Workshop Room & Venue Specifications

What are our requirements..?

It’s important to realise just how essential getting the room right is to the effectiveness of a workshop. The wrong environment can have a major impact on creativity affecting people’s energy levels and ability to think innovatively.

So we look for workshop environments that are well lit and comfortable for a few days work.

That have perfectly flat uninterrupted walls to enable us to apply the electrostatic paper that creates a seamless canvas for the whole team to work with.

This typically involves a minimum of 40ft of flat, painted, very smooth and obstruction free wall for a full workshop (scenario or journey assignment – Discovery or a Development session). The material we use is a very thin

clingy electrostatic plastic paper, which is why the walls must be flat and smooth.

Glass works so long as it’s an inner wall, the natural light behind an outer wall will cause adhesion and visibility problems. ‘Flock’ wallpaper, hessian wall coverings or any textured surface do not work and mean we will have to build our own walls using prelaminated chip or foamboard. Ideally the walls will be interrupted by neither windows or doors, nor any other obstruction such as notice boards and pictures.

Walls with mounted screens, lights, fire alarm fittings and air conditioning controls are also not good! These can be worked around but not if they sit right in the middle of the walls.

Building support walls...

In an environment with difficult or impossible walls, we are able to build a quickly mounted multiple panelled wall out of pre-laminated chip or foamboard. This is freely available, we typically use 8ft x 4ft panels (2.44m x 1.22m).

These panels can be stood vertically next to each other to make up the 40ft long flat surface we need. It is important that the panels be butted very closely together to give us a perfectly flat surface ready to accept our electrostatic paper.

Electrostatic paper is kind to walls..!

We always arrive with rolls and rolls of our own electrostatic paper and aim to cover every suitable flat surface with it to give us plenty of white space on which to think and develop the scenarios, journeys or frameworks. And while the response in some venues is “AAAArgh, you cannot stick anything on our walls...� people soon relax when they understand that static electricity cannot do their walls any harm. They then get excited and want to buy a load of it for themselves!

Natural ambiance...

Being a visual process good light – and space – is very important. Workshops work best in a naturally lit environment where there’s plenty of room to move around freely.

Daylight is a real bonus. It’s hard on the eyes to work all day in artificial light and difficult for people to focus. If we know that light is going to be an issue, we try to get extra lighting equipment organised.

We arrange the room in a horseshoe/arc shape as far as possible facing the longest expanse of white wall. We don’t need (or want!) tables other than one computer station.

Wherever possible we avoid using electricity points in the ‘visualisation’ wall so as not to cause a hazard for attendees. We therefore need access to other sockets for the computer station. In any event, we come armed with gaffer tape!

Access and security...

We like to arrive the evening before the event and to get into the room(s) then in order to prepare the stimulus component(s) and generally get ready. If for any reason that isn’t possible, we need access at least 2 hours before the session starts in order to sort any unforeseen issues and prepare walls and seating arrangements ahead of time.

We also need a point of contact, names and telephone numbers in case we need to ship session materials prior to arriving and to ensure they are stored safely and that someone can find them easily when we arrive to set up.

Security clearance also needs to be arranged in advance – including letting us know if we need to bring or have provided any forms of ID etc.

We always ask for the telephone number for the person to contact should anything go awry and to be briefed on what process we may need to go through to gain access to the building and to the room itself.

If the sessions are longer than a single day, and they usually are, we would much prefer to be in the same room throughout as moving midsession is both time-consuming and potentially disruptive to good thinking.

The room needs overnight security as we will leave materials in it. It’s important too that the cleaning contractor knows not to helpfully clean the walls!

Good environments...

Working sessions are critically important for thinking. Conversations around the important topics inform the frameworks and develop the business outcomes we need. The environment within which we work is therefore of great importance. The rooms have to accept the electrostatic paper. They should have plenty of free space for people to be able to move around.

Less suitable environments...

The room chosen for the event will have a major impact on creativity and innovative thinking. Some rooms spark strong energy and positive feelings. Dark and restrictive spaces though tend to have a damaging effect on people’s ability to think and be energetic.

Another problem with the wrong room is that it severely limits that freedom of being able to break out of the framework and work in a more abstract way or temporarily on a different idea.

Room logistics checklist...

Wall preparation can take longer if walls are not flat and if they don’t accept electrostatic paper Large flat expanses of wall create a theatre that engages participants and enhances the impact of Structured Visual ThinkingTM We take a day ahead of everything to ensure logistics for the room – and a further day or so ahead of the client team to develop the framework We then take a day or two with the client present to fulfil the remainder of the creation and development of the strategic outcomes

Group Partners 32 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1HD

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