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Toronto Meetings Impression Reception

You can never get a second chance at making a first impression

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Imagine yourself meeting a person for the first time. You are probably going to be impressed by their optimistic, professional, and respectful appearance. Imagine the difference in meeting someone who acknowledges your presence, shakes your hand, and remembers your name. Now imagine yourself meeting someone who fails to make eye contact with you and doesn’t bother to put their phone away when they talk to you. One of those people will earn your respect and a good first impression.

When you enter our office space at Toronto Meetings, you are welcomed by warm energy & calming tones. Implementing colour theory in our office is very important as colours have the profound effect of being able to direct & influence people’s mood. We have chosen natural wood, some beautiful flowers arrangements & green tones to bring the feeling of nature inside. You are greeted by positive & friendly people at reception. You are offered tea, coffee & a glass of water. You are provided with a place to sit where you can catch up on emails using our free WIFI, you can take your mind off your busy day by listening to some uplifting music or by reading some magazines including our very own magazine, The Scoop, which comes out bi-monthly.

When a person enters a warm & inviting space & is made to feel welcomed, positive emotions will follow them out of the office & throughout their day. This in turn will influence their decision to do business with that organization. “It’s the first impression that will either open the door or close it. It’s that important, so don’t mess it up.” – Nicholas Sparks, author.

Reception Areas

The overall aesthetic of your office’s reception space not only triggers the tone for the visit, but should embody the identity of your organization. Ask yourself how the client is going to envision their collaboration with your company when they first walk into the room; how can you build on the success of those first thoughts?

When you’re thinking about a redesign or a renovation to the reception area, consider both the overall energy and visual cues you’re creating, but also the small details that a curious visitor will notice when they begin looking around; both of these elements help to create one succinct, unified space that can create a great first impression.

Every office needs to send an effective message to prospective clients entering the office, and it doesn’t have to be done with massive changes to the space – in fact, sometimes even a subtle change like a tasteful accent wall can make all the difference to a new visitor. Reception spaces should reflect a professional sense of creativity, innovation, and impact – without going over the top. Remember, less is often more when it comes to office design.

Your Office Isn’t Just for You

Think back to the films and TV shows of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s – any office depicted in the media was often a grandiose space lavished in dark woods, a power desk, and a huge chair meant to elevate the grandeur of the CEO or partner. Not anymore.

Your office itself is all about the customer these days. Yes, you need a comfortable, attractive space to work, but your office design needs to place its emphasis on the client entering the space to join you. Client seating should be on the same playing field as yours, and your desk shouldn’t intimidate your client – make furniture selection a big part of your first impression checklist so your prospective client or customer feels as though they’re entering into a space that values their collaboration and opinion.

Offer a small table in between a pair of client chairs so they don’t have to place their purse or suitcase on the floor. Offer them a space to put their jacket, so to inspire a sense of belonging.

Lighting

Use of appropriate lighting is another way to boost the impact of a first office impression. Natural light is associated with elevated client and employee satisfaction, healthier states of mind, and overall happiness – so if your office reception space is a dark and small feeling space, that first impression will carry over to the way your clients will interpret your business.

On the contrary, opening windows and allowing natural light to flood the reception area will give off a certain sense of happiness, creativity, and open-ended ideas.

Colours & Materials

Colour theory is oh-so important in first impressions – particularly in an office setting. We’re huge advocates of implementing colour theory in all aspects of the office because colours have the profound effect of being able to direct and influence people’s moods. For example:

  • Green is the colour of balance; it can help the occupants of a conference room or a personnel management office to weigh the intricate advantages and disadvantages of an idea, or partnership.
  • Blue is an excellent hue for an office space that focuses on numbers – like an accountant, or investment house – because it slows the heart rate and reduces blood pressure.
  • Purple is known as the intellectuals colour, and could be of great use for the reception area of your office to help your prospective clients to feel as though they’ve entered into a space of great knowledge and experience.

Your use of material can also influence the first impression of someone in your office. If your brand is, for example, geared towards a millennial crowd and sells coffee shop equipment, using a contemporary blend of natural materials like recycled wood and stainless steel help to give your company a sense of identity and focus. By contrast, the HQ of a coffee-based business featuring carpeted floors wouldn’t have the same level of effect on a client.

