Boardroom Table Power: What to Plan Before an Office Fitout
A boardroom table without power ends up with leads across the floor, laptops going flat mid-meeting and someone crawling under the table looking for a spare socket.
Getting power, data and HDMI to the boardroom table is simple when it's planned early. It's expensive to fix once the floor and the table are in.
Why boardroom tables need power, data and HDMI at the table
Most meetings now run from a laptop. People need to charge, connect to the network and share a screen, often all at once. Putting those connections in the table itself means:
| Power | No power boards or extension leads on the floor, and no flat laptops halfway through a meeting. |
|---|---|
| Data | A wired network connection for video calls that can't afford to drop out. |
| HDMI | Present straight from the table, without running a cable to the wall. |
| USB-A and USB-C | Charge phones and tablets without adaptors. |
Where the power comes from
In most boardrooms the power doesn't come from the ceiling or the walls. It comes up through a floor box set into the slab or raised floor under the table, then runs up through a table leg or cable tray to the unit in the tabletop.
Ceiling drops are possible, but they put a pole in the middle of the room and rarely suit a meeting space. Wall outlets only work for tables pushed against a wall, which boardroom tables usually aren't.
Why glass-walled meeting rooms make this harder
Glass walls can’t carry a power point, so in rooms built with office glass partitions the power has to come up through the floor and the table.
That makes the floor box position critical. It needs to sit under the table, clear of the table legs, and close enough that the cable run up into the tabletop is short and hidden.
If the table moves after the floor box goes in, you're left with an exposed box or a cable across the carpet.
Fix the table position first, then place the floor box to suit it.
Choosing a table power unit
A good table power unit sits flush when it's not in use, so the table looks clean for meetings that don't need it, and gives everyone the connections they need when it does.
The Point Pod Boardroom was designed for meeting tables. Press the top and an electric motor raises the unit out of the table. Press it again and it lowers back down, flush with the tabletop.
The top is fitted with a piece of your own table material, so when it's closed the unit almost disappears.
A few practical points before you order:
| Cut-out | A 102mm hole in the tabletop, plus a 93mm insert (up to 20mm deep) cut from the same material for the top. Our 102mm hole saw cuts both in one go. |
|---|---|
| Power | The power outlets run from a single 240V cable and plug, which connects to the floor box under the table. |
| Data and video | The RJ45 and HDMI ports are passthrough connections, with matching ports on the underside of the unit. Run your network and display cables to those ports from the floor box. |
| Under-table space | The body extends about 560mm below the table when closed. Check it clears leg frames, modesty panels and cable trays. |
| Table thickness | Check your tabletop thickness before ordering. See our guide to maximum benchtop thickness for Point Pods. |
What needs to be decided before the fitout starts
If you’re planning office fitouts in Sydney, lock in the floor box position before the flooring goes down.
Before work starts, agree on:
| 1. Table size and position | The floor box goes where the table goes, so this has to be fixed first. |
|---|---|
| 2. How many units, and where | Mark each unit position on the table drawing, clear of legs and frames. |
| 3. The cable route | Decide how cables get from the floor box to each unit: through a leg, a cable spine or a tray under the top. |
| 4. Data and AV | Tell your IT and AV installers which ports are at the table, so they run network and HDMI cables to the floor box. |
| 5. Who cuts the table | Give the table maker the 102mm cut-out positions and ask them to cut the 93mm inserts from the same material. |
Getting these five things agreed early means the boardroom works on day one, without leads on the floor or holes cut in the wrong place.
Related products
Quick specification guide
| Model | Point Pod Boardroom (PPMBT) |
|---|---|
| Outlets | 2 Australian power outlets, USB-A, USB-C, RJ45 data, HDMI |
| Operation | Motorised lift, activated by pressing the top |
| Installation hole | 102mm |
| Insert top | 93mm diameter, up to 20mm deep, cut from your table material |
| Length | 560mm closed, 840mm open |
| Power supply | Single 240V cable and plug, 1.8m |
Questions?
If you're planning a boardroom and want to check the Point Pod Boardroom will suit your table, email us at contact@modernpowersolutions.com.au.
