What are the four types of meetings?

 

There are four common types of meetings that businesses hold with their clients and employees. Understanding the differences between these common meeting styles might even help you structure your next meeting more efficiently. 

 

1. Information dissemination meetings

 

• Great for educational purposes, presentations and lectures. Visual tools like videos and powerpoints are commonly used for this type of meeting. This style of meeting is focused on communicating information so it requires participants to be attentive.

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2. Decision-making meetings

 

• The ultimate goal for this style of meeting is to come to a conclusion or consensus about something. It requires input from more than one person and a lot of engagement. Decision-making meetings are usually centered solely around the decisions needing to be made.

 

3. Innovative meetings

 

• These meetings involve a lot of input from participants as well. It’s purpose is exactly what it sounds like. Brainstorming ideas and creative thinking is key to come up with new innovations, so it is an opportunity to use your imagination. 

 

4. Team building meetings

 

• Team building practices have been a more recent effort for a lot of businesses. Team building meetings are a good way for workers to feel valued and connected as a whole. It is a game-changer for employees' wellbeing and it is a great way to keep your workplace modern. A strong team means a strong business.

What is the purpose of a conference meeting?

 

• The purpose of a conference meeting is to discuss issues, inform people of recent or weekly updates, or simply to come together to discuss a common interest or topic. Conference meetings give people the ability to bounce ideas off of each other and allows for efficient problem solving. 

 

• There are many ways of communicating with coworkers and clients such as email, call or text. Each of these mediums have their place and purpose, but for important, lengthy issues, it is best to meet live with all participants present. 

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• Conferences do not always have to be conducted in-person either. Thanks to the internet, teams can have video call meetings through apps like Zoom for when not everyone can be present in-person. And if the internet is out of the question, you can conduct meetings using a teleconference number. Aside from our physical conference room, At Office In America Co. we give you your very own teleconference number for when meeting with clients in-person isn’t attainable. It is a super easy, schedule friendly and efficient way to hold meetings.

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What is a hybrid meeting?

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• A hybrid meeting is a blend of in-person and online or over the phone attendees. Many large companies utilize this method because it ensures that more people are present. Conflicting schedules can create difficulties when trying to find a time to meet in-person, so things like Zoom calls make it possible to meet wherever participants are.

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Is conference room and meeting room same?

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• The difference between a conference room and meeting room is that conference rooms are larger and typically used for conducting video conferencing and video presentations, while a regular meeting rooms focus primarily on providing necessary space to hold in-person meetings. Both a viable options for meetings, but you may want to factor in the materials you and your team plan to use to determine what type of space is right.

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Are conferences worth it?

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• Conferences can be incredibly effective for networking, knowledge gathering, and business development. However, conference room space can also be expensive. With Office In America Co., you will not have to worry about a heavy price tag to get access our twelfth floor conference rooms. You can book one-time conference space usage or sign up with our Standard Package to receive full access to the rooms.

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How much does it cost to hold a conference at a hotel?

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• On average, renting a hotel conference room runs from about $70 to $160 per hour. This can add up over time if you hold multiple conference meetings per month. By signing up with a virtual office you simply pay a monthly rate for extensive access to conference rooms and other meeting facilities. Your clients will also be greeted by a friendly, front desk receptionist as they come in for their meeting.

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What are the disadvantages of online meetings?

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​1. Difficult Interactions

When the meeting is virtual, it's more difficult for all attendees to take an active part, particularly when there are a lot of people. It's possible in person to talk over each other somewhat, resulting in a back-and-forth discussion. It's hard to hear if more than one person is speaking in virtual meetings. This may lead to interactions that feel unnatural.

2. Limited experience

It's impossible to get a real feel for certain things by just viewing them on a screen. Depending on your sector, it may be worthwhile to handle samples or try out a prototype firsthand.

3. Poor Dynamic

The nature of virtual meetings might stifle the energy. There will always be just one speaker to the entire group, and it's difficult to break into smaller groups to discuss issues. There's also less spontaneity, which means you may miss out on some of the most creative suggestions.

4. Connections Issues

All team members will need a good internet connection to conduct a video conference. A weak signal might result in several problems. For example, the participant's gestures may be jerky to other participants, or the participant may lose either the video or the sound of the meeting. Even worse, the entire conferencing software could fail.

5. Software Cost

Virtual meetings may end up being more costly than face-to-face meetings.
Zoom, for example, is a popular video conferencing application. It's free for one-on-one meetings and group meetings with up to 100 people for no more than 40 minutes. However, if you want to hold longer group meetings, you'll have to spend $14.99 per month or $149.90 per year. If you want to conduct meetings with more than 100 participants, it'll cost you $19.99 each month or £15 (approximately $24) each year.