How can a hybrid work model realise its potential?
Barco explains how to maximise the benefits of a hybrid work approach.
Barco NV is a Belgian technology company that specialises in digital projection and imaging technology, focusing on three core markets: entertainment, enterprise, and healthcare. It employs 3600 employees located in 90 countries.
The pandemic has irrevocably changed office culture, rapidly accelerating the trend for remote working, so that it is now core to the mainstream employee experience. While remote working is definitely here to stay, the general consensus from employees themselves is that a return to some regular office-based interaction is important. In fact, Barco hybrid meeting research shows that eight out of ten office workers are in favour of a hybrid work model, with most, on average, willing to work from home just one and a half days per week.
Understanding this, most businesses have already started to implement various kinds of long-term hybrid systems, which can offer a mix of office-based and remote working.
Hybrid working: the challenges
However, as with the implementation of any new system of working, there are challenges to overcome. If hybrid business models are to be productive and successful – if their potential is ever to be truly realised, then issues around meeting room technology must first be acknowledged and resolved.
CIOs and IT decision makers must, in the first instance, work out how to ensure widespread user adoption of meeting room technologies. Despite the general enthusiasm for hybrid collaboration, most white-collar workers have little-to-no inclination to give up their new-found laptop-centric approach to meetings, with 71% preferring to host hybrid meetings from their own laptops.
Since they started working from home, employees have been able to avoid complicated meeting room set-ups and easily host and join meetings from their laptops, using their preferred video conferencing platforms. More to the point, according to the latest Barco research, they now see no reason to do things differently, with a remarkable 70% of the 800 white-collar workers surveyed from across the globe, insisting that they would rather use their own laptops than in-room systems. Disillusioned with current office technology infrastructures, 65% admit that they struggle with different meeting room set-ups, and a further 48% with connecting to AV peripherals, such as displays, cameras, speakers and microphones. Alarmingly, these challenges have caused a stunning 71% of workers to experience stress during hybrid meetings.
Bring your own meeting (BYOM) solution
The widespread adoption of hybrid meetings, it would seem, will ultimately hinge on the roll-out of a more inclusive and intuitive meeting technology solution. An overwhelming 81% of white-collar workers across every age group agree that easy-to-use technology facilitates better meetings.
According to further research, most would also agree that the very process of ideation and innovation depends on making real connections during a meeting, with over one third (42%) believing in the necessity of having personal conversations to generate ideas.
For a successful digital workplace strategy, businesses will therefore need to support hybrid meetings that are as seamless and intuitive as face-to-face collaborations. One way to achieve this is by offering, for in-person as well as virtual environments, what the Barco ClickShare team refer to as a “Bring your own meeting” (BYOM) experience. With BYOM, users can host and join video meetings and share content using their own preferred conferencing platform in any existing meeting room or space from their own device.
High-quality audio-visual experience
Wireless presentation and conferencing systems, such as ClickShare harness the power of BYOM, enabling employees in the office to join meetings from their laptops with just one click. Instantly connecting employees to the meeting room display and its AV peripherals, such solutions boost productivity and collaboration, allowing for a more deeply immersive, high-quality audio-visual experience.
Thanks to their universal compatibility with most in-room systems, peripherals, and UC&C platforms, agnostic collaboration tools, such as ClickShare are also easy to integrate into most existing meeting room set-ups, offering a much more inclusive and familiar meeting experience for users.
Safe and future-proof hybrid collaboration
Of course, the successful transition to a hybrid style of collaboration is going to depend on the implementation of future-proof and secure technology. Enterprise-ready solutions, such as ClickShare are IS0 27001 certified, safeguarding against future cyber threats, and enabling data to be shared safely. As well as ensuring privacy and confidentiality online, such tools are now able to offer on-going support, providing warranties of up to five years in addition to a continuously enhanced user experience, with an ever-increasing range of features and functionality.
The future of hybrid working is already starting to take shape, but to reap the benefits of all the advantages that it brings, workspaces will have to be reimagined with intuitive, flexible and familiar meeting room technologies that employees are able – and willing – to use.
