Blog Meetings and Workplace Life

If you are new to the UK or new to job interviews in general, getting through your first one can be a big challenge. There are lots of unwritten rules about what you should say, what you should do and how you should present yourself....

Nobody likes working in an office where everyone is miserable. Even if nobody admits it, low morale can affect performance and increase staff turnover. How can you improve staff morale? In fact, it is remarkably simple, all that most employees need is to feel that they are valued! 43% say it is lack of recognition that affects their morale most of all, so make the effort to connect with them and you can have a happier and more productive workplace where everyone enjoys their work that bit more.

If you are looking for meeting rooms for hire, London has lots of choice but whoever you are meeting you should remember to carry out some basic checks before you commit the event to your online calendar (or diary, remember them ?)

To hold a successful business meeting you’ll have to consider not just the agenda and the delegates but also the arrangement of the furniture in the meeting room. You’ll need to consider what the purpose of the meeting is and arrange everything to ensure the right environment is achieved.

There’s all sorts of reasons why you might be looking at ‘going virtual’ for your organisation – cost, convenience and flexibility are the main ones. No matter what business you are in or however big or small your organisation here are some rules for taking the leap and going virtual...

As a meeting attendee, it is good practice to take notes about the important things that happen in a meeting – whether by pen and paper or laptop.In more formal meetings there is usually someone (typically a secretary or PA)

It's no secret that by keeping office stress low, you can increase productivity at work. Happier staff is more productive and more present, both physically and mentally.

PowerPoint which was once an essential for men in suits carrying their laptops to work for presentations is now facing stiff competition from many other ably matched competitors...

PowerPoint which was once an essential for men in suits carrying their laptops to work for presentations is now facing stiff competition from many other ably matched competitors...

Since its release way back in 1987 (which is the Stone Age as far as computing technology goes !) Microsoft PowerPoint has been a staple of business meetings, training sessions, and conferences – but does it really matter if you use PowerPoint when you visit our conference centre in London?

Almost every manager in any big organisation will at some point or the other realise that their life revolves around meetings....

Planning and organising a successful meeting requires you to plan ahead for every single thing, including a proper ventilation, adequate audio-visual equipment (with power cords), desired lighting, access to parking and an easy access to rest rooms.

Many people see online training courses as a cheaper and more convenient alternative to traditional learning methods. But when it comes to adult training, is e-learning still a preferred option?

The end of year is near with the season of seasons, Christmas just round the corner. From Regent Street to Covent Garden, there’s a spring in everyone's steps.

People love to gossip, especially at work where it can be about anything, from colleagues to superiors and the company policy itself. However, gossip in the workplace can be damaging. What can you do about it?

Yes, we all love well groomed stallions and brushed up poodles. But, when it comes to impressing your boss, things don't need to come down to this. Here we will discuss some sure-shot ways to impress your boss, professionally.

Office managers are the lifeline of any workplace. They facilitate a healthy working environment in the office and a good working relationship with the clients and suppliers. 

Have you ever been in a meeting or conference with a distressed orator on stage? It can be anyone – a new intern or a senior member of the staff. Within moments of their opening, they say something that loses the interest of the room.

Whether you want to accept it or not, fear of speaking in a meeting is shared by most people. According to Mark Twain, there are only two kinds of speakers – those who are nervous or those who lie about it.

It seems there are a lot of bad bosses in Britain - and they might be getting worse. A 2013 study by content specialist Video Arts has asked employees whom they'd least like to work for.

Organising a meeting is not only about scheduling time and resources, but also bringing together a mix of personalities in a single room. A few of them may seem shy or not interested, whereas others may seem over-zealous.

Twenty years ago, if someone had mentioned working from home to their bosses, they would probably have received an earful about their job prospects with ‘at attitude like that.

Are you feeling stressed out over something that did or did not happen? Still thinking where to start? These simple tips are recommended by experts to reduce stress...

With “best value” being very much the buzzword of the moment both in the private and public sectors, no matter what type or size of organisation you represent you’ll be keen to your cheap meeting rooms really are value rather than a waste of money.

Creativity is in high demand these days. It doesn't necessarily mean being good at creating graphics or using photoshop to create a flyer, but as a whole it includes working around a problem and expressing oneself to create something better.

Recently there has been a lot of chatter about data protection in the workplace, for example the recent incident where a US based employee had outsourced his work to a third party in China...

To be a brilliant project manager is not only about your skills in managing your own work, but also about maintaining a good understanding with other team members that are involved in your project.

Presentations are a part of any business whether they are for meetings or conferences. You have to master the art of presenting yourself to your clients in hopes of getting a new business. A weak presentation on the other hand can turn a favourable business opportunity into a disaster

Smartphones - It seems that you can’t live with them and can’t live without them either. As contradictory as that statement is, not to mention a cliché being used for things since time immemorial, it still is very true.

When you're in business it often feels as if there aren't enough hours in the day. Getting better at streamlining your meetings can save you time, keep your business associates happy and lead to better results all round. These five time management tips will help you make a start.

