AV Design for Boardrooms and Meeting Rooms

AV system anatomy

Commercial meeting-room AV systems include:

• Display — typically 65"–98" LED/OLED panel or projection
• Camera — PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom), intelligent framing, 4K resolution
• Microphones — ceiling array, beamforming, typically Shure MXA or Sennheiser TeamConnect
• Speakers — ceiling-recessed or wall-mounted
• Control system — Crestron, Extron, Q-SYS, Biamp
• Video conferencing platform — Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms, Webex
• Touch-panel control — in-room tablet for users
• Cable management — clean cable entry, table boxes, floor sockets

AV scope split — fit-out contractor vs AV specialist

Standard split:

Scope item	Fit-out contractor	AV specialist
Containment — conduit, cable tray	✓	—
Wall boxes, floor sockets, TV mounting points	✓	—
Power supply to AV positions	✓	—
Structured cabling (Cat 6A/Cat 7)	Sometimes	Sometimes
Display, camera, microphone supply	—	✓
Control system and programming	—	✓
Commissioning and user training	—	✓

Fit-out contractor delivers the infrastructure; AV specialist delivers the systems and programming.

Cable management — the detail that matters

Meeting-room cable management separates a professional AV install from an amateur one:

• Table boxes — flush-mount connectivity (HDMI, USB-C, power) integrated into table surface
• Floor sockets — modular units under table for power and data
• Cable trough — under-table management for ad-hoc laptop connections
• Ceiling cable drops — projector/camera power in hidden conduit
• Display back-box — clean termination for HDMI, power, network

Acoustic considerations in AV rooms

Good video conferencing requires acoustic performance. Key factors:

• Reverberation time — target 0.4–0.6 seconds. Achieve with carpet, acoustic ceiling, wall absorbers.
• Background noise — target NR25 or better. HVAC diffusers and fan-coil units can undermine this.
• Partition Rw — for confidential discussions, Rw 48+ blocks speech from adjacent rooms.
• Microphone positioning — ceiling array 1.2–1.8m above table, covering seated speakers.

Meeting-room size by AV requirement

Room size	Capacity	AV recommendation
Small huddle	2–4 people	55" display, USB camera, table mic
Standard meeting	6–8 people	65"–75" display, PTZ camera, beamforming mic
Large meeting	10–14 people	85"–98" display, dual camera, ceiling mic array
Boardroom	14–22 people	Dual displays, auto-tracking camera, ceiling mic array, Q-SYS DSP
Town hall	40+	LED wall or large projection, multi-camera, DSP audio, streaming capability

What we do

Full AV containment integrated with CAT B fit-out. AV system design and install typically through specialist partner (Kinly, Pure AV, Viju). See Office Fit-Out, Lighting & Electrical, Office Partitioning.

FAQs