How to Set Up a Conference Room: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Sets: where everyone sits Power built in

The table is the biggest thing in the room, so size the table to the room before anything else. Our conference table size calculator asks for the room's length and width, whether a credenza will sit along a wall, how many people meet and how much space you want around the table. Then it shows which sizes fit. Our conference table size guide explains the numbers behind it.

Our default pick is the 12 Person Conference Table. Its name describes the 12 ft size, which seats 10 to 12 people; the 8 ft seats 6 to 8 and the 10 ft 8 to 10. Every length has two power units built into the top and ships in 2-3 business days.

If 14 or more people meet regularly, look at a 16 ft table, which we build to order. The 12 ft seats 14 only with a chair at each end. Our guide to the best conference tables of 2026 compares the larger tables.

Try this: measure the room wall to wall, then run those numbers through the calculator before you choose a length.

Sets: who faces whom Boardroom fits one table

Three common layouts are worth knowing. Cornell University's event scheduling office describes each one:

• Boardroom: everyone sits around one closed table. Cornell says this setup is built for close interaction and for smaller groups. It suits discussions, decisions and video calls.
• U-shape: tables form a U that opens toward the front of the room, where a speaker leads the discussion. Cornell says it works for smaller groups in rectangle-shaped rooms.
• Classroom: rows of tables and chairs, all facing the front. It takes a lot of space, so Cornell says it needs a very large room.

Our conference tables are built for the boardroom layout: one table, one group, everyone facing each other. A U-shape or a classroom setup takes several tables. The diagram below shows all three from above.

Try this: if most of your meetings are discussions and video calls, not lectures, choose the boardroom layout.

Fixes: cords across the floor Needs: a floor outlet

Microsoft's planning guide for Teams meeting rooms says power should be provided at the table, for the people in the meeting, and where the screen and camera are mounted. Plan both before the furniture comes.

On the 12 Person Conference Table the power is already in the top. Two flip-up units sit flush in the surface, and each one has 3 outlets, 2 USB-A ports, 2 USB-C ports and an on/off switch. Laptop and phone cords plug in at the table and pass through a brush strip with the lid down. For a table without power, our guide to conference table power options compares the ways to add it.

Each unit has its own power cord that drops under the table, so plan a floor outlet under the table, near one of the power units. Then the cords go straight down to the floor instead of across it to a wall.

No floor outlet, say in a leased office? Run the cords to the nearest wall outlet under a flat cord cover, away from doorways and never under a rug, as the U.S. Fire Administration advises. An extension cord is a stopgap, not a fix: the Consumer Product Safety Commission says extension cords should only be used temporarily, so ask the building about adding a floor outlet.

Try this: mark where the two power units will sit on your floor plan, and put the floor outlet under the table near one of them.

Fixes: squinting at slides Works for video calls

Hang the screen on the short wall at one end of the table, so people on both long sides can see it with a small turn of the chair.

To size it, measure from the screen wall to the farthest seat. Microsoft's planning guide sizes the screen from that distance: the farther that seat, the bigger the screen needs to be.

For video calls, Microsoft says the camera belongs at the front of the room, below the screen and above the tabletop, so it sees everyone at close to eye level. Give the screen and camera their own outlet and network connection where they mount.

To show a laptop on the screen, run an HDMI or USB-C cable from the table to the screen under a cable cover or through a floor box, or use a wireless presentation device. The power units on the 12 Person Conference Table have no HDMI port.

Try this: tape a paper outline of the screen on the wall and look at it from the farthest chair before you buy.

Fixes: blocked walkways Spares for big meetings

Count chairs for your biggest regular meeting, not the once-a-year all-hands. On the 12 Person Conference Table, plan 6 to 8 chairs on the 8 ft, 8 to 10 on the 10 ft and 10 to 12 on the 12 ft. Our calculator can also add two seats for growth.

Leave room behind every chair to pull out, and room for someone to walk behind a seated person. Our size calculator builds that space into every size it suggests.

For the few meetings that outgrow the table, keep extra chairs along a wall. Microsoft's boardroom plans do the same, with extra seats around the edge of the room for overflow. Our guide to conference table sizes for 6, 8, 10 and 12 people covers seating in more depth.

Try this: pull one chair all the way out and walk behind it before you settle on a table length.

Fixes: echo and dark faces on calls Rugs and wall panels help

Light the room evenly from above. Microsoft's guide says no one should look washed out or sit in the dark, and it warns against light shining straight at the screen, which adds glare. Put blinds or shades on every window, so you can block daylight during a call, and use dimmable lights to tune the room.

Keep bright light behind people out of the camera's view, or their faces turn into silhouettes.

For sound, Microsoft asks for sound-absorbing panels on at least two walls and a carpeted or sound-treated floor, to cut echo. Sound-absorbing ceiling tiles help in rooms with high ceilings. Place the microphones so every seat is within their range. For the look of the room, from wood slat walls to pendant lights, see our guide to modern conference rooms.

Try this: clap once in the empty room. If you hear a ring or an echo, add panels or a rug before the first call.

Fixes: a table stuck at the curb Mostly assembled on arrival

The 12 Person Conference Table ships in 2-3 business days, and freight typically takes 3-10 business days after it ships. It arrives on one pallet, mostly assembled: 5 pieces for the 8 ft and 7 pieces for the 10 and 12 ft.

Free curbside and dock freight is standard in the continental US. The carrier calls 24 to 48 hours before delivery to schedule a 4-hour window, and the driver leaves the table at your curb, driveway, front door or loading dock, not inside. Someone over 18 has to sign. If you want it carried in and placed in the room, choose White Glove Delivery at checkout when you order.

With curbside delivery, have a loading dock or two people ready to carry the pieces in, and check that they fit through your doors and turns. Inspect the pallet before you sign, and write any damage on the bill of lading. Once it is unpacked, we estimate about 10 minutes to put it together with a screwdriver.

Try this: plan your first meeting for a few days after the delivery window, not the same morning.