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We’ve all been invited to meetings, only to question what exactly the meeting is about, what we need to prepare, and how formal we need to dress. If you can relate, knowing a few common types of business meetings might help you prepare for your next session.

Take a look at your email or calendar invite and compare it to the meetings below. Does it fit in with these categories? If so, you’ve nailed the first step in figuring out how to prepare for your meeting and what to expect from others.

Formal meetings

Let’s start with formal meetings. These are the meetings that everyone tends to think of when someone first utters the word. They generally have a clear subject matter to be discussed, are planned well in advance, and require smart dress depending on your place of work.

Formal meetings are often held if your team is meeting with clients or employees from another company. They’re a great way to demonstrate your professionalism and a golden opportunity to communicate ideas face-to-face.

Informal meetings

Informal meetings include last-minute meetings, online video calls between a few members of your department, and scheduled weekly check-ins to discuss a range of topics. There’s less pressure to prepare lots of material for these sessions and they’re often shorter than formal meetings, finishing when all burning questions have been discussed.

Whether you use a space in your office, a rented workspace, or pop to a local coffee shop, in the world of business informal meetings can be a daily occurrence.

Brainstorming sessions

Brainstorming sessions might be seen as even more casual than informal meetings. They’re usually held by employees within the same team that know each other pretty well!

Still, unlike informal meetings, they have a clear goal — to gather ideas for a new project. This means you might want to wear your thinking cap for a few days before your session, just so you have a few original thoughts to bring to the table!

Team-building meetings

Team-building meetings focus on employees getting to know each other, rather than something substantial to do with work. You can expect team-building meetings to be fun events full of games, refreshments, and chit-chat. You probably won’t need to prepare anything for these — though a fun fact about yourself might prove useful!

Innovation meetings

If your company is making some internal changes, looking for ways to improve their products, or is ready to push their offering forward, then they might call for an innovation meeting.

These meetings are similar to brainstorming sessions, but they tend to be more focused, department-specific, and require specialised knowledge.

You’ll need to think outside the box and draw on your experience to come up with fresh ideas — expect to drink lots of coffee, too!

Meeting rooms in Birmingham

If you’re looking for the perfect place to host your next meeting, you’re in luck. At NETTL Business Store, we have the ideal Birmingham city centre meeting rooms and facilities for your next meeting, brainstorming session, or training course.

Book your room for an hour, half a day, or all day depending on your requirements. What’s more, our workspaces come with WiFi access, complimentary hot drinks, breakout areas, and TV screens. We can even organise your catering if you’re looking to host a larger event.

Just want somewhere away from home to catch up on some emails or get stuck into that project? Pop into our Saloon to enjoy free WiFi, quality coffee, and our delicious cakes and snacks. No booking is required!

Sold? See our convenient Queensway location or contact us to book your next meeting space.