All too often, meeting furniture ends up in the conference room because it’s the stuff nobody really wants to use all day every day. It might be not quite as comfortable as the regular chairs and tables or a little on the old and shabby side. Letting meeting room chairs and your conference table get battered and aged is a big mistake- the meeting room might be out of sight and out of mind most of the time, but when you need it, you need it to be clean, tidy, comfortable and sleek.

It’s not just about impressing potential clients and business partners (although that should be something to think about). Meeting room chairs don’t have to be chosen from our range of the finest executive chairs, and most businesses don’t need to invest in a hugely expensive table for the meeting room, but everything in there does need to present the right image. Remember, when your staff walk into the meeting space they should feel comfortable, professional, and ready to do their best even if it’s only an in-house gathering. The right surroundings will encourage them to give 100% every time.

Don’t wait for that big meeting date to get any closer. Take a look at what’s in your conference room right now. If your meeting furniture is unmatched, uncomfortable, grubby, or just not as bright and new as it once was, now is the time to think about replacing it. Make the right choices and your whole workforce will feel more professional.

Conference rooms can be an integral part of your company as they play host to meetings, interviews and presentations that are often vital to the success of your business. Therefore, it is essential that your conference room feels like a place where decisions can be made and things can get done. To this end, it is vital that the table you have as the main feature of your conference room is shaped in a way that will adequately suit your business needs.

Rectangular

Rectangular tables offer a classic shape that provides more in the way of practicality than it does in originality. Rectangular conference room tables are a good choice for formal meetings as they are very effective at accommodating large numbers of people.

Round

Round tables are great for smaller conference rooms as they take up less space than rectangular tables. Because of this, round meeting tables generally offer a more intimate experience that can be particularly conducive to team meetings and one-on-one interviews.

Racetrack

Racetrack conference tables combine contemporary styling with classic sensibilities. Their clean looks and smooth lines make them a popular choice for various different uses as they are very aesthetically pleasing.

“Bow tie”

These tables look like a bow tie when seen from above and therefore are more visually striking than more traditionally shaped tables. Bow tie conference tables can be large or small and are generally found in the offices of younger, more ‘hip’ companies.

Buying office meeting tables can be more complicated than you might think. To this end, there are three aspects which must be addressed before deciding on any purchase:

Price

Like many things in life, you get what you pay for when you buying conference room tables. If you aim towards the more budget end of the market, you must accept that your money-saving will result in you having to buy replacement conference tables every few years. Conversely, spending top dollar will provide you with a far more durable table that will last a good long while. Again; you get what you pay for.

Impression

Your conference room is the place where you are going to conduct your most important business so it is vital that your table gives your clients, partners or investors a positive impression. Does it need to match the elegance of your products or should it reflect the modesty of your small business ethics? Whatever type of table you chose, it must give off an impression that is in keeping with your company.

Function

Many companies buy a conference table and forget all about the fact that it needs to function effectively as a table. It really doesn’t matter how good it looks if it cannot accommodate people for meetings. Any meeting conducted at a table that is simply not fit for purpose is not going to be a very successful meeting.

If you need office meeting tables, make us here at Southern Office Furniture your first port of call.

Business organisations of all sizes need to have conference rooms available on their premises so that managers and clients can get together and ‘talk business.’ The most important feature of any conference room is the table. However, there are many different types of conference room tables available, so organisations need to consider several aspects before purchasing one that is suitable to their needs.

Size

One of the first things that a company needs to consider is the maximum number of people their conference table will need to accommodate, as this will determine the size required. A large organisation may well require conference tables that can to seat anywhere up to 50 people whereas a smaller company may only need to accommodate a maximum of 10.

Shape

Conference tables come in a wide range of shapes such as rectangular, square, round, oval, arc and U-shaped. The shape of a company’s conference table will depend largely on how it will be used. For example, an oval table may be the best option for large board meetings, whereas a U-shaped table could be a better choice for presentations.

Spacing

The space that people have between them and their seated neighbours is another important aspect to consider. If people are squashed too close together they not feel comfortable enough to relax or concentrate. Similarly, being seated too far apart may make people feel isolated and awkward.

Explore our pages further to view our great range of office furniture.

Whilst thrift is an understandable element of modern life, premium quality is something we believe in here at Southern Office Furniture, regardless of budget. Our design teams undertake numerous spacial layout projects every month, hailing from all sectors and budgetary constraints. When it comes to productive, innovative, top quality office layout and furniture, they’re true experts!

Meeting room

To many businesses, the meeting room is the hub of communication between business and client. The meeting room must always project a strong, capable representation of your brand to the client. When finances are a little tight but brand image is important, our ranges of meeting furniture make pertinent investment. We can also offer the free services of our accomplished spacial layout experts to help you choose the best furniture in terms of value, look and use.

Boardroom furniture

Our premium ranges of meeting tables, conference room chairs and so on are designed with sleek utility, luxury and first class brand image representation in mind. Firm studio favourite ranges include the modern “Bravo”, classic “Tropez” and innovative “Nirvana” ranges of boardroom furniture and meeting tables.

Free Space Planning service

Communicating a strong brand message in the meeting room or boardroom environment is essential and generally a prerequisite in the mind of all office layout experts. Our free Space Planning service was created to offer exceptional professional advice across the client spectrum, with highly satisfied clients including multinational brands right through to small business owners. We believe in offering furniture solutions across the board, regardless of business size.

Aside from perhaps an e-commerce presence, the reception area of your office is likely the point of first real world contact between your brand and a visitor. Creating a design and layout scheme – considering factors such as colour, reception furniture, reception desk height, etc – conducive to promoting your brand image, company ethos and message in the best possible light is crucial for a number of reasons.
• First impressions count. Is your reception area difficult to find? Do visitors have to walk past other staff to reach the reception area? Do you have a member of staff manning the reception desk at all times? Is the area bright? Is it clean? Have you used meeting room furniture unsuitable for the space? We make up our minds about first impressions in an instant.
• Like a website homepage, the reception area of your office can speak volumes about your company. If a visitor finds it difficult to understand simple elements like how to summon assistance or where to sit , brand reputation ramifications could be damaging.
• How a visitor is handled in the reception area could provide an instinctive template of what they can expect later in a relationship with your company. Factors such as shoddy reception furniture, bad lighting and (the cardinal sin) an un-manned reception desk makes your company appear shoddy, shady and unprepared.
If you’d like some advice concerning reception area layout, contact our fantastic space planning team for a free CAD layout of the most fitting design for your space.

Meeting tables are one of the most important pieces of furniture that you can have in an office. A good meeting table is the key to successful meetings, presentations, conferences and brainstorming sessions. The conference tables that you use in your office should be large enough for you to comfortably undertake all the work that needs to be done on it, as well as allowing all staff attending the meeting to sit around it comfortably with sufficient personal space. There are various choices that you have when it comes to meeting tables.

While square or rectangular tables are adequate for small meetings, if you’re likely to have more than 10 people attending, it can become difficult for everyone to see each other. For larger meetings, oval or elliptical-shaped boardroom tables are perfect. The curves on either side of the table allow everyone at the meeting to see each other without having to lean forward.

Smaller offices may not have the room to accommodate meeting tables. For these smaller spaces, folding conference tables are perfect. These meeting tables can be folded and stored in even the smallest of spaces, then assembled only when needed. Folding meeting tables are also highly portable and can turn any room into a meeting room.

Although they don’t use space particularly economically, round meeting tables can look extremely striking. These are great for smaller meetings consisting of about four to five people, but you’ll need a lot of space for a round table that can accommodate more people than that.