Design, Helpful Tips
Different Styles of Meeting Rooms
Conference room setup styles play a significant role in your events, presentations and gatherings. Knowing about different table arrangements sets you up for success. Use the ideas below to strategize how you’ll organize tables and chairs in the best way possible for your next meeting.
1. U-Shape
Tables in a U-shape have an open end. Participants sit along the perimeter and focus on a central point of the room. This conference room layout works well for:
- Viewing video and product demonstrations.
- Listening to one primary facilitator.
- Interacting collaboratively in open discussion.
2. Traditional (Boardroom) Style
Traditional meeting room setup styles include seating around a rectangle or oval table. The boardroom could consist of multiple rectangle tables arranged into one larger shape. Participants sit facing each other along the perimeter. This style works well in:
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- Meetings with managers of hierarchy seated at the head of the table.
- Discussions requiring space for laptops, notes or food.
- Interactive presentations with a board or screen at one end.
- Video conferencing as a collective group.
3. Hollow Square
A hollow square involves rectangle tables with an open space in the middle. Participants sit along the perimeter. Use this shaped meeting room layout for:
- Discussions with a speaker navigating easily.
- Meetings without a hierarchy of seating arrangements.
- Brainstorming sessions with easy interaction.
4. Classroom Style
Rectangle tables line a room in parallel rows toward a focal point in a classroom style. This organized arrangement works well for:
- Training sessions when viewers need to focus on a board or screen.
- Teaching with an instructor standing at the front of the room.
- Learning that requires elbow room for note-taking or using laptops.
5. Auditorium Style
Chairs fill a room in parallel rows in an auditorium or theater-style. This setup doesn’t include tables. All of the chairs face the front of the room. It works well for:
- Entertainment for company events.
- Passive learning without note-taking needed.
- Presentations with a large attendance.
6. Banquet Style
A banquet style involves round tables with peers facing each other. This arrangement is ideal when attention directs to a table activity rather than a presentation board. Circle tables work well in:
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- Activities with team collaboration.
- Discussions in small groups.
- Dining for company events.
- Networking among four to eight employees.
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Get the Right Conference Table for Your Needs
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