In everyday office use, conference room and meeting room mean nearly the same thing: a bookable room where people meet. When people do draw a line, a conference room usually means a larger, more formal room with a long table, while meeting room is the broader term that covers everything from a two-person huddle room to the boardroom. Many companies use "meeting room" as the umbrella name and "conference room" for the bigger spaces.
Room types and typical sizes
| Room type | Typical seats | Typical size | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus room / phone booth | 1-2 | 30-60 sq ft (3-6 m²) | Calls, private video meetings |
| Huddle room | 2-4 | 60-120 sq ft (6-11 m²) | Quick meetings, stand-ups |
| Small meeting room | 4-6 | 120-200 sq ft (11-19 m²) | Team meetings, interviews |
| Medium conference room | 6-12 | 200-350 sq ft (19-33 m²) | Project and client meetings |
| Large conference room | 12-20 | 350-600 sq ft (33-56 m²) | Department and client meetings |
| Boardroom | 12-24 | Varies | Executive and board meetings |
| Training room | 20+ | Varies | Classes, all-hands |
These are rough guides. Use our conference room size guide to size a room by seats and table.
How the terms are used
- Conference room often suggests a dedicated room with a central table, a display and sometimes video conferencing. In hotels and event venues, "conference room" can also mean a larger space set up for presentations.
- Meeting room is more general and is the term Microsoft 365 and most booking systems use for room resources.
- Huddle room is a small, informal meeting room, often unbookable or bookable for short slots. See what a huddle room is.
- Boardroom is the most formal space, usually with a single large table and higher-end AV. See boardroom video conferencing.
Does it change the equipment?
The name doesn't, but the size does. Video conferencing gear is chosen by seat count and room depth:
- Huddle and small rooms: a compact USB or appliance video bar.
- Medium rooms: a bar with zoom or AI framing, sometimes with an extra mic.
- Large rooms and boardrooms: a bar with expansion mics, or separate PTZ cameras, ceiling mics and dual displays.
Our room guides cover each: small, medium and large rooms.
Naming your rooms
Whatever you call them, consistent names help people find and book rooms. Some offices use a theme; others just use floor and seat count. Ideas in conference room name ideas.
Equipping a few rooms of different sizes? Use the room finder or ask us for a plan.
Related guides
- Hot Desking vs Meeting Rooms: What's the Difference?
- Microsoft Teams Rooms vs Regular Teams: The Difference
- Optical Zoom vs Digital Zoom: What's the Difference?
- Video Conferencing vs Telepresence: What's the Difference?
- Logitech RoomMate vs Rally Bar: what's the difference?
- PTZ vs CCTV camera: what's the difference?
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