Hybrid working has changed what a London meeting room has to do. Half the people in the meeting may be on a laptop at home, so the room needs a decent camera, clear audio and a screen everyone can read. A question office managers often ask is simple: do we need a small, plug-and-play setup, or a full conference system? This guide explains how to decide.
Start with how the room is actually used
Before choosing any equipment, count the people and note what they do in the room. A room for three or four people who mostly share a laptop screen and join a video call has very different needs from a boardroom where a dozen people sit round a table and a client dials in.
Ask four questions:
- How many people sit in the room on a typical day?
- Do most meetings include remote participants?
- Do visitors present from their own laptops?
- Is the room used for training or presentations to larger groups?
If the answers are "four or fewer", "sometimes", "yes" and "no", you are looking at a huddle room. If they are "eight or more", "always", "yes" and "yes", you are looking at a conference room.
The huddle room: simple and quick to use
The Huddle Room package suits small rooms where speed matters. It is a 55" 4K commercial display with an all-in-one video soundbar that combines the camera, microphone and speaker. Visitors connect their own laptop by HDMI or USB-C, so there is no software to install and no account to set up. The package also includes the wall mount and cable management, so the screen sits flat and the leads are out of sight.
Huddle Room: £1,499 inc. VAT.
The strength of this approach is that anyone can walk in, plug in and start presenting. That matters in a shared office or a serviced building where guests, contractors and clients all use the same room. The all-in-one soundbar also means fewer boxes to go wrong.
The limit is size. One soundbar with a built-in camera and microphone works well for a small table. It is not designed to pick up a long boardroom table or fill a large room.
The conference room: more screens, more control
For larger rooms, the Conference Pro package takes a different approach. It brings dual 65" 4K displays, a certified Teams or Zoom room system, table microphones and ceiling speakers. A touch control panel starts the meeting, and wireless presentation sharing means visitors do not have to hunt for the right adapter.
Conference Pro: £4,999 inc. VAT.
Two displays are useful when you want the remote participants on one screen and the shared document on the other. Table microphones and ceiling speakers spread the audio around the room, so people at the far end of the table are heard as clearly as those next to the screen.
If your office already standardises on one video platform, check that the room system matches it. A certified Teams or Zoom room system is built to work with that platform, which cuts down on the "can you hear me" opening to every call.
Do not forget the network behind the screen
Even the best room system struggles on a poor connection. Video calls are sensitive to dropped packets and patchy Wi-Fi, and a ceiling-mounted speaker is no use if the call freezes. Where possible, give the room its own wired connection rather than relying on wireless.
For small offices, our Office 10-Point package provides ten Cat6 points with patch panel termination, a full test report, labelling and documentation, and Saturday installation is available. That is a sensible way to add wired points for meeting rooms, desks and access points in one visit. The price is Office 10-Point: £849 inc. VAT.
If your current Wi-Fi is the problem rather than the cabling, our office network upgrade guide is worth reading first. For more on how the pieces of a business technology setup fit together, see our guide to the London business tech stack.
Planning checklist before you buy
A few practical points save time and money:
- Measure the room and note where the power and network points are.
- Check the wall can take the weight of the display, especially for dual 65" screens.
- Decide where the table sits so the camera has a clear view of everyone.
- Think about daylight: a camera facing a bright window makes people look like silhouettes.
Surveys are worth considering for a larger project. Our Commercial Survey & Spec is £199 inc. VAT, and the fee is credited against the installation. It gives you a written specification your board or insurer can read.
Choosing between the two
Pick the huddle room if the space is small, visitors bring their own laptops and you want something that works in seconds. Pick the conference setup if the room is larger, remote participants are the norm and you want a touch panel, two screens and proper room audio.
If you are unsure which suits your room, describe the space and how it is used, and we will recommend a setup. All prices in this article are inc. VAT, and anything not included in a package is quoted separately.