The most common meeting room table setups are boardroom (one long table), U-shape, hollow square, classroom, theater, banquet rounds and cabaret (half-rounds facing the front). For rooms used for video calls, a tapered boardroom table, U-shape or half-round works best because everyone can see the screen and the camera can see everyone's face.
Table setups at a glance
| Setup | Best for | Typical capacity | Video-friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boardroom | Discussion, decision meetings | 6-20 | Good if tapered; long rectangular tables put far seats out of reach |
| U-shape | Training, presentations with discussion | 10-30 | Very good, open end faces the display |
| Hollow square | Committee and roundtable discussion | 12-40 | Poor for one front camera |
| Classroom | Training with laptops and notes | 20+ | Good for presenter; audience faces away from a front camera |
| Theater | Presentations, town halls | 30+ | For one-way presentations only |
| Banquet rounds | Meals, networking, group work | 8-10 per round | Poor for video |
| Cabaret | Workshops, training with group work | 5-6 per half-round | Good, all face front |
Space per seat
These are common planning figures; check local fire code and your furniture.
| Item | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Table width per seated person | 24-30 in (60-76 cm) |
| Table depth | 30-48 in (76-122 cm) for boardroom tables |
| Clearance behind chairs | 36-48 in (91-122 cm) for chairs plus walkway |
| Front-of-room clearance before display | Enough so the nearest seat isn't uncomfortably close; often 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) or more |
For overall room sizes, see conference room size.
Boardroom
One long rectangular, oval or racetrack table with chairs on both sides. It's the default for formal meetings. For video:
- Put the display and camera at the narrow end.
- Choose a tapered or boat-shaped table so the far seats angle toward the camera.
- Keep the table no longer than the camera and microphones can cover. See large conference room setup.
U-shape
Tables form three sides of a rectangle with the open end facing the front. Excellent for training and hybrid meetings: everyone can see each other and the screen, and a front camera sees faces. Details: U-shape setup.
Hollow square
A closed square or rectangle of tables. Good for equal-status discussion, but a single front camera sees backs of heads. Use a 360 camera in the middle or multiple cameras. See hollow square setup.
Classroom and theater
Rows of tables (classroom) or chairs only (theater) facing the front. Best for one presenter and an audience. For hybrid sessions, add a camera on the presenter and audience microphones for Q&A. See classroom-style rooms and theater-style setup.
Rounds and cabaret
Round tables suit meals and group work; cabaret leaves the side of each round facing the front open so nobody has their back to the presenter. See round table and cluster setups and cabaret setup.
Choosing a setup for video meetings
- Put the display and camera on one wall, at the end most seats face.
- Make sure every seat can see the screen without turning around.
- Keep every seat within the camera's view and the microphones' pickup range.
- Leave room to run cables from the table to the wall.
Plan the layout visually with the conference room layout planner, and compare styles in conference room layout styles.
Have a layout in mind? Send it to us and we'll match a camera and mic setup to it.
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