What Should I Look for in A Meeting Table?

Shape There are plenty of shapes to choose from in a meeting table and each one has its own purpose and matches certain needs. A rectangle meeting table is best for large companies that have several people attending each meeting. Plus, most of these have extendable options so you can increase and decrease the size as needed. A square table is not as commonly found in a business environment but is great if you want to keep meetings formal but with fewer people. A round table is more suitable for smaller, more intimate meetings. This is because everyone faces each other and ideas can be easily shared and communicated this way. A trapezoidal table is great for small offices and small meetings. When you aren’t using it, you can easily fold it up or push it to one side of the room without taking up too much space. Surface area The amount of people that usually sit around your meeting table directly links to what size it should be. If your meetings are small and intimate then a 6 person rectangular table that measures 100 x 200cm would be perfect. Or a 160cm round table. A 12-14 person rectangular table measuring 400 x 140cm is perfect for large companies that host formal meetings. You could also opt for a 300cm diameter round table if those large meetings are still intimate and creative. Style/Looks The style and look of a meeting table can subconsciously affect what happens around it. A modern table is best for businesses that want to be creative, innovative and spark new ideas. This style is clean-cut and often white, black, grey or a bright colour. A traditional meeting table style would be of wood, either Beachwood or dark woodgrain. This gives a formal impression and helps keep the focus. How many seats? Depending on the size of your business, and of your meetings, depends on how many seats your meeting table should have. If you have intense and intimate meetings then a smaller table that seats fewer people would be more functional and comfortable. Trying to have an in-depth conversation between 5 people around a table that seats 20 wouldn’t exactly spark creativity. The same goes for larger businesses that hold big meetings. If you squashed 20 people around a table that seats 5, everyone would be in a rush to get out of there! A tip is to use the length of the table in feet, this should equal the number of people you can sit around it. For example, a 10-foot long rectangular table would comfortably seat 10 people around it. Worktop material The material of the meeting table worktop, similar to the style, can give a sense of what the business is about. It’s important to keep this in mind if you invite people outside of your business to have meetings. A business focused on professionalism and creativity would need a modern style table. This could have a glass or veneer wood worktop. Bright worktops are great for businesses that need to spark ideas, design and uniqueness. Go for a bright yellow, pink or lime green veneer wood. Even if it’s not for the whole worktop, a bright stripe down the middle would do just fine. For a meeting table that is used regularly, a simple white laminate table would be perfect. It's easy to clean and less likely to get scratched or damaged than glass and wood.

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