Preparing the room before a workshop starts
Set up room layout, table labels, sound conditions, and facilitator movement so RoomRadar capture stays usable throughout the session.
This guide helps you prepare a room for a multi-table RoomRadar session. Use it before participants arrive to reduce noise bleed, avoid startup failures, and improve live facilitator visibility.
Quick path
- Place tables to reduce cross-table voice spill.
- Verify stable network and accessible charging.
- Assign one phone per table plus at least one spare phone.
- Test audio and transcript flow for every table before start.
- Set a facilitator movement loop across the room.
Layout choices that improve capture quality
Layout is the biggest practical difference between smooth sessions and chaotic ones. Keep enough distance between tables and avoid direct voice projection from one table toward another. Keep the phone central on each table, not at the edge.
If you expect heavy background noise, pair this with [Facilitating in noisy rooms](/guides/workflows/facilitating-in-noisy-rooms).
Network, power, and fallback readiness
Check network behavior before the session, not during the first failure. Keep at least one spare phone charged and ready in the same browser environment. For long sessions, plan charging points or explicit swap windows.
If drop patterns appear during testing, fix them early using [Reconnecting a disconnected device](/guides/setup/reconnecting-a-disconnected-device).
Facilitator movement in multi-table format
In multi-table facilitation, movement strategy matters. Use a simple loop: fast scan, short intervention where needed, then move on. This prevents over-focusing one table while others drift.
For live monitoring patterns, combine this setup with [Monitoring discussions across groups](/guides/workflows/monitoring-discussions-across-groups).
Five-minute preflight before participants enter
Run one final check immediately before start:
- every table is connected to the correct group
- microphone permission works on each phone
- a test sentence produces transcript within normal delay
- facilitator fallback steps are clear for reconnect or replacement
This preflight prevents most first-15-minute failures.
Related guides
- [Starting a RoomRadar session](/guides/setup/start-a-roomradar-session)
- [Testing audio before a workshop](/guides/setup/test-audio-before-workshop)
- [Network basics for workshops](/guides/setup/network-basics-for-workshops)
- [Facilitating in noisy rooms](/guides/workflows/facilitating-in-noisy-rooms)
- [Monitoring discussions across groups](/guides/workflows/monitoring-discussions-across-groups)