Abstract: Technologies are described for interaction with a communal meeting device through broadcast of the device identity. The presence of a client device in a meeting space may be detected, for example, via a motion, a sound, an identity card read, or a connection of the client device to the communal meeting device. Upon detection of the client device, the communal meeting, device may broadcast its identity via short range wireless communication within the meeting space. The communal meeting device and the client device may establish, a short range wireless communication session on the broadcast identity, and the communal meeting device may provide two or more options associated with facilitating a meeting in conjunction with the communal meeting device and the client device based on the exchanged communication. A selected option nuts be received, and the meeting may be facilitated through a communication service per the selected option.

Abstract: Sometimes meetings are scheduled on short notice, and finding an available meeting space in which to hold them may be difficult. Embodiments are directed to automatic reservation of a meeting space through a communal meeting device located therein allowing users to efficiently initiate meetings without the concern of being later disrupted and kicked out of the meeting space. For example, the communal meeting device may detect user activity within the meeting space and determine whether the meeting space has a scheduled meeting that intersects with a first time period starting with the detected activity. If there is no scheduled meeting that intersects, the communal meeting device may transmit a request to a communication service to reserve the meeting space for the user for the first time period, and initiate a meeting for the user at the meeting space for a duration of the first time period.