Boardroom meeting on a boat in Paris: which format to choose

Before privatising a boat, a management team needs to settle one simple but defining question: which meeting format to adopt. The choice depends on the agenda, the number of attendees and the time available for a boardroom meeting that remains, above all, a working session.

Three factors come up consistently in conversations with companies planning this kind of event: duration, room layout, and the level of technical equipment required.

Half day or full day

A half day suits a focused boardroom meeting built around two or three key decisions. A full day allows for several stages in sequence: review, working sessions, then a wrap-up, with an on-board lunch break that avoids any loss of time to logistics.

Room layout on board

Layout matters just as much as the venue itself. A U-shaped setup encourages the kind of collaborative discussion typical of a boardroom meeting, while an island-style layout works better for breakout sessions ahead of a group wrap-up.

Equipment to plan for

A projection screen, light sound equipment for speaking to the room, and a stable connection for remote participants: these needs should be flagged in advance so the chosen boat has the right setup in place, particularly for quayside formats, which make installing equipment easier.

• Screen and projector for presentations
• Wireless microphone for handovers between speakers
• Stable video link for remote attendees