How it works
The display is usually a tablet or dedicated panel running room booking software, connected to the room's calendar in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. It shows the current status, often with a colored light, and the day's schedule. Changes made at the door sync back to the calendar.
At the start of a meeting, the organizer checks in on the display or a phone. If nobody checks in within the grace period, the booking is released and the display shows the room as free. People passing by can book a free room on the spot or look for another free room nearby.
Every check-in and release becomes data. Room displays turn booking data, which shows intent, into occupancy data, which shows use. Some displays also let people report a problem in the room, such as a broken screen, so it reaches facilities with the location attached.
How to measure it
- Check-in rate and auto-release volume per room.
- Ad hoc bookings made at the door.
- Issues reported from displays, by room and category.
Examples
- A team walks past a room showing green, taps to book it for half an hour and starts their meeting.
- A weekly meeting is cancelled but stays in calendars; the display releases the room each week when nobody checks in.
Common mistakes
- Buying displays that only mirror the calendar, with no check-in or release, which leaves them as signs.
- Mounting displays where people cannot see the status from the corridor.
- Setting one grace period for every room regardless of size or location.
How Kadence helps
Kadence Room Displays (WorkOps Pro) are door-side screens that show live availability, allow one-tap booking and check-in, auto-release no-shows and let people raise tickets for room issues. They also run on Neat devices. Room bookings sync both ways with Outlook and Google Calendar, and room display check-ins feed Workplace Insights.
Room booking software · Kadence on Neat
Frequently asked questions
What is a meeting room display app?
It is software that runs on a tablet or panel at a meeting room, showing live availability from the room's calendar and letting people book, check in, extend or end meetings. It usually syncs with Outlook or Google calendars.
Do room displays need special hardware?
Not always. Many room display apps run on standard iOS or Android tablets in a wall mount. Dedicated panels, such as those from video-conferencing vendors, add built-in status lights and power over Ethernet.
How do room displays reduce ghost meetings?
They require someone to check in at the start of the booking. When nobody does, the booking is released and the room shows as free, so rooms held by meetings that never happen go back into use.
What is a room occupancy display?
A room occupancy display shows whether a room is in use right now, often with a green or red light, based on check-ins or sensors. It helps people find a free room without opening an app.
Related terms
- Room booking system Software that lets people find, reserve and check in to meeting rooms, and frees rooms nobody uses.
- Auto-release A booking rule that frees a desk or room automatically when nobody checks in within a set grace period.
- Ghost booking A desk or room that is booked but never used, so it shows as taken while it sits empty.
- Desk check-in Confirming that you are at the desk or room you booked, by app, QR code, badge or Wi-Fi presence, so unused bookings can be released.
Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed