5 Ways you Can Elevate Hybrid Meetings

5 Ways you Can Elevate Hybrid Meetings

 

5 Ways you Can Elevate Hybrid Meetings

Hybrid meetings are here to stay.  Instead of getting flustered by planning them – it’s time to embrace, learn and execute them flawlessly.

Here are 5 ways you can elevate your hybrid meetings.

  1. Not everyone will be able to make it in person, and that’s OK. You need to value your “virtual attendees” just as much as your in-person ones – to get the most out of your hybrid meeting, you need to account for that. Have your presenters speak into the camera just as much as they do to your in-person attendees, and maybe plan breakout rooms to include one of virtual attendees – mixing and matching virtual and in-person attendees in breakouts is guaranteed to be less effective.
  2. Upgrade your audio and video game – don’t leave your virtual attendees out in the cold with video from a bad webcam and laptop microphone. There’s nothing less appealing than having to sit and listen to 2 hours of audio when you can only hear every third word – don’t do that to your coworkers or clients. Similarly, grainy, low resolution video is a killer – you want your guests to be able to tell who your guest speaker is, right?
  3. Bigger is better. If you want to include your remote participants in the meeting as active participants, your in person guests need to actually be able to see them. When given an option for screen size, you can’t go wrong with the biggest you can find – otherwise your remote participants are going to be easily (and unconsciously!) ignored little boxes.
  4. Leave the laptops at home. Nothing kills the in-person vibe of your meeting more than having every attendee use their laptop to join in the room. All that does is make your attendees think “I could have stayed in my PJ’s for this”. It will destroy any value you get out of hosting the meeting in person.
  5. Choose the right venue. This is the most critical factor for the success of your hybrid meeting. The right venue will come equipped with a great tech package, experienced staff who know how to run hybrid meetings, and who know how to ensure that your meeting is a success, both in-person and virtually.

Choose Toronto Meetings for your next hybrid meeting, and learn the difference our experienced team makes.

We have the equipment, the staff, and the expertise that will make your next hybrid event a total success – with our 30+ years of hosting meetings, and 15+ years of making them hybrid, your event is in good hands at Toronto Meetings.

Top 5 Things To Consider When Renting A Meeting Room

Meeting Room Rental

Top 5 Things To Consider When Renting A Meeting Room

When meeting with important clients, or just bringing the team together, you’ll want to consider the location carefully. You can always have the meeting at a bar somewhere, but run the risk of considered low-brow, and of someone having a drink or two too many. You can also do it in a hotel lobby, but that can be busy and full of potential eavesdroppers. So have you given any thought to renting a meeting room?

It can be a difficult decision, but here are 5 key areas to consider if you’ll be renting a meeting room:

Cost

Undoubtedly the most important category is cost. At first, it may seem expensive to rent a meeting room, but consider the larger picture: You can choose to only rent a meeting room only for the time you will use it, or you can choose a month to month lease that will be lying unoccupied most of the month. A one-off payment for a room for a couple of hours solely for the duration of your meeting is much more cost effective than paying out month after month for a space that will sit vacant.

Maintenance

Having a space in an office requires maintenance. Common areas will normally be kept to a high standard, but will a meeting room that is used once a month be held up to the same level of scrutiny? Afterall, it’s only used occasionally, so the team may go in, hash out what they have to do, and not worry about the mess until later. That later becomes much later, until eventually you’ll be paying a premium for repairs in a rarely used space. But there is more to consider when renting your meeting room.

Catering

Often meetings (and meeting attendees) suffer from a big problem; hunger. Either you allow your attendees to enter and leave as they like, disrupting the meeting, or have everyone sit and suffer through it, thinking more about their stomachs, than the actual matter at hand. Even if you set a lunch break, people will head out, and lose track of time on a sunny day, when the last thing they want is to come back to a meeting. When renting a meeting room, you have an option to get your breakfast and lunch catered.You’ll no longer have to worry about anyone being hungry, or wandering off for an extended amount of time. Everything is conveniently right there and ready for you.

Appearance

Change is a good thing. And with a change of place, comes a change of mind. It may be that your meeting is to try to discuss a problem and brainstorm solutions, or host a quarterly Board Meeting. A change in venue, from your own office, to a stylishly decorated meeting room may be just the thing you need. A new settings will help your team’s minds focus, and realize that this is important, to be on their “A-Game”. Renting a meeting room, rather than just having your meeting in the same office as usual may be key to this state of mind change.

