Meeting In The Middle

Meeting In The Middle - QRT Global Meeting Optimizer Inspiration The inspiration came from recognizing a common challenge faced by globally distributed organizations: how do you bring people together for in-person collaboration while being mindful of both environmental impact and fairness? With QRT having 13 offices across continents, every meeting location choice involves trade-offs between carbon emissions, travel burden, and practical logistics. We wanted to build a tool that makes these trade-offs transparent and helps teams make data-driven decisions aligned with their values. What it does Meeting In The Middle is an intelligent location optimizer that helps QRT teams identify the best meeting location by:

Calculating carbon emissions for all attendees traveling from different offices using distance-based aviation emission factors Measuring travel fairness through statistical analysis of distance distribution, standard deviation, and maximum travel burden Balancing competing priorities with adjustable weights between environmental impact and equitable travel Evaluating multiple candidate locations including existing offices, geographic centroids, and major transport hubs Providing transparent metrics showing total CO₂, average distance, maximum distance, and fairness indicators Scaling by attendance to weight calculations based on how many people travel from each office

How we built it The tool is built as a React web application with several key components: Algorithm Design:

Implemented the Haversine formula for accurate great-circle distance calculations between global coordinates Created a multi-factor scoring system combining carbon (kg CO₂) and fairness (distance std dev + max distance penalty) Used aviation emission factors from industry standards: 255g/km for short-haul, 156g/km for medium-haul, 150g/km for long-haul flights Developed centroid calculation using 3D Cartesian coordinate conversion to find the geographic center of participating offices

Technical Implementation:

Built with React hooks (useState, useMemo) for efficient state management and memoized calculations Integrated Lucide React icons for visual clarity Used Tailwind CSS for responsive, modern UI design Implemented real-time recalculation as users adjust parameters

Data Integration:

Populated 13 QRT office locations with precise coordinates Created candidate location pool including offices, optimal centroid, and major aviation hubs (London, Dubai, Amsterdam, Reykjavik, Istanbul)

Challenges we ran into

Balancing Competing Metrics: The biggest conceptual challenge was defining "optimal" when carbon and fairness often conflict. A European location minimizes average travel but creates extreme burden for Australian offices. We solved this with weighted scoring that lets users define their priorities.
Geographic Complexity: Early attempts using simple latitude/longitude averaging for centroids failed spectacularly near the International Date Line and poles. We had to implement proper spherical geometry using 3D Cartesian coordinates.
Emission Factor Accuracy: Aviation emissions vary dramatically by aircraft type, load factor, and routing. We simplified to distance-based categories but acknowledged this limitation in documentation.
UI/UX Balance: Making the tool both powerful and accessible required iterations. We needed to expose enough controls without overwhelming users, settling on collapsible advanced options and clear visual hierarchy.
Performance Optimization: With 19+ candidate locations and 13 offices, the tool performs 247+ distance calculations per update. Using React's useMemo hook was essential to prevent unnecessary recalculations. Accomplishments that we're proud of ✅ Scientifically sound algorithm that properly handles spherical geometry and realistic emission factors ✅ Transparency and explainability - users can see exactly why a location was recommended ✅ Flexible weighting system that adapts to different organizational priorities (e.g., pre-COP26 vs. urgent cross-office collaboration) ✅ Real-world applicability - handles edge cases like single-attendee offices and uneven participation ✅ Clean, intuitive interface that makes complex optimization accessible to non-technical users ✅ Scalable architecture that could easily incorporate additional factors (train travel, costs, visa requirements) What we learned Technical Learnings:

Spherical geometry matters! Euclidean approximations break down at global scales Memoization is crucial for computational performance in React applications Distance-based emission factors provide reasonable estimates without requiring full flight routing data

Domain Learnings:

Aviation emissions per passenger-kilometer decrease significantly on longer flights due to efficiency at cruising altitude Geographic centroids often fall in oceans or uninhabited areas - practical transport hubs matter more than mathematical optima Fairness isn't just about average distance - standard deviation and maximum burden are equally important

Product Learnings:

Users need control over trade-offs, not just a single "best" answer Visual feedback (color coding, progress indicators) builds trust in algorithmic recommendations Alternative options matter - showing the second-best choice helps users understand the decision space

What's next for Meeting In The Middle Enhanced Transportation Modes:

Integration with train schedule APIs (e.g., Rail Europe, Trainline) for European connections where rail is more sustainable Multi-modal routing that combines flights and trains for optimal carbon reduction Ferry and high-speed rail options for regional meetings

Real Flight Data Integration:

Partnership with OAG to use actual flight schedules, connection times, and route-specific emissions Incorporation of aircraft type and load factor for more accurate CO₂ estimates Real-time pricing data to add cost optimization

Advanced Features:

Date-specific optimization accounting for seasonal route availability and weather Visa requirement checking to avoid locations with complex entry requirements Time zone analysis to minimize jet lag and maximize meeting productivity Venue suggestions with capacity, facilities, and local amenities Historical tracking to ensure fair rotation of meeting locations over time

Collaboration & Sharing:

Export recommendations as PDF reports for stakeholder approval Calendar integration to block travel dates and send invitations Team voting on top candidate locations Carbon budget tracking across multiple meetings

Sustainability Enhancements:

Carbon offset recommendations and integration with offset providers Comparison with virtual meeting alternatives (saved emissions if held remotely) Certification tracking (ISO 14064, Science-Based Targets compliance)

The ultimate vision is to make Meeting In The Middle the go-to platform for any globally distributed organization that wants to gather sustainably and equitably.