Long gone are the days when large masses of people would simply file into a large conference room or crowded lecture hall, only to hear Mr. Know-It-All rattle off Parts 1A through 10C of his PowerPoint presentation.
Sure, a lot of business is still done that way, and it can still be a valuable forum for communication.
But, while the world continues to get bigger, some are beginning to think smaller? in a good way.
Small, intimate, personalized business areas ? or ?micro-meetings? ? are beginning to sprout up with regularity in office buildings and hotels.
Courtyard New Orleans Downtown/Iberville is one of the hotels that have embraced the idea of offering smaller meeting spaces. The Marriott property introduced six ?media pods? in October 2012, and it has turned out to be beneficial in a variety of ways for the hotel and its guests.
For one, the whole idea of having a series of intimate spaces in the lobby ? instead of one roaring hub ? generally tends to create a more relaxed social environment. Not only does it work well for small groups or business partners trying to get work done, it also tends to be more family-friendly, said Frank Romano, general manager of Courtyard New Orleans Downtown/Iberville.
That?s not mentioning the fact that each media pod is free of charge.
?With our business travelers, you may be traveling with one or two partners,? Romano said. ?You can come down to the lobby and have a semi-private area to gather without having to rent a room or suite.?
While the pods ? or semi-circular booths ? aren?t entirely closed off, they do offer a level of separation from other travelers without losing that open feeling. You still have a clear-cut section to yourself for privacy, which may be where these meeting spaces truly differentiate from places with similar vibes such as coffee shops.
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