--- title: "Open Plan Offices: Get Noticed or Stay in Hiding?" id: "19606" type: "post" slug: "open-plan-offices-get-noticed-or-stay-in-hiding" published_at: "2013-09-25T23:09:04+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:02:53+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/09/25/open-plan-offices-get-noticed-or-stay-in-hiding/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/09/25/open-plan-offices-get-noticed-or-stay-in-hiding.md" excerpt: "Everyone wants to be seen and heard in business—unless you’re at your desk trying to meet a 4pm deadline. Also: Get your exhibitors to create content, too." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Board Collaboration" - "Business" - "office layout" - "work environment" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Open Plan Offices: Get Noticed or Stay in Hiding? Helping members while trying to ignore nearby chatter is more challenging if your office layout is open. (And most are these days.) Everyone seems to have an opinion on this—and to tie into the feedback loop, we posed a question on the issue to our readers recently. More on what they had to say in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### Boxed In [(opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623092177741563) **When the cons outweigh the pros:** Almost every office space has an open-plan setup intended to save space and encourage interaction and collaboration among colleagues. Unfortunately, as we reported recently, [most employees would rather have the opposite](http://associationsnow.com/2013/09/study-workers-dont-like-open-plan-offices/) , as an open-plan office creates huge distractions and frustrates those who prefer a quiet space to work. Inspired by the reaction to the story (seriously, check the comments), [we asked about it on Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623092177741563) , and we got some strong feedback from a couple of our readers. The lesson here? Professionals believe that a mix of open and closed spaces works best and that an office layout should depend on the size of the company. Let’s face it: No one really wants to hear coworkers order their lunch, argue with their significant other, or discuss the newest “25 reasons why…” list during crunch time. Want to offer your own thoughts? [Hit our Facebook page (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623092177741563) . ### Inspire and Engage > TSNN Tech News: 5 Reasons to Encourage Exhibitors to Upload Digital Media, #1 Save paper… [http://t.co/dmHQ5LFaAr (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/dmHQ5LFaAr) > [pic.twitter.com/Wsp01XCliB (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/Wsp01XCliB) > > — TSNN_com_US (@TSNN_com_US) [September 23, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/TSNN_com_US/status/382187142463512576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Double team:** Enlisting exhibitors to contribute compelling content for event websites or mobile apps can be a boon for event organizers, attendees, and exhibitors themselves. Uploading digital content allows exhibitors to be more interactive, environmentally savvy, and exposed. [Nishita Jain, director of marketing at a2z, Inc., says (opens in a new tab)](http://techcorner.tsnn.com/content/5-reasons-encourage-exhibitors-upload-digital-media) participating exhibitors can also “strengthen their relationship with…event organizers,” “boost the event’s online visibility,” and help attendees “plan their personalized agenda.” A quality experience requires a personalized touch, she notes: Event guests are captivated by apps with categorized product listings available at their fingertips to guide them through a labyrinthine event agenda. With more and more exhibitors vying for visibility and attendees searching for simpler event search solutions, mobile apps and digital guides are both lucrative and appealing. *(ht @[TSNN_com_US (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/TSNN_com_US/status/382187142463512576) )* What links are you sharing today? Let us know in the comments below. (Fuse/Thinkstock) [Alexis Williams](https://associationsnow.com/author/alexis-williams/) Alexis Williams & Alexis Davis are contributors to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/alexis-williams/) [Alexis Davis](https://associationsnow.com/author/alexis-davis/) Alexis Davis is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/alexis-davis/) Tags: [#Board Collaboration](https://associationsnow.com/tag/board-collaboration/) [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#office layout](https://associationsnow.com/tag/office-layout/) [#work environment](https://associationsnow.com/tag/work-environment/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastSustainable Events: How Associations and DMOs Are Leading the ChargeMarch 31, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/03/31/sustainable-events-how-associations-and-dmos-are-leading-the-charge/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/24/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F09%2F25%2Fopen-plan-offices-get-noticed-or-stay-in-hiding%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !