How to Integrate Power and IT into a Conference Table

Weekly Workplace Insight – September 27, 2022
By Ben Markham

Are you tired of unsightly wires underneath your conference table?

Conference and meeting rooms are on the rise in the office, and often the electrical and IT cables are added at the last minute, resulting in a big mess under the table or across the floor.

Q: How do I integrate power & technology into conference tables, so it looks nice?

A: The conference table base and cable guides must be large enough to accommodate your cable bundle to go from source to destination.

Start by determining where you can access your electrical, A/V, and IT in the conference room (source) and where you want people to access (destination). Then we decide how to run the cables from the supply point to the user.

Where is your accessible space? The ceiling? The floor? Will you need to run cables through either?

Choosing the right table and base is critical as conference tables can have power and technology modules in the center, edge, or end of the table, affecting the cable routing.

Some considerations in determining the right conference table and module locations:

Will people bring computers and other devices that need charging modules at each seat?
Will many people be speaking, so you would need multiple microphones?
Will you typically only present from one end of the table?
If not, will you need HDMI connections at each seat so anyone can present, or do you want the ability to connect wirelessly to a monitor?
Will the table length require multiple modules and base support?

Based on these decisions, you can determine the location of power modules at the table’s center or on the edges.

The more modules you need, the larger the bundle of wires to manage under the table. In addition to power cables, cables for network, HDMI, microphones, and USB also increase the bundle size. You’ll need to ensure the table base can accommodate the size of the wire bundle you need. Also, some tables only have access to the wire manager during installation. A wire access door is an efficient solution for keeping the space looking nice and clean. This device keeps wires out of sight but neatly organized within the table.

When to select your Conference Table

Selecting your conference table in the beginning phases of construction is essential to include it in the plan for the room. The room’s construction should consider the size and style of the table. Table accessibility and if any power or IT sources need to be installed through the floor to match the table base are easier to resolve during the construction phase. Your AV/electrician/ IT people should also review the table requirements for connecting to modules in tabletops.

Wire Management for Conference Rooms

Selecting the right power and data options, from a large conference room down to a small huddle space, can be challenging.

Display Connectivity to consider:

What sort of display connections are needed? Examples are HDMI and wireless.

Is the display located at the correct height for its size? Consider the screen distance from the table to ensure it is clear and readable.

Understanding what connections your displays require can impact the specification of your table.

As there are many conference table options, styles, and sizes, you may want to work with a designer to do furniture leveling. They will build a comparison of several different models and types of tables for you to review.

A commercial furniture dealer, such as Jefferson Group, can manage these and other considerations for you, ensuring that your finished conference room is functional, clean, and professional.

Images courtesy of Nucraft and Krug