Top 7 Conference Room Tables: The Ultimate Seating Guide

Every office needs a conference or a meeting table. It is a hub for innovative and bright ideas and a space to facilitate meeting the minds. Some of the best ideas are formed around the meeting table, but purchasing this type of furniture isn’t easy. Therefore, how can you achieve a comfortable meeting space for your occupants? There are numerous factors to take into consideration before choosing the ideal meeting table for your meeting room.

Like any office furniture, a meeting table is a centrepiece of your conference room. You will need a table that looks stunning and meets your functional needs as well. To determine the best size of your meeting table, you need first to check the dimensions of your room, then the preferred shapes and the number of seats your table needs to accommodate. The conference room table setup will walk you through different factors that play a role to help you choose the best option for your boardroom.

Office Space Planning

Let’s work it with a quick example. Suppose your conference room is 7.3m x 4.3m. You have a cabinet against the wall with a depth of 0.45m. This existing furniture takes an available space in the room down to 6.9m x 4.3m. Now, you want at least a 1.5 meters of clearance around the table, and enough space for this size of the room. The available space narrows down to 3.8m x 1.2. Therefore, a 3.8m x 1.2m table or smaller would be an ideal fit for space.

What Kind of Conference Room Table Do I Need?

A critical factor contributing to a company’s success is as simple as its conference table’s shape and size. Whether it’s for a meeting, a presentation, or a pitch, conference rooms serve a single purpose – to bring people together. Different lines and curves can evoke psychological feelings. For instance, shapes, such as circles and ovals are considered to promote feelings of support, friendship, whereas sharper shapes like rectangular and square promote power, strength and balance. The shape you choose also depends on various factors, such as the company’s industry, type of employees, and the conference room’s actual purpose. Therefore, some of the most common table shapes used for the conference room arrangements are:

1. Oval-D

Oval-D tables are great for collaborative work environments, peer meetings and customer interactions. They also provide comfort and a positive environment for the occupants in the conference room. Compared to a square or rectangular table, round tables can accommodate members easily. Oval-D tables are also perfect when group discussions and activities are conducted. The EkoSystem Pedestal Oval Meeting Table helps promote client or employee interactions and make joint decisions friendlier. Moreover, circular tables are the ideal shape to gather around without hierarchy, promoting an inclusive meeting room format. 

2. Rectangular

Rectangular is the most common and a classic choice used from boardrooms to dinner tables. It conveys traditionalism, order, and establishes a leader and follows the idea of hierarchy. A rectangular table is better for presentational style and serves a leadership-type function. Hence, rectangular tables are often used in executive boardrooms, rather than collaborative brainstorming sessions. While a rectangular table might be a simple choice, the parameters of a rectangle table will also say a lot about your company structure and attitude towards collaboration to your clients and potential employees. The Forza Executive Boardroom Table is an Italian influence design that delivers an elegance only found in the powerhouses of Milan. Finished in Timber Veneer or 2 pack paint this streamlined top rests upon highly polished angled aluminium legs.

3. Boat

A boat shaped conference table has an interesting and elegant look. They give the meeting room a spacious look, and those curved edges are quite a mix of modern and conventional style. Unlike the round tables, boat-shaped tables create a calm and comfortable psychological environment in the office. A standard boat-shaped table has a hollow core construction. It gives full room for the lags, and it’s thick solid surface provides support for all office supplies. This table can accommodate a larger crowd and make the room still look spacious.

4. Modular

If versatility is your main concern, modular conference room tables can’t be beaten. They increase the value of a room by making it suitable for various tasks, such as training, teleconferencing, board meetings, and many more. Modular tables have the advantage of being extremely flexible as you can easily arrange the modular components into smaller or larger tables, depending on the groups you need to seat. For example, the Calais Flip Table or Mobile Flip Flop Table offers a unique flip-top folding with spring-loaded locking bar. The seating capacity of the table is determined by how the tables are assembled and arranged. These tables are also foldable, hence making them great for multi-purpose use with changing space requirements.

5. Square

A square table doesn’t even need its own room to be useful. With added space for brainstorming sessions, presentations, and spreading out, square tables can just be used anywhere. Just like the rectangular table, it serves a leadership-type function and fits a team member to be the focal point. Square tables come in different sizes and if your conference room is small, moderately sized tables are good enough. One of the main benefits of square conference tables is that a few can be aligned to make a larger table. You can easily set up a rectangular table and accommodate more people conveniently. Square tables can help your employees communicate better during meetings and makes attendees comfortable. 

6. Racetrack

A racetrack table is also a common conference table despite having less seating capacity than a rectangular table. Racetrack tables consist of a rectangular centre capped with two half-circle ends. They have 12.5% less perimeter than a rectangular table of comparable length and width, which means lesser seating capacity. However, they are ubiquitous and give a graceful look to your meeting rooms. Potenza Boardroom Table is a sleek example of racetrack tables. The modern stylish boardroom table will seat 8-10 people. It features black and chrome legs, 2Pack Matt White, Virginia Walnut over White, Casnan over White colour options.

7. Elliptical 

The shape of an elliptical table can vary. But, elliptical tables offer a unique look compared to your regular rectangular table. Like the racetrack tables, they have smaller seating capacity than a rectangular table of the equal length because of the narrowed ends. Elliptical tables also make an excellent choice for collaboration as they put occupants at ease by giving each individual an equal place at the table. It promotes comfort and a friendly environment in the room. These tables are ideal when group activities and discussions are conducted. Just like the Oval-D shape, elliptical tables make client interaction friendlier.  

Seating Capacity

Tips for Planning a Conference Room

• As visual presentations are a regular part of meetings, before making a final floor plan and arranging seating arrangements, ensure that the natural light and overhead lighting in the room will not interfere with video conferencing or visual presentations.
• Select ergonomic chairs such as control for adjustable seating, and has a waterfall seat edge. Comfortable seating is crucial for longer meetings and will make it easier for attendees to focus on the task. 
• Invest in a thick protective finish conference tables, if food or beverages are an integral part of your meetings. Opt for fabric office chairs with a stain resistant coating or easy-to-care for vinyl chairs.
• Always purchase a unit that involves glass shelves, or tabletops that uses tempered glass. Tempered glass is stronger and safer and is designed to break into smaller fragments rather than larger shards.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to conference tables, they can have a significant impact on the style of your meeting room and the function that they are used for. More technical and formal conference or boardroom tables provide a strategic and corporate edge to your meeting rooms. When choosing tables for your meeting rooms, flexibility is key. as multipurpose tables are becoming more important. Overall, a conference or boardroom table is becoming a focal point of business for many people, whether used for internal or client-facing purposes.
At Direct Office, our team has a wealth of experience in the office furniture industry. With our expertise, we can offer you the right advice to help you invest in boardroom tables as per your requirement. Our team understands the key to choosing the right office boardroom table for your business. Whatever industry your firm operates in, we can offer you the ideal and quality boardroom tables which are all cost-effective. Browse a wide selection of tables to fit your needs and budget! Feel free to get in touch with Direct Office for further information or to place an order today. Contact us now!