Introducing the Global Meeting Rooms for Seamless Collaboration

The Computing Services Centre (CSC) would like to introduce two new meeting rooms, LI-4304 and LI-5401.  We tentatively named them as Global Meeting Rooms.  These rooms are designed to facilitate globalised hybrid meetings with state-of-the-art technologies that enhance collaboration, communication, and interactions, regardless of geographical distances.

To accommodate specific requirements for interactive engagement, such as eliminating face-to-face experience with remote participants, the rooms provide large interactive display boards and multi-TVs, which allow collaboration by sharing presentations, documents, and ideas in many ways.  Since the rooms are installed with central built-in microphone systems, local participants need not carry a microphone to communicate with remote participants.

To provide flexibility of the rooms for multi-functional purposes, the tables and chairs are movable and suitable for diverse types of meetings, including but not limited to board meetings, general presentations, training sessions, team meetings, group discussions, etc.  The following illustrated some suggested seating arrangements for these rooms:

(A)   Room LI-5401

U-shaped Arrangement

This seating plan is ideal for presentations in a global meeting environment.  The tables are in a classroom style, facing the presenter so that every participant can see the presenter and his presentation.  Participants can interact with remote participants on the TVs in front of them.  The presenter table is height-adjustable such that the presenter can choose whether to sit or stand during the presentation.

Roundtable Arrangement

Like the U-Shaped style table arrangement, it is suitable for meetings with presentations, but some participants can sit next to the presenter’s table.  Therefore, this setting is suitable for multiple presenter situations.  Again, all participants can interact with remote participants through the TVs in front of them.

Small Group Arrangement

The tables in the room are set up into small groups either in a semi-circle or a round table.  It is suitable for group discussions or team-building activities.  Participants can also discuss and see remote participants through the TV in front of them.

(B) Room LI-4304

The LI-4304 has been completed and offered for use to interested participants.  It is designed to be a meeting room catering to the needs of the new normal way of teaching, administration, and research.  The following key features are provided in the room.

Having movable chairs in the room provides greater flexibility and a wide array of formation possibilities when working in dynamic groups.  This is suitable for collaborative brainstorming sessions and training workshops.  It is extremely suitable for forming small breakout groups by clustering the chairs together.  While utilising the features of the Face-Tracking camera and the central microphones placed on presenter’s desk, the presenter effortlessly and freely walks around the room without any loss of connection with the remote participants.  Spontaneous discussions and collaboration exercises can also be arranged intuitively.

Figure 4.  Video Wall and seat arrangements in LI-4304 

Figure 5. Smart TV and Whiteboard, Table Mic, and Tracking Camera