When you are holding or attending a meeting it is important to be aware of the general etiquette which surrounds these events. Its quite tricky to get right and getting etiquette wrong can leave people with the wrong impression.

A corporate meeting planner is as fancy a job as the name suggests. Not much different in what they do from an Event Manager or a Wedding Planner, they are experts in the specific requirements of business meetings.

Communication lies at the core of any business or work: you need to communicate effectively not only with your clients and customers, but also with your colleagues.

Offices of the present day are a long way removed from their counterparts portrayed in TV series like Mad Men.

Organising a seminar may take up most of your time, but publicising it is equally important. You wouldn't want to waste time and money on some empty seats now, will you? Here are a few tips to push your seminar through to the right audience...

How do you reach out to your potential target market with the set of services you have to offer? Here is one simple answer: organise a seminar. You can get started off by organising a small seminar with a select group of people and then depending on its success organise more, with an open guest list. 

When organising a meeting, you will need to accommodate different personality types. Some may be shy or not interested, others maybe over-zealous. However, it's the responsibility of the Chair to look after all the different personalities present and conduct the business as necessary.

In the last article we have talked about running a meeting effectively. So now we are going to look at the other side of it: Participation. How can you be a good participant and make an effective contribution to any meeting? Let’s find out.

In the past couple of articles we have talked about planning meetings, organising meetings, etc. However, conducting meetings effectively is equally important, perhaps more so. A common feeling about meetings is that they are often a waste of time and resources.

Organizing a meeting requires a lot of meticulous planning and phone calls on your part. Apart from already mentioned steps that you need to take...

Asking for a pay raise can be a tricky experience, especially when you have never done it before.
It is one of those awkward times when your future depends on it, literally. There are many things running in your mind and you are not sure till the last minute if you are doing the right thing.

Organising and running an effective meeting is a delicate task. You will be investing a lot of time into the event and  taking responsibility for the attendees’ time too.

We have all been through the torrid times of school when in some way or other we were directly involved or felt the consequences of bullying. However, once we grow out of that phase and after we have wrestled our way through college degrees...

Stress and stress related breakdowns are quite a common occurrence, especially the way we lead our lives today.

“If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause” as Wendell Phillips, the famous American lawyer and orator put it. It’s true that anyone can be a speaker, someone who would read from a piece of paper that someone else might have or might not have written to be read.

Sometimes, working life can be nervous and exhausting place to be. Bad relationships in the workplace can lead to a real decrease in productivity for a company.

Earlier I was reading a Huffington Post article that talked about a study by Randstad US showing that women believe flexibility and adaptability are the two skills they need to succeed in the workplace.

A project manager is a person who looks after the needs of the client he is representing and ensures that their expectations are fulfilled. They also ensure that the project cycle is completed in the allocated time, to the required quality and using the optimal resources.

Some may think that hiring a PA is a luxury, however, a good PA can help you save precious time and money. You should hire a PA if you think you can’t keep on top of your obligations and you need someone to manage them for you.

Someone once said that a good PA is just a good baby sitter. True or otherwise, the statement does tell you a lot about the job- it’s well paid, requires experience and training, can be messy at times, but will be a bundle of joy if you know how to handle it well.

Face to face meetings are often the most productive and quickest way to carry out and conclude successful business negotiations. There is nothing to beat the traditional meeting to build mutual confidence, ensure that your customer of supplier understands your needs.

Whenever you hire conference facilities, in central London or elsewhere, once the meeting is underway you’ll need to make sure things continue to run smoothly. So our meeting room hire team have put together this handy list of tips to keep an eye on during your meeting to make sure everything goes well.

The internet seems to have plenty to say about what an interviewer should ask a candidate during a job interview. At the Space Centre, we think it might be useful to pay some attention to what the interviewee should ask the panel.

We’ve all been to meetings where it has been hard to avoid nodding off in the middle as somebody drones on about something which you are really supposed to be concentrating on. Of course you don’t want to be that person boring the whole meeting room to sleep !

If possible, before the meeting obtain the agenda and minutes from previous meetings. It is essential you ensure you also have the agenda for the meeting you are taking the minutes for.

With the rise in short term contracts and freelance working holding interviews is becoming more of an essential job skill for many managers and supervisors and no longer confined just to the HR or Personnel Department, so getting it right is vital.

Never underestimate the importance of the right meeting room venue for your interview, Your venue is a reflection of you and your organization. It is often a good idea to visit the venue before confirming to make sure it meets all your requirements.

Nul besoin de s'appeler Alain Afflelou ou de renier la nationalité française pour venir faire des affaires à Londres! Cette capitale économique vibrante saura vous séduire par son dépaysement et son énergie, à seulement 2h20 du centre de Paris ou 3h de Bruxelles.

Throughout your career, whenever you are asked to organise space for a presentation, seminar, lecture or gathering, you shouldn’t wait till the last minute to set up the meeting room. Why? Because...