What’s changing
Previously, there were two different room suggestion types based on a company’s Google Calendar settings. The first option lists frequently used rooms for you to pick from, while the second uses the structured meeting rooms feature to suggest rooms based on meeting attendees' self-selected working location. Note that structured meeting rooms refer to rooms that are assigned to specific buildings, with meeting hardware and capacity information. Use this article in our Help Center to learn more about structured meeting rooms.
To better optimize meeting rooms and foster greater collaboration, especially in a hybrid work environment, we’re combining the two options in an updated structured meeting room setting. The working location set by a user is taken into account for all room suggestions, and in cases where location data is unavailable, proposed meeting rooms will be based on frequently used rooms.
Who’s impacted
End users
Why it matters
This update manages meeting rooms more efficiently by taking planned working locations into account. As a result, meeting rooms are only allocated for those who are most likely to need them.
Additional details
Google Calendar suggests rooms by taking the following into account:
- The main office building set by an admin or end user
- The working location set by the user
- The user's response to an event:
- Responding "Yes, virtually" or "No" suggests the user does not need a room
- Responding "Yes, in a meeting room" suggests the user needs a room
Getting started
- Admins: Working location must be enabled or a main office building must be set for the users in your domain to access this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning working location on or off for your organization, creating buildings, features & Calendar resources, and setting up Google Calendar room booking suggestions.
- End users:
- Location-based room suggestions will automatically appear when adding a room to an event if:
- Working location is enabled by your admin and then set by you,
- A main office building is set by you or your admin, or
- Other meeting attendees have their working location or a main office building set
- Room suggestions based on frequently used rooms will automatically appear when adding a room to an event if neither a working location nor a main office building is set to a specific office building.
- If you disagree with the room suggestion, you can pick a room by clicking “Browse all rooms & resources” and selecting the desired room. You can also search for rooms by building name or room name.
Rollout pace
- Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 17, 2023
- Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 31, 2023
Availability
- Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, and Nonprofits