Services

What is available in the room? And what will you need? Sure, you can pay for, and have a couple of TVs installed. But how do you set them up? Are they properly wired up and do you have access to tech support? You’ll also have to consider how clean the room is, and if staff has been using it as an extra work area or a break room. You’ll also have to know ahead of time how many people will be in the meeting, and have to set up the room for them. A small meeting might only need two or three tables, but a larger one can create some challenges. Not to mention your staff now has to arrange their own chairs and tables, and then put everything back, when they should be acting on the results of the meeting.

These are the key areas you’ll have to consider when renting a meeting room. But when you decide it really is the better choice, why don’t you see the rooms that Toronto Meetings has available, and start here? With us, you’re covered for catering and for all the services you need, in stylishly decorated rooms just steps away from Union Station.

Get Your Team Together In a Team Space Rented By The Day

Get Your Team Together In a Team Space Rented By The Day

“Hey, can we jump on a Zoom call?”  “What’s the meeting password?”  “Okay, it looks like we’re all here, but where’s Dave?” “Jim, could you please mute, all we can hear is your dog barking.”  “Stacey, I think you’re frozen. Maybe jump on audio only?”

Sound familiar?

Zoom was a great tool to get everyone operating quickly when the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly altered our everyday lives. But, now 18 months later, the Zoom fatigue is beginning to set in.

Can you imagine looking at this busy screen all day?

Human interaction is an innate requirement in most human brains.  Having a relationship with our colleagues is half the excitement of going into work every day.

If the last 18 months have proven anything, we crave one another (albeit in managed doses).

I mean, who else are we going to talk with about our favourite shows, new restaurants, and most importantly, your work.

It’s time to get your team together again, in a team meeting space rented by the day.

This Inc.com Article outlines 10 Reasons Face to Face Meetings are More Important Than We Think.

Get Your Team Together Again (In a Team Meeting Space Rented By The Day)

However, going back, and going back safely are two different things.

Going back to your traditional meeting space, which has been sitting vacant since mid-March, may not be the best approach to slowly re-integrating your staff back into in-person meetings.

So, how can you ensure that they are returning to a safe environment?   Reserve an off-site team meeting space.

At The Rostie Group, we have the perfect team meeting spaces, which are equipped with state of the art technology, whiteboards, socially distanced workspaces and private breakout rooms.

With direct access to Union Station via the PATH network, our 20 Bay St location makes it easy for you and your guests to arrive at your meeting room without ever stepping outdoors.  Daily parking is also available for those choosing not to take public transit or who are coming from further areas in the GTA.

But, not to worry if a team member can’t make it in, these spaces are fully equipped with Video Meeting capabilities that support Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Skype, GoToMeeting and all other online platforms.

With COVID-19 protocols such as daily disinfecting, 2-meter distance between attendees, reduced room capacities, optimized HVAC, and readily available disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers, we’ve put ourselves at the forefront for the safe practice of off-site meetings.

It’s time to ditch the meeting room codes and bad internet connections and meet in person.

For more information about our meeting and training rooms, as well as securing your next space, feel free to call 416-214-1840 or email meetings@rostiegroup.com.

It’s time to get your team together again, but in a team meeting space rented by the day.

Get Back On Track One Meeting At A Time

It’s time to get back on track, one meeting at a time.

With COVID-19 becoming seemingly more manageable with every precaution put in place, businesses worldwide are beginning to consider the next steps to get their 2021 back on track.

The main component of taking that next step is proper planning.

So, what is the best way to plan? Getting together!

While most of the world are waking up from their Zoom hangovers, alternatives to digital communication are now strongly being considered.

But why reinvent the wheel?

Instead of trying to come up with a creative way to get everybody on the same page, businesses should consider what they know best; hold a meeting.

Like many aspects of our lives, what we once knew as normal is now nearly opposite.

The same can be said for traditional meetings where planning, training, discussion, and social interaction could prove to be exactly what businesses worldwide need to recreate the company wide synergy that seemingly fell off a cliff in mid-March.

Yes – meetings have garnered a bad reputation over years past as being time-wasting gatherings, but in the post-pandemic 2021 they may be the most effective way of getting things done.

This 2020 article from Robin, titled The Meeting Room Isn’t Dead outlines tips for businesses who are considering moving forward with post-pandemic meetings.

