CEO Today Magazine September 2018 Edition

www.ceotodaymagazine.com 16 SPECIAL FEATURES Visitors can feel the culture the moment they walk in the door to your offices. Worth £193 billion annually to the UK economy, face-to- face business remains king, so how can UK business owners make every visit to their organisation memorable for the right reasons? From the latest nature-inspired design techniques, to smart technologies to deliver a seamless visitor experience, Gregory Blondeau, Oliver Heath and Natalie Joyce share their insights. The old saying rings true, ‘It takes over 100 good impressions to make up for one bad one.’ As CEOs who’ve climbed the careers ranks know, you can never make a first impression twice. And that goes for every single visitor, each taking a view of an organisation within split seconds of entering its reception area. The office lobby speaks volumes about a business, sending out a powerful message about a company’s identity, and, according to experts, can be influenced by subtle design choices. Biophilic design guru Oliver Heath (most recently known for his contributions to the BBC’s DIY SOS series), works with organisations to apply biophilic principals to their offices, maximising natural light, views onto nature, the use of natural textures and patterns, materials and colours plus the incorporation of recuperative spaces. Biophilic design techniques can aid cognitive recuperation and have a positive physiological impact on heart rate, blood pressure and the sympathetic nervous system. “This helps visitors to feel calm and relaxed enabling them to communicate Corporate Lobbies The Power of a First Impression “While the slick marketing and smooth sales team handle your brand in the ether, there’s little room to hide when inviting clients to your premise.” Gregory Blondeau, Founder of Proxyclick