Choosing a lectern can often be a bigger task than most people realise. With so many styles and materials to pick from, how do you choose the right one? We’ve pulled together our top 10 tips for choosing the perfect lectern.
When buying a new lectern, it’s important to think about how it could have the most impact. The top 10 things to think about when choosing a lectern are:
Venue/audience size
Lectern height
Lectern width
Lectern angle
Setting the tone
Matching the theme
Functionality
Practicality
Materials
Accessories
Read on to find out how to choose a lectern and our top 10 tips for choosing the right lectern.
How To Choose a Lectern
When choosing a new lectern for an event, conference, school, church, or speech, there are 3 factors that are important to consider. Getting any of these wrong can affect the impact of the speech and make the speaker feel less confident.
On the other hand, the perfect lectern can assist the speaker with their notes and microphone, enhance their visibility, provide confidence, set the tone for the speech, and match the theme of the overall event.
Here are our top 10 tips on how to choose a lectern:
Consider the Venue Size
It’s important to consider the size of the venue and audience when choosing a lectern. If it’s going to be used in a huge event hall, a large lectern like the Arena Church Pulpit could work well to make the speaker visible from a distance. However, if it’s in a small venue with a small stage, a large lectern might look out of place and you might want to opt for something like the Shaftesbury Walnut Lectern.
Lectern Height
What Is the best height for a lectern? A lectern generally has a height of 105cm, meaning that the reading surface will be about the same height as a door handle. This height will suit the majority of speakers, but if you’re holding an event with an extreme range of speaker heights, you could also opt for an adjustable height lectern.
Lectern Width
The two factors that influence lectern width are the size of the stage and the amount the speaker needs to move around. If the stage is huge and the speaker doesn’t want to move from behind the lectern, a wider lectern like the Feather Oak Church Lectern might offer more stage presence.
On the other hand, if the stage is small and the speaker wants to move around the stage freely, opt for a thinner lectern such as the Abacus Clear Acrylic Lectern that won’t get in the way.
Lectern Angle
What Is the Best Angle for a Lectern? The angle of a lectern's top panel is largely dependent on personal preference. The angle can be anywhere between 15 to 45 degrees.
Choosing a steeper angle will suit people who aren’t as tall, whereas anyone who’s much taller than the lectern will normally prefer a less angled top.
Set the Tone
If the lectern is for yourself or a specific speaker, it’s a great idea to set the tone of the speaker. A traditional wooden lectern can portray safety, trustworthiness, and power whereas a sleek, modern design suggests innovation and progression.
You’ll need to consider this so that you can match what’s being talked about with the style of the lectern. This is something that UK Prime Ministers do, with each new PM creating their own lectern to match their style. Find out more about the different Prime Minister lecterns in our blog on Prime Minister Lecterns Through The Years.
Match the Theme
Similarly to matching the tone of the speech, you can also match the overall theme of the event. This can often be more important than matching the speaker, as an environmental conference will usually want a modern design even if the speakers come across as more traditional.
Functionality
Lecterns come with a range of functionality options, these can include things like:
A larger lip at the bottom of the top to hold larger books/laptops
Wheels
Drawers, cupboards, or extra storage shelves below the top
It’s important to think about how the lectern will be used and ensure that all of the functionality that’s needed is present.
Practicality
When thinking about how the lectern will be used, ensure that the lectern is practical. If the lectern will be transported from event to event, having a large heavy-duty lectern will be challenging to move around. In this case, a foldaway lectern or a smaller, lighter lectern might be a better option.
Materials
The material that you choose can affect both the overall style and look of the lectern, as well as the practicality of the lectern. A wooden lectern will look traditional and impressive but will be much heavier than an acrylic lectern.
Accessories
There are a few different accessories that can be added to a lectern. These can make things easier for the speaker when they’re giving their talk, but they need to be considered before buying the lectern to ensure that they’ll work together. Here are a few accessory ideas that you need to consider:
Built-in PA system
Reading light
Choose the Perfect Lectern With Nova Lecterns
At Nova Lecterns, we have a wide range of lecterns to suit every event and occasion. Whether you’re looking for a traditional wooden lectern to provide a sense of formality or an acrylic lectern to portray innovation, we have you covered.
Visit our Products page to view our lecterns or get in touch with us for advice on how to choose the perfect lectern for you.