When Everyone Comes In: Planning Meeting Spaces for Peak Office Days
Australian workplaces face a familiar challenge: meeting rooms can be difficult to book on a Tuesday or Wednesday while other parts of the office remain relatively quiet for much of the week.
As hybrid working patterns become more established, organisations are reviewing how their existing offices accommodate busy days, team collaboration and meetings involving remote participants.
According to CBRE's 2025 Australian Office Occupier Survey, average office utilisation was 52% across the week, increasing to 67% on peak days. The research also found that 65% of surveyed occupiers were focusing on improving the employee experience.
These findings have practical implications for workplace planning. Organisations need to consider when spaces are being used, how many people are attending meetings and whether the available rooms are suited to those activities.
Understanding demand on busy office days
The number of meeting rooms in a workplace does not always reflect the availability of suitable spaces.
An office may have several large boardrooms but limited smaller rooms for private calls or project meetings. Flexible collaboration areas may be available, although they may lack the technology required to include remote colleagues. Training rooms might accommodate large groups but offer limited flexibility for smaller workshops.
These issues can become more noticeable when attendance is concentrated across particular days.
CBRE's survey specifically identified the availability of smaller meeting rooms on peak days as a concern for Australian occupiers.
For organisations considering a workplace refurbishment, a review of meeting space demand can help determine whether existing rooms are meeting business requirements.
Looking at how rooms are used
Room booking information provides a useful starting point, particularly when compared with actual utilisation and employee feedback.
A review may consider which room sizes are most frequently booked, where demand is concentrated, how often bookings go unused and whether employees can find suitable spaces for particular activities.
Room occupancy alone provides a limited view of the experience. A space may be regularly booked because it is the only room with reliable video conferencing, or because employees prefer its layout and equipment.
Understanding these preferences can help workplace teams identify opportunities to improve existing rooms before committing to additional space.
It can also inform future room standards, including the mix of small meeting rooms, project spaces, boardrooms and flexible collaboration areas required across an office portfolio.
Supporting collaboration across locations
Even on busy office days, meetings frequently include participants joining from other offices, client sites or home.
This places additional importance on speech clarity, camera framing, content sharing and the layout of collaboration spaces.
A workshop room may require technology that captures discussion across several tables. A smaller meeting room may need a straightforward way for employees and guests to join video calls. A project space may benefit from interactive displays or flexible presentation options.
Decisions about furniture, lighting, acoustics and technology should be considered together, particularly where rooms need to accommodate different activities throughout the day.
The aim is to provide appropriate spaces for the work taking place, with a familiar experience for employees moving between different rooms.
Planning improvements across the workplace
Workplace technology planning is often most useful when it begins before room layouts and equipment selections have been finalised.
An early review gives property, workplace, IT and facilities teams an opportunity to agree on space requirements, collaboration platforms, technology standards and operational considerations.
This becomes particularly valuable when organisations are relocating, refurbishing existing offices or planning improvements across multiple locations.
In the Grant Thornton Australia Sydney workplace project, Pro AV Solutions delivered audiovisual design, integration and commissioning across more than 40 spaces, including meeting rooms, boardrooms and flexible training environments. The project adopted a consistent approach to video conferencing and room interaction across different space types.
Projects of this nature illustrate the value of connecting room requirements with the wider workplace design.
Reviewing your workplace requirements
Pro AV Solutions works with organisations across Australia to plan, design, deliver and support meeting rooms and collaboration environments.
For workplace teams reviewing room utilisation or preparing an office upgrade, our Customer Solutions team can help assess existing spaces, discuss requirements and review technology options suited to different room types.
An initial planning workshop can provide a useful starting point for organisations considering changes to their workplace technology standards or meeting room portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
Why does peak office attendance matter for meeting room planning?
Peak attendance can concentrate demand for meeting rooms and collaboration spaces on particular days. Reviewing this demand can help organisations select appropriate room sizes, layouts and technology.
How can organisations improve meeting room utilisation?
Booking information, actual room usage and employee feedback can help identify spaces that may need changes to layout, equipment, availability or room type.
What should be considered when upgrading collaboration spaces?
Organisations should review intended activities, room capacity, furniture, acoustics, lighting, hybrid meeting requirements, content sharing and ongoing support.
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