So if you’re in the area, and want to come in and see the Toronto Meetings’ rooms and Office Space, feel free to come on by. We hope to see you soon!

Business Meetings

The Necessity of Business Meetings

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Business meetings are one of the most important aspects of a business that is stable enough to say all of its employees are on the same page. Business meetings are a key factor in bringing the employees of a company up to date. This is to avoid any chance of miscommunication interfering with the process of the business in the future. Business meetings are also a good way to introduce employees to one another as well as their bosses. It is advantageous for employees to have relationships amongst each other so to strengthen the overall work ethic for the business.

Miscommunication

One thing that could prove detrimental to workplace operation is miscommunication. Everyone has been there at some point where they text someone on their phone and they get a response that sounds cold or emotionless. This could lead to a gap in communication and could lead to your coworker thinking you are upset with them or moody or something similar. The opposite is all the worse however. Imagine your boss seeing you text with all of these weird emoji’s. They may take it as a sign that you are unprofessional. It could take something as insignificant as this for your boss to be skeptical of your work ethic. This will most likely result in an uncomfortable relationship.

A Chance to Grow as a Company

Business meetings are an opportunity for those lower in the corporate chain to speak up about their ideas. Typically, the owner of a company has no interest in what Fred from Sarnia has to say; especially if it is a larger business with hundreds or even thousands of employees. The opportunity never presents itself, but a business meeting is the chance for Fred. Fred’s idea might benefit the business, but if the owner does not humour him, then there is no chance of the idea coming to fruition.

Throughout the meeting, there should be an opportunity given for those who have ideas to share. Perhaps one hour for anyone to present possible solutions to problems, potential partnerships, advertisement possibilities, etc. This is beneficial to the business as it is using its resources to the fullest; its employees. Fred could potentially have come up with the greatest idea in the past century. Fred just needed an outlet to share his idea. This business meeting held by his company was exactly what he needed to

Give Employees an Opportunity to Chat with Each Other

Employees do not want to feel like work is isolating them from the outside world. This will only make them feel anxious on a daily basis. Employees want to know that they are working alongside other people who can display some kind of emotion. If you feel as though you are working with robots, you will not feel particularly comfortable.

Business meetings provide an opportunity to show your true happy self to your fellow employees; rather than your half-awake grumpy mood. A gathering is a good excuse to get to know each other during the breaks in the meeting for example. Work will be a lot easier for employees if they know that they have friends or at least acquaintances to speak with daily. There isn’t much that is less motivating than sitting at a desk for 9 hours trying to avoid everyone because you are uneasy around unfamiliar people.

So now that you know the necessity of meetings, make sure to take a look at our available rooms and choose the one that suits you and your company the most. Book today!

March April Scoop Cover Compressed

The March & April Scoop is Out!

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The Winter Scoop is Out!

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Staff Meeting

Better Staff Meetings – 4 quick tips

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Many times a staff meeting is scheduled and carried out that “could just have been an email.” People are busy and the last thing they need is to be taken away from that work. (Ironically enough, many times staff meetings are held specifically to address concerns with productivity.)

Still, there is a need for face-to-face staff meetings. While email is great, the written word can’t convey tones or emotions.

Since you absolutely need to have the occasional staff meeting, we’ve decided to give you 4 quick tips so those meetings will go smoothly. Tips that even HR experts agree with. 

Staff Meeting Tip #1  – Agenda

It is of utmost importance to set an Agenda for the meeting. That way, the attendees will be able to come prepared for the meeting by bringing any documentation and reports, as well as knowing if they should come prepared with their laptops and equipment, or just a notebook.

Staff Meeting Tip #2 – Who should Attend

Don’t automatically assume that a staff meeting should include all of your staff (unless your firm is small enough). Not everyone has to be at every meeting, and it’s vitally important that when someone is requested to be at a meeting that they have a part to play, and are getting value from it as well.

Staff Meeting Tip #3 – Start on Time and End on Time

Sometimes people run late. It happens. If you make a big deal out of it, you’ll only slow down the meeting further. If it’s a recurring issue, then maybe the meeting time is the problem. Regardless of the time you start, it is crucial that you end your meeting on time. This gives everyone a chance to return missed emails and calls, at the time they said they would. Also, if the meeting is in the afternoon, it helps to not let the clock run out, so work doesn’t have to get pushed for tomorrow.

