Conference Room Design Tips

Conference rooms need to be both practical and inviting. The physical arrangement needs to facilitate the easy running of meetings, not work against them. An appealing room gives visitors a positive impression of the company. There are several basic ways to arrange a conference room to meet the needs of the group.

• Conference rooms must be both attractive and practical. They are often the area of your business where visitors spend most of their time. It should be appealing and reflect the impression your business wants to make. In addition, the physical makeup of the room can make a big difference in how easy it is to conduct meetings.

• Boardroom or conference room style is the standard layout with chairs around a table set in the middle of the room. This allows for comfortable and face-to-face interaction among a group. It is important the room isn’t overcrowded. At least 4 feet and preferably 4.5 feet should be allowed between a chair and the wall. 

• Banquet style is getting common as businesses use a team approach in meetings and projects. Small tables are arranged around the room so people can meet in small groups. Rectangular tables have the added advantage to be pushed together to form one large table.

• Theater style has rows of chairs facing tables or a podium. Press conferences use this style. This is a good way to get information out, though it isn’t effective for most meetings.

• Classroom design with rows of chairs and desks facing a podium for the speaker works well for training, though not as well when you want participants to interact. 

• The right equipment makes meetings work better. Dry erase boards on each wall are essential. It’s helpful to have audio visual equipment with a screen. Data ports for electronics and storage are very practical additions.