A meeting can consist of a number of chairs around a table and be sufficient. As people work remotely and want to present a greater variety of content from a greater variety of devices, it might be time to refresh your conference room technology to improve the experience.
Displays
Do you go with a TV or an overhead projector in the modern conference room? I am of the opinion that TVs are the way to go these days unless your conference room is really large. TVs are available in very large sizes for comparable or cheaper prices. The main advantage of a TV or monitor when compared to a projector is the vibrancy of the image. If you are tired of the washed out, faded look of projectors you can try replacing your projector with one of higher lumens but if you still find yourself having to turn off the lights to make it readable at the cost of being able to read papers in front of you, you might check out a television.
TVs are also installed at the front of the conference room, allowing easier cable management than a projector in the middle of the table or ceiling-mount. TVs have a variety of inputs such as HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, and others which can allow a number of devices to connect while Smart TVs can make it easy to access YouTube, Netflix, and other video services if that is where your content resides. Projectors tend to be noisier with their fan, take longer to startup, and be more expensive over their lifetime with bulbs and maintenance.
A large 4K TV with a thin bezel can make quite an impression on your clients and guests at your meeting. They also have a variety of options to fit most budgets.
Samsung 75-Inch 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart LED TV (2015 Model)
VIZIO 75-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2015 Model)
Computers
A common problem with presentations in conference rooms is getting connected. The projector is VGA only and the laptop only has mini-DisplayPort out. Do you have adapters and dongles to make this work? If you have multiple conference rooms, do you keep these connectors in each room or centrally located?
A modern solution can provide a variety of ways to connect. You can have a set top box like the Apple TV to allow an iPad to share its screen on one TV input and a micro form factor PC on another TV input. With the Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing), you get a small computer with full capabilities. Using Intel Unite, software that Intel has recently developed to make smarter conference rooms, presenters can connect wirelessly to share their presentation or guests can connect remotely to watch the presentation.
Remote
Adobe Connect, WebEx, and GoToMeeting are popular services for webinars and online meetings. They can allow employees working remotely or guests to connect to your meeting no matter where they are. They can also conveniently connect from computers, tablets, or smartphones.
Logitech’s ConferenceCams allow for high-quality audio and video in your conference rooms. Sized from small groups, to portable options, and mid-sized groups, the ConferenceCam can work for private offices, home offices, small group collaboration rooms, or mid-size conference rooms.