But, what do you do if you were put in a position to downsize your physical footprint as a result of the crippling pandemic?

Where planning a meeting in your in-house boardroom was as easy as sending an email, more thought must be put in place to ensure that companies are in a setting that will help them make the best of their time.

TorontoMeetings can provide that setting. Our meeting rooms are exactly what you need to kickstart your company into a bounce back third quarter.

With direct access to Union Station via the PATH network, our location makes it easy for you and your guests to arrive at your meeting room without ever stepping outdoors.

Industry leading technology and our wide variety of meeting and training rooms, makes TorontoMeetings the ideal choice for any off-site meeting requirements.

Our extensive Catering Menu, which includes both hot and cold meals, will all be singularly packaged and individually labelled to reduce the spread of germs and mitigate the risk of contamination all while presenting delicious selections for all of your guests.

With COVID-19 protocols such as daily disinfecting, 2-meter distance between attendees, reduced room capacities, optimized HVAC, and readily available disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers, we’ve put ourselves at the forefront for the safe practice of off-site meetings.

For more information about our meeting and training rooms, as well as securing your next space, feel free to call 416-214-1840 or email meetings@rostiegroup.com.

It’s time to get back on track, one meeting at a time and TorontoMeetings looks forward to servicing your meeting room needs.

Interconnected Meeting Technology Is The New Future

Interconnected meeting technology is the new future.

As many companies are quickly discovering, doing a Zoom call with multiple people can feel overwhelming. You have small screens, interruptions, and a number of tech issues which overall leads to a lot of wasted time.

Although it seemed like the quick and easy method of getting your team together while many of them are working from home, after 18 months of these common disturbances, companies are starting to track and put value on the lost time in their workdays.

Parlay that with the elimination of in-person conversations for nearly 2 years, and you’re on a fast track to a breakdown of communication.

So why not consider going back into the office for your meeting?

I know, I know; Covid-19. Let’s not try to ignore the elephant in the room.

It’s no secret that gathering limits and the risk of spreading the virus are forcing companies to re-think their in-person meetings.

But what if I was to tell you, there’s simple ways around it. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the best of both worlds?

An interconnected, in-person meeting where your employees can be in a safe place, with proper gathering limits and the full technology to able to have a productive meeting.

This RingCentral article titled 7 Essentials For Tomorrow’s Meeting Rooms, points out 7 key assets that a meeting room must have to be a cohesive and productive atmosphere. As pointed out, features such as large TV screens, video cameras, speakers and microphones, conference capabilities, power & video cables as well as white boards are all crucial to the meeting room post-COVID.

 

At TorontoMeetings.com, we can provide that experience.

Our state-of-the-art technology, including fully-integrated videoconference equipment, 80” LED TVs, multiple hookups for any device, and wall-to-wall whiteboards are what set us apart from our competition.

Let me give you a scenario.

You have a team of 20-30 people and want to get everyone together on-site for a meeting.

Or perhaps you are hosting exams in multiple rooms and want to monitor or have the ability to speak to all of the attendees at the same time.

What to do?  The answer is simple.

Get your team together at one location, separate them into COVID-friendly gathering groups, and connect each of the meeting rooms using the integrated video meeting technology.

Our meeting rooms provide this cohesive approach that allows for in-person synergy to be created, all the while connecting digitally on large TV’s with the remainder of your team, who are only a maximum of 20 feet away.

With on-site IT staff to assist, we relieve you and your team of any wasted time due to technology issues.

Inter-Connected Meeting Technology Is the New Future

This futuristic approach to meetings provides the best features of both in-person and digital meetings.

With COVID-19 protocols such as daily disinfecting, 2-meter distance between attendees, reduced room capacities, optimized HVAC, and readily available disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers, we’ve put ourselves at the forefront for the safe practice of on-site meetings.

For more information about our meeting and training rooms, as well as securing your next space, feel free to call 416-214-1840 or email meetings@rostiegroup.com.

Interconnected meeting technology is the new future.

It’s time to stop wasting valuable time and integrate yourself into the future of meetings.

It’s Official – The Toronto Meetings Team Is Fully Vaccinated!

It’s Official – The Toronto Meetings Team Is Fully Vaccinated!

The Toronto Meetings Management Team is proud to announce that all of our employees have been fully vaccinated and are preparing diligently for your return to the workplace.

