Can speaker’s desks be mobile and stable at the same time?

When is a speaker’s desk needed?

Are lecterns still needed at all? – If you think of Steve Jobs’ presentations, the answer is clearly no. And yet … Lectern lecterns have definitely not had their day yet. Politicians like to use a lectern. Even at general meetings the lectern is by no means obsolete. Think also of TV shows or talk shows – the lectern is a popular tool for conversations or discussions here, too.

What are the advantages of a speaker’s desk?

With a lectern, the location of a speaker can be clearly defined in advance. This ensures, for example, that the speaker is at the location that is best visible from all spectator seats. The lighting can be clearly defined in advance so that the speaker is clearly visible right up to the back rows of the audience. Perhaps a recording of the speech should also be made and a shot is much easier to take if the speaker is standing still instead of constantly moving. But probably the most important point is the acoustics. The speaker should be heard clearly and distinctly up to the lowest ranks.

Minimum requirements for a speaker’s desk

If a lectern is used, it should meet certain minimum requirements. Of course, these vary from user to user, but the most important features can still be summarized briefly: A lectern should give the speaker security. It must be stable and should not be able to become independent and roll away. The speaker should also be able to lean on the lectern. It also serves as a privacy screen and should be height-adjustable if possible, as each speaker is likely to be of different sizes. Depending on the location, it is also very important that the desk can be moved quickly and easily. It should therefore have castors with brakes or an integrated lifting system. The correct design of the lectern then gives the speech the necessary gloss.

• security
• stability
• visibility protection
• height adjustability
• mobility
• design

Thus, the interaction of functionality and design is a very important factor for a lectern, because it is well known that the eye also eats.

Additional functions of lecterns

In addition to the minimum requirements described above, a lectern may need to offer many other features. These must be adapted according to the purpose and location of use. The following additional functions are possible:

• footrest
• lighting
• microphone
• swivelling laptop tray
• electric height adjustment
• WLAN router or amplifier
• USB connections
• power connections
• built-in presentation monitor
• built-in speakers
• touchscreen or tablet

Mobile, but stable at the same time – is this possible?

Lecternally lecterns are equipped with castors with brakes. But this is very often a somewhat shaky thing and usually doesn’t look so nice either, because the audience usually looks directly at the construction or the castors. These are mostly covered with flower arrangements. The speaker should never get the idea to lean against the lectern. And yet – to do without the mobility of a lectern means an additional effort when setting up the presentation room. The matter seems to be tricky …

But there are ways to solve this problem. There are systems which can be built into the base of a lectern. They are not visible to the viewer. Thanks to the system or lifting system the lectern can be lifted on castors and moved quickly and easily in one easy step. The System is operated either by a detachable external hand lever or an internal hand lever. Once the lectern has been moved to its destination, it can easily be lowered again and then stands securely and stably on the floor again.

Stability is therefore compatible with mobility and this in an elegant way.