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Majid Al Futtaim opens its first hybrid cinema and family entertainment centre in the UAE
Majid Al Futtaim has opened its first hybrid cinema and family entertainment centre (FEC) in the UAE at Wafi City. The state-of-the-art entertainment hub spans two floors and comprises VOX Cinemas, the Middle East’s most innovative and fastest-growing exhibitor, integrated with Magic Planet, the regionally award-winning family entertainment centre.
VOX Cinemas Wafi City offers movie-goers an exceptional cinematic experience and boasts the first Samsung Onyx screen in the UAE. Backed by brilliant LED picture quality and an infinite contrast ratio, Samsung Onyx delivers a powerful, captivating and memorable experience through HDR (High Dynamic Range) graphics and clear sounds. The 15-screen multiplex also features cutting-edge audio-visual technology and a variety of VOX Cinemas’ signature concepts including KIDS, a colourful and dedicated auditorium for young movie lovers, MAX, an auditorium with a mega screen and Dolby Atmos surround sound technology as well as a reimagined VIP experience with luxury seating and in-seat dining.
The all-encompassing entertainment destination also features an array of F&B outlets to complement the experience including new concepts Candy Corner, where guests can indulge in a wide variety of sweet treats, and The Spotlight at Wafi City, which serves gourmet cuisine directly to guests’ seats. The décor in the thoughtfully appointed new culinary offering is imaginative and intriguing and truly immerses discerning film fans in a unique atmosphere that redefines luxury and the cinematic experience.
Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas and Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment said: “We’re proud to collaborate with Wafi Group, which shares our vision for creating remarkable destinations and passion for excellence, to open our first hybrid cinema and family entertainment centre in the United Arab Emirates. Today’s customers are looking for more engaging and immersive ways to spend time with family and friends and, at Majid Al Futtaim, we are committed to staying ahead of the curve and finding innovative new ways to exceed evolving expectations. VOX Cinemas and Magic Planet at Wafi City have been designed as a holistic concept seamlessly integrating two recreational functions into one enriched experience and we’re very excited to welcome new guests and create great moments together.”
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mana bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Deputy Chairman of Wafi Group added: “Majid Al Futtaim is synonymous with customer-focused and innovative experiences and, we are excited to partner with them to launch this world-class entertainment destination, which offers an exciting selection of immersive attractions for the whole family to enjoy. VOX Cinemas Wafi City takes the cinematic experience to the next level with a unique offering that goes beyond customers’ expectations and features the ultimate VIP experience.
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Ideal Standard has announces Together World Tour and a series of hybrid events
Ideal Standard has announced a unique series of hybrid events, the Together World Tour, blending an innovative digital format with the attractions of a physical event location.
What do Milan, Berlin, London, Paris, Dubai, and Shanghai have in common? Those cities are iconic capitals of the world and also the bases for Ideal Standard’s innovative hybrid event designed for the international Architecture & Design community. The Together World Tour will address this global audience through an innovative fusion of digital content and physical interactions across these key locations.
The event will unveil exclusive world-premiere product launches, dwell deeply into the design culture of each of these world capitals and offer a series of “unforgettable moments”. It aims at combining the best of the two worlds, digital and personal. Its ambition is to inspire and entertain.
Hearst Global Design have been chosen as strategic partner for the launch, with the exclusive involvement of Elle Decoration – the largest and most influential design title in the world; present in 28 countries, with 25 editions. The media partnership distinguishes itself through an integrated approach across all media channels and presents significant promotional opportunities thanks to its global reach. By supporting the campaign with a schedule of content across both print and web editions, social media networks and magazines, Hearst’s input will stimulate far-reaching awareness and engagement.
“The Together World Tour begins in Milan, the capital of design and home of the Global Design Centre of Ideal Standard. This city for so long has been the source of our inspiration. The event will be an energetic story bringing to life the fashion and lifestyle inherent to Milan” says Ideal Standard’s Chief Design Officer, Roberto Palomba.
