04 Sep, 2026
What Is a Conference Room? Sizes, Setups and Costs
A conference room is a private, bookable space for formal meetings and presentations. Here's how it differs from a meeting room, plus sizes and kit.
What is a conference room?
A conference room is a private, enclosed space designed for formal meetings, presentations and video calls. It usually seats between eight and twenty people around a central table, and comes equipped with a screen, video-conferencing kit and a whiteboard.
The name is often used interchangeably with "meeting room", but in practice a conference room is the larger and more formal of the two — built for structured sessions with an agenda, rather than quick catch-ups.
Conference room vs meeting room
The difference comes down to size, formality and equipment:
- Capacity — conference rooms typically seat 8–20+; meeting rooms usually seat 2–8.
- Formality — conference rooms suit board meetings, client presentations and training. Meeting rooms suit stand-ups, interviews and one-to-ones.
- Equipment — conference rooms almost always include a large screen, conferencing camera and speakerphone. Meeting rooms may only have a screen, or nothing at all.
- Booking length — conference rooms are commonly booked by the half-day; meeting rooms by the hour.
- Layout — conference rooms can be reconfigured into boardroom, U-shape or theatre style. Meeting rooms are usually fixed.
If you need to present to a group, book a conference room. If you need a private space for a conversation, a meeting room is cheaper and easier to find.
Typical conference room sizes
- Small (8–10 people) — boardroom layout, single screen. Best for team reviews and client meetings.
- Medium (12–16 people) — boardroom or U-shape, larger display, dedicated conferencing camera. Best for workshops and training.
- Large (20+ people) — theatre or classroom layout, projector or video wall, often a microphone system. Best for all-hands sessions, launches and seminars.
As a rule of thumb, allow around 2 square metres per person for boardroom seating, and rather more if people need to move around or break into groups.
What equipment should you expect?
Most bookable conference rooms include a wall-mounted screen with HDMI or wireless casting, a camera and speakerphone for remote participants, a whiteboard or flip chart, fast Wi-Fi, and power at every seat. Larger rooms may add a projector, microphones or a dedicated AV technician.
Always check the individual listing before booking — video-conferencing quality varies far more between venues than the room photos suggest.
How to book a conference room by the hour
You don't need an office lease or a membership to use one. Most venues rent by the hour or half-day, with instant online confirmation.
