As businesses continue executing their return-to-work plans, they must answer numerous questions about what the in-person office should be and look like in 2021 and beyond. One feature that’s quickly gaining traction is the immersive workspace. Is your office ready for one?
What Is an Immersive Workspace?
An immersive workspace blends traditional office and corporate settings with cutting-edge technology that creates unique visual and collaborative experiences. It goes beyond static visual displays or standard conference room technology, offering users something truly immersive – something they can only get in the workplace.
Functionally, an immersive workspace often takes the shape of one or more video walls, equipped with immersive high-quality audio equipment as well, of course. Employees in the workspace can throw data, visuals, and multiple video streams onto the workspace, interacting with all of them in real time.
Immersive workspaces can pull in “flat” content easily, but they can also support VR and 360-degree content where applicable. They also typically support graphics-heavy industry software (like CAD software and 3D modeling/design packages) in addition to more conventional office and collaborative tools.
Immersive workspaces can loop in multiple offsite personnel as well. And while those offsite team members won’t experience the visual richness of the immersive workspace themselves, your team in the workspace will have a much more natural time engaging with the offsite personnel. In other words, it’s light years beyond a grid of video participants on a laptop screen.
An Immersive Workspace Makes Your Office More Interactive and Experiential
After a year or more of remote work, people are yearning to interact face to face (safely, of course). But returning to a dated office that’s lacking in modern digital tools isn’t exactly the most inspiring way to do so.
An immersive workspace is a strategic way to freshen up your office’s portfolio of digital tools, making your physical facilities more interactive and experiential. As your employees resume socializing, brainstorming, and collaborating in person, they will enjoy a visually rich venue in which to do so.
Create a Space People Want to Be In
Most offices have begun implementing their return-to-work plans by now, but a key question among many workers is why they should come back at all. They have been getting their work done from home for over a year, and if it’s going well, why change?
Now, there are certainly many workers who are eager to return to the office. And not every business (nor every role in every business) works equally well as a remote position. But for those who performed their responsibilities well from home and who would perhaps rather stay there, “why should we come back?” is a fair question.
Of course, businesses are well within their rights to require employees to work on site, and they don’t have to give justification for doing so. That said, a little justification can go a long way.
Installing an immersive workspace in your facilities can be a part of this answer. It can give employees a reason to return, a tangible benefit to being there in person.
It’s among a host of technology and experiential solutions that can make your offices be a place where people want to be. Give them compelling reasons to show up, and they will likely do so much more willingly.
Hybrid Return Plan? Create an In-Person Advantage
Perhaps your business isn’t yet requiring everyone to return or is allowing employees to set their own hybrid work plan. You know you’d gain more efficiency from your teams if you could convince more to return willingly (or to come in more frequently if on a partial/hybrid plan).
If you can’t use a stick (requiring in-person attendance), maybe a carrot will do.
An immersive workspace is a powerful place for getting business done. Access to one could give in-person staff a strategic and productivity advantage over others who aren’t on site – which could drive more staff to return (or come in more often).
Bluewater Is Your Partner for AV Integrations
Bluewater is a leader in office and retail AV integrations, and our expert team is uniquely prepared to assist businesses like yours with planning and executing an immersive workspace. Our years of experience in live events and experiential are the perfect complement to modern office AV integration efforts, including immersive workspaces.
If you’re ready to learn more about how an immersive workspace (or any other office AV integration) can add value to your offices, we’re here for you. Reach out today for a free consultation!