Promising to inspire and delight, the tour will give a global audience of architects and designers, the trade and business community and design lovers of all kinds a front row seat to the launch of stunning new collections.
Ahmed Hafez, Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Standard MENA, explains why he believes this approach is the future for the brand and for the industry: “The pandemic has changed the rules for traditional physical events. Rather than simply offer an online showroom, we have invented a new way to connect with our customer base all around the world, digital and personal, a dynamic experience enabling us to explore the values of our brand and resulting in what we believe will be a journey of unforgettable moments of inspiration and delight.”
The first event of the Together World Tour will be held on April 21st, 2021. It begins in Milan and will then continue throughout 2021 and into 2022 visiting 6 global capitals including Dubai. The event day will be packed with a mixture of live and streamed content, simultaneously translated into several languages. The interactive experience encourages participants to engage with the live event, click to discover new collections, or zoom in on a location to unlock exclusive content.
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Anker Innovations introduces the new eufy Robovac G10 Hybrid
Cleaning is made effortless as Anker Innovations introduces the new eufy Robovac G10 Hybrid that takes on dust-busting around your home with multiple cleaning modes, mopping, and auto-clean scheduling.
Faraz Mehdi, regional sales head at Anker Innovations MEA said, “The new intelligent super slim Robovac G10 Hybrid is a quiet, self-charging robotic vacuum cleaner that cleans hard floors and carpets a lot easier and delivers the most powerful clean with the latest sweep and mop technology. It offers twice the efficiency of standard robotic cleaners.”
The intelligent RoboVac G10 Hybrid operates quietly and comes with Smart Dynamic Navigation, cleaning report cards, Wi-Fi, voice control and 2-in-1 sweep and mop for a sparkling clean. The self-charging RoboVac may be ultra-slim, but it’s packed with a 3-point cleaning system consisting of a suction inlet, rolling-brush and side-brush.
This lean cleaning Machine boasts 2000Pa of superior suction power clearing dirt, dust, and crumbs. The Super-Slim 2.85” body effortlessly glides under furniture and into hard to reach areas.
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour announces new format for Focus/20— a hybrid of physical and virtual offerings
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour in London the world’s premier design destination, will present Focus/20 in an exciting new format.
In this most unprecedented of years, the annual autumn design event will be recalibrated to provide a unique platform for 120 showrooms and 600 international brands to present their new collections. A collaboration of ingenuity, creativity and positivity, the pioneering hybrid show will strengthen the Design Centre’s mantra to ‘connect, converse and create’ at a physical event in London, as well as reach out to a wider global audience, remotely.
The safety and well-being of its community and visitors is a priority, and every aspect of Focus/20 will be highly considered. Operating within government guidelines, tailored visits will bring people to the Design Centre, while a virtual programme will share online the same culture of generosity and celebration that permeates all editions of the show.
In the last months, decor has never come under greater scrutiny. People cooped up at home are craving change and professional designers have taken on new work and are completing existing projects. Visitors to Focus/20 will be able to see in person those elements that are vital to their schemes: those first looks of the latest colours, patterns and materials, alongside key details like scale, craftsmanship and artisan finishes. Adding another layer, a curated selection of house guests in the Design Avenue will bring fresh perspectives.
The online programme aims to spark everyone’s imagination and curiosity. An exceptional line-up of live stream webinars and talks will see international designers, experts and thought leaders share their work and specialist knowledge, alongside discussions on what’s shaping the future of design and business-focused sessions about how to take a professional practice to the next level. There will be insider insights into the new collections and inspiring sessions that enhances discovery of the world’s most exciting design brands.
Many industry events may have been rescheduled, but Focus/20 remains a design calendar highlight. As a Design Destination at the London Design Festival, it is proud to be at the heart of the wider momentum across the capital. Post lockdown, there has been a surge of creativity and horizons have been expanded. A hybrid offering, as both a physical and online event, will encapsulate how design can continue to innovate and unite in a positive way.
The event will take place from September 13-18, 2020.