Planning A Training Room Design Layout For A Business

HOW DO WE KEEP UP WITH AND TRAIN A NEW BREED OF WORKFORCE?

From Baby Boomers to Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z and now Millennials—the latter, those that were born with the world constantly at their finger-tips to the former, those that just want to tune out the world at the end of the day, today’s workforce is the most demographically dynamic in the history of the world. Thankfully, skilled A/V Integrators can help design and layout a training room to effectively communicate with all generations. Here are some of the most important considerations for the planning process.

ENTER THE TWO-WAY CHANNEL UNIVERSE OF COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING

The singularly most important question one should ask themselves when considering a training room design layout is, who is the audience? Or, who are the potential audiences? A training room can be used for more than one audience. Is this a room full of female Multi-Level Marketing newbies, or is this a room full of veteran male mechanics? Of course, both need training. But, their training needs are vastly different. This is where a reputable A/V integrator can be invaluable, especially when it comes to layout and design. They know the questions to ask up front to save a lot of money down the line. Not only can it be more costly to retrofit an existing training room versus planning it properly up front, but also, a retrofit is a potential disruption to operations. Retrofits involve re-construction and can and will disrupt the ability to train during the re-construction and retrofit process.

THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN A TRAINING ROOM IS THE ABILITY TO LET INFORMATION AND IDEAS FLOW SEAMLESSLY AND ORGANICALLY

Reputable A/V integrators are on the cutting edge of the most dynamic training room options to the most basic setups. They should be able to accommodate all spaces and budgets. And they should also go beyond A/V design, offering ongoing support to provide a return on investment over time by enhancing the client’s effectiveness in training a productive workforce.

A TRAINING ROOM IS A PERSONAL INTERACTION

Whether across the local office, across the country or across the world, A/V integration can enhance training communication by utilizing the best technology to allow communication to effectively flow from person to person. Effective A/V solutions can enable someone in Prague to be in a real-time training room with Paris, France or Paris, Texas.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR A TRAINING ROOM DESIGN LAYOUT

• Dialogue and discussion.
• The audience(s).
• Training room space, size, flexibility and modularity.
• A total sensory training experience.
• Audio.
• Video.
• Comfort.
• First Impressions.

DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION ARE CRITICAL

This is a critical step. The discussion with the A/V Integrator will revolve around audience(s), needs and the purposes for designing a training room that works for the company. This is not only where information gets shared, but also where experiences and ideas get shared. The days of one-way training are ending. Now, more than ever, training is a two-way street. Training rooms have the capability to reach far beyond a one-way communication. They can now be a collaborative and interactive training room.

THE AUDIENCE(S)

Although touched upon in the first section, knowing the audience(s) is the most critical factor. This will lead to all of the other decisions, design and layout considerations of an effective and efficient training room. One day the space might be used for hosting new, potential franchisees, while the next morning may be a new employee orientation. Later that afternoon, it’s an HR team meeting on the latest in corporate ethics. Any room, any office, any space, on any given day, can have different audiences.

TRAINING ROOM SPACE AND SIZE TO THE FLEXIBILITY AND MODULARITY OF THE TRAINING ROOM EQUIPMENT, CHAIRS AND TABLES

These considerations go far beyond the square footage of the space. What is the most effective layout for the tables? Maybe, depending on the audience(s), this room needs to have flexibility and modularity to be able to go from Rows to U-Shape to V-Shape seating configurations. Training Rooms have the potential to be designed, laid out and built in a modular and flexible format to enhance the ability of the workforce to embrace new ideas and enhance productivity. This up-front planning flexibility dramatically affects not only the potential of what is possible in this space, but also the type of equipment that can effectively communicate in this training room space to ensure everyone is able to effectively and efficiently absorb information.

A TOTAL SENSORY TRAINING EXPERIENCE

Ever been in a conference room or training room and the video is not synchronized to the audio? It’s distracting to say the least. All that preparation in putting the presentation together instantly flies out the window because not only does the audience become distracted, but also the presenter. Everyone goes into ‘what is the problem?’ mental mode. The content and information trying to be communicated is lost. From the feeling of a chair, the arrangements of the tables, the look and feel of the room, the ability to see and absorb the video and the ability to hear sound--it’s not just the ability to have all these, but all of these have to be integrated together.

AUDIO

From Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, wireless microphones, headsets, amplifiers, speakers, and more, an experienced A/V integrator will have all the bases covered with the latest technology to amplify the effectiveness of the training room.

VIDEO

Integrated, global, internet-enabled interactive displays to laptop and PC projectors are vital to training, and the proper equipment and integration is available.

COMFORT

There is no one size fits all. Back to modularity and flexibility, if the audience is not comfortable, this has the potential to impact the flow of information from the presenter to the audience and vice-versa. How many times have you sat in a room all day and you have to keep re-adjusting yourself just because the environment is uncomfortable or annoying? This is not just about the audience, it is also the way the presenter feels in the room. The more comfortable and relaxed an audience feels, the more the information becomes a two-way street.

THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE

There is always a fear factor in the backs of our minds that if we don’t keep up, we will get left behind. Data Projections will make sure you never get left behind by keeping you on the forefront of cutting-edge training room A/V solutions. We don’t just provide Audio/Visual (A/V) Integration, we provide environments that allow information and content to flow.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

While not the most critical, don’t underestimate the power of a first impression. If you fly employees in for training, you are already investing a significant sum in your workforce. Why not make them feel welcome? Think about your first day on the job, any job. Wouldn’t you want to receive a welcome packet? Even though this may or may not be a first day on the job scenario, make the training room a welcoming room. The goal of an effective training room layout is to let information flow. What if your employees walked in and said, ‘wow, this is a cool room.’ And, then thought, this company cares about training (and cares about me and our future together).

FORWARD THINKING

Times are changing more rapidly than anyone could have predicted even 10 years ago. Data Projections keeps up with the latest and greatest A/V technology, layout and design. We are always on the cutting edge of advancing and enhancing communication. Not just in the latest sound equipment or the latest video equipment, but in the latest advancements in how to connect people around the globe. At the end of the day, this is about allowing someone to leave the room with more information than they walked in with—the training environment matters. Even beyond a paycheck, companies now provide a culture of communication. Especially now with a generation of Millennials, everything we do as a company is a reflection of who we are as a company and culture, not only with our employees, but also with our current and potential clients.