The conference room is an essential part of every business establishment. This is where clients, partners, or associates meet to discuss business propositions, make presentations, and how to move the organization forward. As a result, it is vital to select the proper conference tables for both aesthetics and functionality.
Choosing the Ideal Conference Table
One of the most important furniture in the conference room is the conference table. Having a professional and sophisticated conference table in your conference room will play a huge part in the success of your business. However, there are a lot of things to put into consideration when choosing the ideal conference table. Some of them include:
1. Frequency of Use
A primary factor to consider when choosing your conference table is the frequency of use. How predominately will your conference room or boardroom be used? What caliber of people will use the room or table? How many people will use it regularly? While a long solid wood conference table will be an ideal option for business meetings and discussions, modular conference tables are perfect for training purposes.
2. Size of the Room
Another thing to consider is the size of the conference room or boardroom. Here, it is important to understand that the table will be the focal point of the room. Hence, to ensure that the table fits perfectly, not too big or small, take an accurate measurement of the room. With this, you can get a table that uniformly fills the center of the conference room. However, ensure that you take into account other equipment that will fit into the conference room. These include presentation easel, credenza, lectern, audiovisual cart, projection screen, and so forth.
3. Size of Conference Table
Conference tables are usually about 60 inches wide and approximately 24 inches deep. The majority of manufacturers will offer your business the same style of tables. Although, the width, colors, and finishes may vary. Thus, offering you the opportunity to customize the table based on your preference or business needs. Below is a size/seating capacity chart to give you an idea of the various room size, conference table size, and amount of people that will sit at the table.
| Conference Table Size | Minimum Room Size | Optimum Room Size | Seating Capacity |
| 60″ W x 30″ D | 13′ L x 12′ W | 15.5′ L x 13′ W | 4 – 6 |
| 72″ W x 48″ D | 14′ L x 12′ W | 15.5′ L x 13′ W | 4 – 6 |
| 84″ W x 48″ D | 15′ L x 12′ W | 16.5′ L x 13′ W | 4 – 6 |
| 96″ W x 48″ D | 16′ L x 12′ W | 17.5′ L x 13′ W | 6 – 8 |
| 120″ W x 48″ D | 18′ L x 12′ W | 19.5′ L x 13′ W | 8 – 10 |
| 144″ W x 48″ D | 20′ L x 12′ W | 21.5′ L x 13′ W | 10 – 12 |
| 150″ W x 48″ D | 21′ L x 12′ W | 22.5′ L x 14′ W | 10 – 12 |
| 168″ W x 58″ D | 22′ L x 13′ W | 23.5′ L x 14′ W | 12 – 14 |
| 180″ W x 58″ D | 23′ L x 13′ W | 24.5′ L x 14′ W | 12 – 14 |
| 192″ W x 58″ D | 24′ L x 13′ W | 25.5′ L x 14′ W | 14 – 16 |
| 240″ W x 58″ D | 28′ L x 13′ W | 29.5′ L x 14′ W | 18 – 20 |
| 288″ W x 58″ D | 32′ L x 13′ W | 33.5′ L x 14′ W | 22 – 24 |
Types of Conference Table
Conference tables are usually designed with different shapes. The various kinds of conference tables you can get for your boardroom include:
1. Rectangular Conference Tables
Rectangular conference tables remain one of the most functional and classic choices for any conference or boardroom. These rectangular conference tables feature table tops with a basic flat shape. Thus, making the work surface suitable for both meetings and employee training. What’s more, you can join together the rectangular conference tables to form a multi-segmented conference table. With this, you can easily customize the table depending on your business needs or your conference room’s size.
3. Boat Shaped Conference Tables
These kinds of conference tables feature convex sides with rounded corners and tapered ends. The slight curve at the tabletop helps the boat-shaped conference table achieve a sophisticated and classy design. These types of tables are perfect for conference rooms that will be used for visual presentations and video conferences.
4. Racetrack or Oval Conference Tables
These tables feature rounded edges and sleek lines, thus, making them appealing to the eye. They often feature a wide range of sizes and finishes. Hence, you can choose one that fits your conference room flawlessly.
5. Octagonal Conference Tables
These kind of conference tables are available in both rectangular and rounded shapes. For businesses with smaller spaces, round octagonal conference tables are the ideal option. However, if you have a larger conference room, rectangular octagonal conference table is perfect to achieve the obvious visual impact you always desired.
6. Round Conference Table
Also referred to as circular conference tables, round conference tables are is perfect for small or moderate boardrooms. A circular conference table can provide enough room for everyone while creating a tranquil and more cordial feel to a meeting.
How Do You Plan Your Conference Room
After selecting the ideal conference table, it is important to plan the boardroom. This will help you position the other conference room furniture appropriately. Here are some tips to help you plan your conference room.
- When placing the chairs around the conference table, allocate about 30” for each chair.
- Leave a space of between 48” and 56” between your conference table and the wall.
- Also, leave about 60” between your conference table and the wall.
- Leave approximately 24” between the back of the chair and the wall. This will help you walk easily without any need to turn sideways.
- If you are using the conference room for visual presentations, leave about 56” between the conference table and the visual display board or easel.
- Lastly, there should be about 30” of free space between the head of the table and the presentation board. This will enable the person presenting to stand and move freely.
For more information about conference table sizes, seating arrangement, and planning, contact Clear Choice Office Solutions.