to look each other in the eye, but remote employees often feel a bit left out as they can’t see everyone equally—if they can see them at all.
This ultimately impacts the quality of your meetings. Let’s be honest, when you join a meeting from home, but feel like you can’t contribute or are unable to hear exactly what’s going on, you’re going to lose interest quite quickly. Conversations seem out of reach and it’s more probable that something is going to get lost in translation. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
How a camera can make all the difference
The Neat Center is a fantastic example of a solution that can have a huge impact on hybrid meetings. Neat Center is a compact, smart camera that is positioned right in the middle of the meeting room table, complementing the screen and camera that are traditionally placed at the front of the room. The Neat Center camera recognises who is speaking and automatically switches to a view of that person.
The camera responds to what’s happening in the room so that those joining remotely can clearly see the faces of the people speaking, giving the impression that they are sitting at the table as well. The result is that they feel like they are a part of the meeting.
The Neat Center works seamlessly with the Neat Bar Pro, a videobar that supports excellent sound quality, but it has its own microphone built in as well to ensure that even conversations in rooms with bad acoustics are crystal clear.
The bigger picture
Technology is just one part of the story. You might have the best camera, but a hybrid meeting won’t run well when the sound is off and the lighting in the room isn’t right. That’s why Bechtle’s AV team always consider the bigger picture including the shape of the table, the materials and lighting in the room, light coming in through windows, and the acoustics.
Discover our meeting rooms equipped with Neat Center.
At Bechtle Eindhoven, we’ve set up our meeting rooms with Neat solutions, giving us the perfect combination of hardware, technology, and good lighting that means everyone taking part can be seen and heard no matter if they are physically in the room or joining remotely.
Positioned in the middle of the table, Neat Center provides a natural perspective during meetings helping those joining from afar feel part of proceedings.
Boosting inclusion
Our AV team regularly talks to customers who are no longer happy with their AV setup. Maybe they bought an AV bar from an online retailer, mounted it and thought it would see them right for the next few years. In reality, however, the sound quality is awful and the camera angle isn’t very flattering. The result? Online participants don’t feel like they are part of the meeting.
Neat Center solves that by positioning the camera in the middle of the room, switching the view between participants to make the conversation more dynamic and natural. The camera switches to whoever is speaking making sure everyone feels more included.
You’ll really notice the difference in meetings in which there are intense conversations like in-house discussions, creative brainstorming or customer meetings or whenever at least one person can’t join in person.
Why an AV consultation is so important.
Setting up a meeting room might seem easy. All you have to do is stick a screen, camera and microphone in a room and you’re done, right? Wrong. Every meeting space is different and you need to consider its dimensions, the acoustics, the type of meetings to be held and the users using the space. This requires a custom consultation.
We recommend solutions that suit your particular needs no matter if you want to reconfigure a small meeting space, make your conference rooms more efficient, or completely redesign all your meeting spaces. Whatever you need, our aim is to connect people.
Hybrid meetings are not a passing fad, even though businesses are encouraging people to return to the office. This can be seen in the fact companies are making long-term investments in hybrid meeting spaces, not only in terms of the technology they use, but in order to boost the user experience. Products like the Neat Center can help, not only optimising how we meet today, but making sure you’re ready for the future of collaboration.
Modernise your meeting rooms with Bechtle.
Curious how you can take your meeting spaces to the next level? Bechtle’s AV team can help you find the solution that best suits your rooms, teams and objectives. Curious about what our solutions look like in practice? Come to our office in Eindhoven and experience our various meeting set ups for yourself. Get in touch! We can’t wait to see you.
Peek behind the scenes
Want to take a look at what goes on behind the scenes? Take a virtual tour to see how we at Bechtle have designed our meeting spaces.