Lighting and Power at the Meeting Table

Two practical things decide whether a meeting room works day to day, and neither is the furniture.

Power where people sit

If sockets are only at the walls, cables cross the floor. Work out where devices will actually be and get power to those points properly rather than with an extension lead across a walkway.

Surge protection

Several devices on one strip is normal in a meeting room. A protected strip is a small cost against the equipment plugged into it.

Task light beats overhead light

Overhead lighting is designed for the room, not for reading a document at one end of a table. An adjustable lamp at the working position solves a problem that a brighter ceiling fitting does not.

Glare on screens

Check where light falls when the blinds are open and a screen is in use. The best-lit room is unusable if the projector or monitor washes out at eleven in the morning.