We’re committed whole heartedly to the health and safety of our guests and felt there was no better way to show it.

Not only have we all been “vaxed”, we’ve also implemented some great new practices to keep you safe as we continue through Ontario’s reopening plan.

So, what can you expect when you come back?

We’ve taken this opportunity to make some drastic upgrades to our centre.  Included in this is new: carpet, LED lighting, paint colours, ceiling tiles and videoconferencing technology.

Simply put, we’ve maximized our time to create a more welcoming, professional atmosphere for you to call your business home.

Our offices and meeting rooms have been set up with Ontario regulations in mind, so that proper gathering limits and social distancing is in place.

We’ve also made some major updates to our Catering Menu.  Long gone are the days of sandwich platters and large shareable salads.   Our new catering menu specializes in individually packaged meals, which allows for specific customization and mitigates the risk of passing germs and bacteria.

Although the world is slowly returning to normal, it’s important to remember the practices that got us to where we are today.

We continue to encourage all businesses to utilize their office space as best fit, while doing so in a safe, healthy, matter.

For more information about our Return to Work plan, feel free to visit www.virtualbusinessoffices.com or email info@rostiegroup.com.

We look forward to seeing you back in your office!

Rainy Lake Meeting Room

Training Rooms for Rent

Here at Toronto Meetings, we’ve been running meetings since the mid -90s, so it’s not too much of a leap to say that we’re experts at it. One thing we’ve found that we’re very good at is training sessions. We host a variety of universities and colleges, as well as sales and tech certification programs. We excel at coordinating and ensuring that everything you need to run a training session is done, and done well. We offer a multitude of small rooms, as well as board rooms; either works for your training room session, as they are flexible spaces.

However, where we really come into our own is within our dedicated training rooms. We have three of these dedicated rooms that are built specifically with training purposes in mind. Incredibly flexible, we can set them up in literally any configuration, and they sit 25, 35, and 60 people in the standard classroom layout- in a theater size with no tables, figure that number will double. We also have training room layouts that have pods- perfect for heavily collaborative settings- or a U-Shape, which presents a happy medium between presentation and collaboration-focused training sessions.

Additionally, because we have the experience to know what our customers need, we have our rooms set up properly for training sessions. That means that we have screens for presentation that are built in, plug and play, and that a microphone is never necessary because of the expertly designed rooms’ acoustics.

Toronto Meetings also offers full catering service: everything from full breakfasts and coffee to cedar-grilled salmon and steak. Get those creative juices flowing with our delicious, locally roasted coffee, and keep them flowing with an omega-3 rich lunch.

Rent training rooms from Toronto Meetings, and see the difference that experience, great staff, and an amazing atmosphere really makes.

Getting Back On Track One Meeting At A Time

Getting Back on Track One Meeting at a Time

 

It’s time to get back on track, one meeting at a time.

With COVID-19 becoming seemingly more manageable with every precaution put in place, businesses worldwide are beginning to consider the next steps to get their 2020 back on track.

The main component of taking that next step is proper planning.

So, what is the best way to plan? Getting together!

While most of the world are waking up from their Zoom hangovers, alternatives to digital communication are now strongly being considered.

But why reinvent the wheel?

Instead of trying to come up with a creative way to get everybody on the same page, businesses should consider what they know best; hold a meeting.

Like many aspects of our lives, what we once knew as normal is now nearly opposite.

The same can be said for traditional meetings where planning, training, discussion, and social interaction could prove to be exactly what businesses worldwide need to recreate the company wide synergy that seemingly fell off a cliff in mid-March.

Yes – meetings have garnered a bad reputation over years past as being time-wasting gatherings, but in the post-pandemic 2020 they may be the most effective way of getting things done.

This 2020 article from Robin, titled The Meeting Room Isn’t Dead outlines tips for businesses who are considering moving forward with post-pandemic meetings.

But, what do you do if you were put in a position to downsize your physical footprint as a result of the crippling pandemic?

Where planning a meeting in your in-house boardroom was as easy as sending an email, more thought must be put in place to ensure that companies are in a setting that will help them make the best of their time.

Toronto Meetings can provide that setting. Our meeting rooms are exactly what you need to kickstart your company into a bounce back third quarter.

With direct access to Union Station via the PATH network, our location makes it easy for you and your guests to arrive at your meeting room without ever stepping outdoors.

