NORMAL, ILLINOIS  – Anyone who regularly attends meetings will tell you that if something can go wrong, it will – whether it’s stubborn projectors or distracting smartphones. But a new survey, from meeting room technology provider RoomReady, shows how these challenges affect the meeting leader’s ability to get work done.

According to the State of the Meeting Room 2020 survey, 46% of meeting leaders said at least half of the meetings they attend each week are productive. Only 11% said at least three out of every four meetings are productive. And when asked what’s holding the meeting back, meeting leaders see a mix of technology and environmental challenges:

• Environment: 33% said the meeting room is physically counterproductive – for example, it’s too cold or too warm, or the lighting isn’t right
• Connectivity: 31% said meeting room wi-fi is spotty
• Collaboration: 31% said they can’t get their device to share on-screen

Meeting leaders cited several other technology-related challenges – video conferencing software that freezes, too many cords with no defined purpose, or confusing conference room scheduling software – as common thorns in their sides. These challenges can significantly eat into the already tight meeting window; one in four meeting leaders say they lose at least 11 minutes to technology challenges once a problem occurs, while one in three lose between 6-10 minutes.

The good news: it looks as if Industry 4.0 technology will soon help automate and alleviate scheduling and conferencing woes, and meeting leaders are interested in leveraging these solutions.

• 56% are interested in implementing artificial intelligence
• 56% are interested in implementing machine learning
• 57% are interested in implementing natural language processing

“The challenges uncovered in our State of the Meeting Room survey may sound familiar to anyone who has stepped foot in a meeting room. Hosting a productive meeting is already hard, and technology adds an additional layer of stress that’s completely avoidable,” said Aaron McArdle, President and CEO at RoomReady. “The next opportunity is using technology to give teams back wasted time and increase productivity.  AI and machine learning have helped us order toothpaste more efficiently. Why can’t they help in meetings?”

For more results from The State of the Meeting Room 2020 – including the one problem meeting leaders would wish away, if given the chance – check out our infographic.

About the RoomReady State of the Meeting Room survey

RoomReady surveyed meeting leaders – those responsible for planning and leading, on average, at least three meetings a week – in October 2019. Respondents to the survey included a total of 204 meeting leaders.

About RoomReady

At RoomReady, our goal is to help you check meeting tech complexity at the door. Our innovations allow you to launch a meeting and connect colleagues across the room or around the world with a single touch. And our rapid-install teams ensure you get all of this in days, not weeks. The end result? Greater productivity, reduced costs, and a consistent user experience. If your rooms cause more frustration than collaboration, go with the team that’s committed to continually improving the meeting experience – one room at a time. RoomReady: We innovate. You collaborate. For more information, visit https://roomready.com/.