All About Conference Tables

Conference Table Design

As with many pieces within the world of furniture, the number of options and amount of creative features available in conference tables can be overwhelming. Modern designs range from the traditional large and heavy rectangular boardroom tables seen in corporate board rooms to colorful and uniquely shaped variations found in art studios. You can purchase an inexpensive particle board conference table for as little as $100 or have a custom table designed with elegant inlays and impressive technological features that can be priced into the hundreds of thousands. The task of selecting a conference room table can be daunting with the sheer number of options and the fact that this one piece will set the look and feel of the room. Here we're going to explore some of the options available to you to find the right conference table for you.

Shape and Size

A traditional conference table is rectangular or oval in shape and is typically manufactured in sizes ranging anywhere from 3 to 30 feet in length. Another popular choice is a circular table which promotes a feeling of equality in the individuals sitting around it but at the same time can create unusable space at its center in larger models. A U-shaped design is suggested if you intend to give a large number of presentations or training sessions.

There are several modular designs which are typically a series of smaller lightweight tables that can be rearranged to suit your needs. These aren't recommended for formal settings because they often look unprofessional. A common modular design is the hexagonal table which can be ideal for 6-man teams but can waste a large amount of space in the middle and is not scalable to larger teams because people would be forced to sit at the corners which tend to be uncomfortable and provide little workspace. Bow tie and figure 8 shaped tables often help to break the tension in environments which require creativity or team cohesion. Small models can be very effective for client presentations as they offer over 180 degrees of surface area for materials.

The size and shape of the room is often a major factor in determining the size and shape of the table. The shape of the table should generally mirror the shape of the room. Tables with a long and narrow footprint should be used in long and narrow rooms and round or square footprints should be used in rooms with even wall lengths. If the room will be used for multiple functions you should make sure you reserve space for that. Be sure that you leave enough of a buffer between the table edge and the walls to rearrange it easily. The easiest way to gauge this is to lay down an outline of the table on the floor of the room in tape and then place chairs around the outline to get an accurate feel for the spacing.

Material

Conference tables are offered in many different materials. Depending on your price range, you can buy a conference room table made from wood, metal, granite, or glass. If you are willing to pay for a custom piece, your options are limitless. Take a look at pieces like the Lockheed V Shaped C130 Conference Table by MotoArt, who offers a whole line of amazing furniture. Your office furniture needs to fit the type of environment you are trying to create, so while this type of design is intriguing, it's probably not the best option for most offices. A wooden boardroom table is best used in more traditional offices, while granite adds a feeling of elegance, and metal or glass for a more modern feel. Inlays can be used to add stainless steel, granite, or ebony accents to a table. Overall, your selection of materials is a function of your price range and the environment you are trying to create.

Technological Integration

While you could go with a simple, traditional table, we're talking about all of your options here. If your conference table doubles as a group workplace or your employees use their laptops during meetings, you may need integrated power sockets and Ethernet connections. If you use your setup for presentations you could hang your projector from the ceiling or you could have it integrated into your table for better aesthetics. You could even have custom LCD displays placed at each seat or multitouch panels puy in for multi-user interactive presentations. A conference call system can be integrated into your table or be a standalone unit (conference call systems being a whole other topic). Once again, your options in this area are limited only by your imagination and minor detail... your budget.

Selection

Now that we've given you an idea of the options available, let's talk about the selection process. First and most importantly you need to decide the upper range of your budget before you start shopping. If you are operating on a limited budget or would like to take a look at what you could find on the used market, you should check out your local craigslist. Just do a search under furniture, there are 6 conference tables of various sizes and prices listed in my local area within the last 3 days.

Next let's consider size, shape, and material; first we need to figure out the main purpose of the room and if we need it to serve other purposes as well. If you need the floorspace from time to time, a modular design would be optimal but not as appropriate for most board meetings. A circular design is better for team discussions while a bowtie shape can help inspire a more creative environment if brainstorming sessions are the norm. As for size, we discussed earlier that you should test this out using tape lines to find the appropriate size. Don't forget to leave room for people to come and go without running into each other - or the table! Material is primarily a matter of budget and desired feel of the room.

And finally you should consider the amount of technology you need or can afford to incorporate into your conference room table. This is mostly a matter of the functions, shape, and budget.

As you can see, there's a lot that can go into selecting office furniture, especially for such an important area.