Industry leading technology and our wide variety of meeting and training rooms, makes Toronto Meetings the ideal choice for any off-site meeting requirements.

Our extensive Catering Menu, which includes both hot and cold meals, will all be singularly packaged and individually labelled to reduce the spread of germs and mitigate the risk of contamination all while presenting delicious selections for all of your guests.

With COVID-19 protocols such as daily disinfecting, 2-meter distance between attendees, reduced room capacities, optimized HVAC, and readily available disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers, we’ve put ourselves at the forefront for the safe practice of off-site meetings.

For more information about our meeting and training rooms, as well as securing your next space, feel free to call 416-214-1840 or email meetings@rostiegroup.com.

It’s time to get back on track, one meeting at a time and Toronto Meetings looks forward to servicing your meeting room needs.

Business Meeting

Business Meeting Top Tips

Just like anything else, running a business meeting is an acquired skill. And just like any skill, it has to be learned, and practiced. But even the masters of their trade have a few shortcuts that they use. So here are our top tips for a successful meeting.

#1 – Goal

Know what the meeting is trying to accomplish, and what you want to accomplish with it. This will help you stay on track, and make sure the business meeting itself runs smoothly and is of value to all the attendees.

#2 – Business Summary

Write a summary of the meeting. Keep a copy for yourself, and distribute one to your attendees (as early as possible). This can help keep things on rails, and help people understand the topics and time constraints.

#3 – Stay on Topic

It can be VERY easy to stray from the main topic of the meeting. Just bring it back. You’re not being rude, you’re keeping things on track. It is respecting everyone’s time. Side conversations can be had later, or be the topic for the next meeting.

#4 – Don’t look down on the new hires

Don’t bypass the younger member, or the new hires. Hearing them out and asking them to pitch in will not only bring fresh ideas and point out potential issues. (If the new hire can spot an obvious issue, then something should probably be done about it). But it can also give younger members of staff the confidence they need to be both successful on the job, and in their careers.

#5 – 5 words or less

Can you summarize the meeting in 5 words or less? Then it was productive, and ultimately successful. The meeting stayed on track, and delivered the information that it needed to, as well as getting the input that was needed.

#6 – Finish it on schedule

Nothing is worse than the meeting that just won’t end. And some business meetings have a habit of running much further than intended. It isn’t always any one person’s fault, but if the meeting is in a large room filled with people, then it can be difficult when everyone wants to add their piece. (For a little more on this topic, check out another blog post of ours.)

 

To have the best business meeting, you need the best space and the best atmosphere. You can have all that and more here at Toronto Meetings. Choose the room that fits your meeting, and with our tips, and our rooms, you’ll have more productive meetings in no time.

Atlantic Meeting Room 01

Your very own Board Room in Toronto

Let’s be honest: Rent in Toronto is currently very high. But even with that high rent,  you can still have your own Board Room in Toronto.

The location of your office is just as important as the business itself. And there is something to be said about having your business in a large city. It shows a certain level of pedigree. That being said, as mentioned above, the rent in Toronto is indeed high. You may simply be unable to – nor want to – afford a premium space in the city.

However, any business still has to have meetings.  And when meeting with important clients, you don’t want to make them go out of their way to meet you. Your competitors may be in the city, and that’s where your clients are most comfortable.

So you need a professional, great looking, and accessible board room in Toronto. A place where you can meet with potential clients, and show them you are ready to do business. Of course, having to pay for a board room in Toronto that you might be only using occasionally, especially when your business is already located outside of the city as a cost saving measure, isn’t the best use of your budget.

You could try to use a hotel lobby, but that isn’t very private, and lacks the setup to have a serious meeting. You could also consider convention centers, but often they are fully booked for events, or the rooms are too large for a smaller gathering. It can be difficult to find the right space.

Additionally, the stress of having to set up that space, making sure it’s clean and presentable. As well as insuring that all the AV equipment is up-to-date and functional.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have access to a board room in Toronto. Here at Toronto Meetings, we have several rooms, of all sizes, and all are stylishly decorated.

We also have professional greeters that will welcome and direct your guests. Beyond our catering options, we also have water and refershments available. Free Wi-Fi, access to Screens, Full Tech Support, and of course, we will set up the room to your liking, so you can focus on what’s important.  So you see, not only can you have your own board room in Toronto, you can have the best board room.