Staff Meeting Tip #4 – Feedback

It is critically important that you get feedback from your attendees. Afterall, they may feel the meeting truly was a waste of their time, or that nothing got discussed or done. Maybe the timing is bad, or they are too frequent, or not frequent enough. This doesn’t have to reflect badly on you as the person who ran the meeting. The reason why you have a team is because work is accomplished collaboratively, and other opinions are necessary as well.

 

If you’re ready to book your next meeting, whether a staff meeting, client meeting, or corporate meeting, why don’t you consider booking with Toronto Meetings. Beautifully designed rooms, set up exactly the way you want them, for as many attendees as you’d like.

Getting Back On Track One Meeting At A Time

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Getting Back on Track One Meeting at a Time

 

It’s time to get back on track, one meeting at a time.

With COVID-19 becoming seemingly more manageable with every precaution put in place, businesses worldwide are beginning to consider the next steps to get their 2020 back on track.

The main component of taking that next step is proper planning.

So, what is the best way to plan? Getting together!

While most of the world are waking up from their Zoom hangovers, alternatives to digital communication are now strongly being considered.

But why reinvent the wheel?

Instead of trying to come up with a creative way to get everybody on the same page, businesses should consider what they know best; hold a meeting.

Like many aspects of our lives, what we once knew as normal is now nearly opposite.

The same can be said for traditional meetings where planning, training, discussion, and social interaction could prove to be exactly what businesses worldwide need to recreate the company wide synergy that seemingly fell off a cliff in mid-March.

Yes – meetings have garnered a bad reputation over years past as being time-wasting gatherings, but in the post-pandemic 2020 they may be the most effective way of getting things done.

This 2020 article from Robin, titled The Meeting Room Isn’t Dead outlines tips for businesses who are considering moving forward with post-pandemic meetings.

But, what do you do if you were put in a position to downsize your physical footprint as a result of the crippling pandemic?

Where planning a meeting in your in-house boardroom was as easy as sending an email, more thought must be put in place to ensure that companies are in a setting that will help them make the best of their time.

Toronto Meetings can provide that setting. Our meeting rooms are exactly what you need to kickstart your company into a bounce back third quarter.

With direct access to Union Station via the PATH network, our location makes it easy for you and your guests to arrive at your meeting room without ever stepping outdoors.

Industry leading technology and our wide variety of meeting and training rooms, makes Toronto Meetings the ideal choice for any off-site meeting requirements.

Our extensive Catering Menu, which includes both hot and cold meals, will all be singularly packaged and individually labelled to reduce the spread of germs and mitigate the risk of contamination all while presenting delicious selections for all of your guests.

With COVID-19 protocols such as daily disinfecting, 2-meter distance between attendees, reduced room capacities, optimized HVAC, and readily available disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers, we’ve put ourselves at the forefront for the safe practice of off-site meetings.

For more information about our meeting and training rooms, as well as securing your next space, feel free to call 416-214-1840 or email meetings@rostiegroup.com.

It’s time to get back on track, one meeting at a time and Toronto Meetings looks forward to servicing your meeting room needs.

Have you seen our Reservation Portal?

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Here at the Rostie Group, we’re always looking to improve your experience. To that end, we have been working on something that is a long time coming.

A major updated to our reservation portal has made it better than ever before!

We have focused on eliminating the tiresome negotiation process of booking meeting rooms and streamlining the process to be as smooth as possible for our users.

As you can see below, the Rostie Group’s booking portal lets you see all of our available rooms as you book them.

If you’ve booked with us before, you can easily rebook meetings with a single click! This allows your layout, catering and other requests to remain the same as the last time you booked.

Whether you are using desktop, tablet or your phone we wanted you to have the best experience, so we redesigned the layout to be mobile ready no matter what screen you’re on.


If you are a new user, you’ll see how easy it is to view the catering menu and choose an option suited to your needs. Depending on the room size, you will also be able to view the meeting rooms various custom layouts and choose one that best fits your meeting requirements.

Delicious Catering

We understand that getting used to any new piece of software can be challenging. Not to worry, we will soon have an online tutorial added to our website to guide you through it and show just how easy it is!

Don’t forget- we don’t just offer Meeting Rooms! Check out our diversified Virtual Offices Packages and start your plan today.

What are you waiting for? Click here to go see the new Portal right now!