What’s in a Name? Rethinking How We Label Meeting Rooms

You’ve probably seen it before: your calendar says “Team Sync in Rainier,” but unless you’ve worked in that office for a while, you have no idea where Rainier is. Is it a floor? A zone? A vibe?

In today’s post, we’re diving into the deceptively simple topic of meeting room names—why so many offices give them personality-filled titles, and whether those choices are helping or hurting the employee experience.

The Case For Creative Room Names

Let’s be fair—naming rooms can be fun. It adds personality to the space and gives the office a bit of flavor.

• It reflects company culture and values.

• It’s a nod to local landmarks, company history, or even inside jokes.

• It can help people feel more emotionally connected to the workplace.

A room named “The Garage” might hint at innovation. “The Café” might be a laid-back brainstorm space. You get the idea.

But Here’s the Problem...

When it comes to wayfinding and usability, clever names often fall flat. Especially when they’re applied inconsistently or without a clear system behind them.

• Most creative names offer no spatial clues. “Everest” might sound epic, but where is it?

• They confuse new hires and visitors, who don’t know the naming logic.

• They make calendar invites and room booking systems harder to navigate.

And here’s something you’ve probably experienced:

Only the “important” rooms get the cool names.

Design teams often apply names to large conference rooms, but skip the smaller huddle spaces or focus rooms. So you end up with “The Summit” across the hall from “3C.” It may have made sense on paper, but to the average employee, it’s totally arbitrary.

It Gets Even Worse Across Locations

For companies with a global footprint, there’s often no naming standard across sites. That means:

• One office uses local neighborhoods (SoHo, Tribeca, Harlem).

• Another uses global cities (Tokyo, Paris, Dubai).

• Yet another is all about nature (Pine, Oak, Birch).

What started as a local branding effort ends up creating chaos in a multi-site, hybrid work world.

Remote teams struggle with room names when trying to join meetings. Employees traveling between offices don’t know what to expect. And the naming conventions quickly lose any helpful meaning.

So What’s the Alternative?

You don’t have to give up on personality—but clarity needs to come first.

Here are a few better ways to think about naming meeting rooms:

• Zone-Based Logic: Use a code that reflects location—like “2N-01” for Second Floor, North Wing, Room 1.

• Color-Coded Areas: Group rooms by color and keep names consistent within the group (Red-1, Red-2).

• Hybrid Systems: Combine clarity with culture. For example, “East-3: Everest” gives both a cue and some flair.

• Standardized Global Themes: Pick one theme—mountains, cities, inventors—and roll it out company-wide with structure.

Whatever you choose, make sure your digital signage, booking system, and spoken language all match. Consistency is the real secret sauce.

Ask Yourself This:

• Do your meeting room names help people find their way—or just sound cool?

• Are they consistent across locations and types of spaces?

• If you had to rename everything tomorrow, what system would you choose?

The best workplace experiences aren’t just designed for beauty or branding. They’re built for clarity, ease of use, and the reality of how people work.

👋 Over to You:
Seen some clever—or chaotic—room naming systems in the wild? Hit reply or drop a comment on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear what’s worked (and what hasn’t) in your workplace.

📩 P.S. Missed this topic on the podcast? Catch the full episode of Creating Smarter Spaces wherever you get your shows. It’s a good one.