How To Set Up Tables For A Party

Say you are preparing for a meeting, or a conference, or a class, or a banquet, or a wedding, and you want to optimize the venue or space you are using so that the seating and tables are set upwards for the best attendee experience.

What blazon of layout or setup would you choose?

To be honest, determining the best upshot layouts or upshot setups isn't rocket science, equally there are basically 10-xv bones event layout designs that y'all can choose from that will fit the bill for 99% of the events that are produced (and we will hash out these in depth in this article).

All the same, you practise need to consider a few key criteria so that you tin more than easily identify which of these standard event room setups volition best apply to each of your events.

three Key Criteria When Determining the Optimal Effect Setup

Align the setup with your objectives and activities

Every upshot has a unique set of objectives when it comes to what y'all are trying to accomplish. For instance, conferences and meetings usually focus on networking and professional development. Galas, banquets and weddings focus on dining and guest interactions. Classes and seminars focus on education. And concerts and plays focus on the performances themselves.

Whatever the type of event, you should first place the objectives you have for your attendees and the activities that they will be participating in, which tin include:

Catered food service like sit-downward plated meals or buffet dining
Cocktail receptions and happy hours
Dancing
Keynote speakers or panel sessions
Lounges or tranquillity areas
Musical performances or DJs
Open up networking
Squad edifice or breakout groups
Video presentations or movie screenings

Once y'all have decided on your consequence objectives and activities, you should consider what the intended attendee feel should exist like and, in turn, how that volition be expressed through your event setup. Practise you want an open up, airy feeling nearly your effect? Do you want attendees to walk through your event in a specific route or follow a sequence of steps (seeing A then B so C)? Do you want your event setup to exist more modular where certain areas are devoted to certain activities? These are the things to inquire yourself upfront to optimize your attendee appointment earlier y'all move forrad with deciding on the proper event space design.

Maximize utilize of space

Every event planner and professional wants to go the well-nigh value out of the event venue rooms and spaces they hire, and equally such your event room setup should also make the nearly of every square foot with regard to your overall event objectives.

In addition, general managers, catering managers and group/upshot sales managers at restaurants, hotels, feast halls and other event centers too desire to optimize their infinite usage in guild to maximize how many events they can book over a given time menses.

The first step in doing this is to consider what kind of and how many chairs and tables you will require every bit well equally other items similar stages, podiums, dance floors, food and beverage stations, buffet setups, tents, audio visual elements (microphones, loudspeakers, video screens, etc.) and ring/DJ setups. Hint: Knowing your estimated headcount is of critical importance at this stage.

As well, the seating arrangements and seat positionings that all-time marshal with your upshot objectives should also exist a major cistron when looking at your desired effect layout diagram. So if a primary effect action includes a keynote speaker or performer, then your seats need to be directed toward the front end of the event. However, if your focus is more on networking or brainstorming, your outcome seating chart should facilitate attendee interactions (say with guests seated at tables or in small groups facing each other).

Look here for more all-time practices for event layout and pattern.

Consider the needs of your squad, clients, vendors and setup coiffure

Nosotros have said before on this blog that events don't plan themselves, and this certainly applies when identifying the ideal effect setup.

As such, information technology'south always a expert practice at this phase to consult and collaborate with other stakeholders and key decision makers for your event, which can include your staff, clients, contractors, A/V personnel, volunteers and setup team. These people should exist on lath with your decisions regarding the effect setup and be able to hands visualize the layout and the flow of the effect.

To assist this collaborative process, yous would exist wise to develop an event flooring plan diagram ahead of time that reflects the blazon of setup you have selected. These consequence diagrams should ideally exist to-scale and include all elements (tables, chairs, furniture, etc.) that yous are considering. There are several deject-based event layout software tools bachelor that can automate the process of creating these issue space designs and ensure yous are using the proper dimensions for your diagrams. (And here is a list of the top issue design tools on the market.)

With all this said, hither are the virtually popular event setups used past event professionals and planners.

Top x Event Layouts for Seating and Table Plans

Feast Setup

Ideal for: dinners, luncheons, banquets, galas, fundraisers, weddings, presentations, entertainment, workshops, honour or recognition ceremonies

This result setup is one of the most heavily relied on primarily because it maximizes your space for seated dining at catered events, whether they be a plated meals or buffet-style dinners.

Traditional Banquet w/ Round Tables

The traditional banquet seating layout has chairs placed all around the circumference of round tables (5' or 6' in diameter) to maximize space usage. Notwithstanding, this would require some guests with their dorsum to the phase/podium/presenter to turn their chairs effectually afterwards the meal is completed.

Nuptials setups and reception room setups often follow this round banquet style, simply you volition also find concern events and fundraising galas use this setup because it works great for both dining and presentation or entertainment activities.

Alternative: Cabaret

The cabaret room setup - also chosen crescent rounds setup - differs from the round table banquet layout past placing chairs in a semicircle around the one-half of the table facing the stage/podium/presenter. Although this doubles the number of tables you volition need, it ensures that all guests tin hands view the front of the event without having to turn their chairs. As such, it makes for a nifty wedding ceremony table setup or meeting table setup.

Family-Way Banquet w/ Rectangular Tables

A variation of this entails substituting circular tables for long feast tables (viii' ten 2.5' or 6' x 2.5' tables), lining these tables up end-to-end and placing chairs along the long sides. This is often called family-mode banquet seating and encourages more than interaction among guests.

Cocktail Setup

Ideal for: pre-result cocktail hours, social events, networking, tastings, heavy-appetizer events

If your event is shorter in duration, has minimal presentations or entertainment planned, or is intended to encourage attendee interaction, the cocktail upshot setup may exist a practiced choice.

This is a very flexible outcome room setup that maximizes how many people can comfortably fit into your infinite, and it frequently includes high-top tables with stools, cafe setups for pre-made cocktails and appetizers, drinkable stations and seating on the periphery.

Lounge Setup

Ideal for: more relaxed networking, social events, networking, relaxation or suspension areas, cocktail hours, tastings

If y'all desire attendees to really let down their hair and relax, a lounge setup is a swell option for encouraging guests to get comfortable for an hr or two and appoint in informal conversations over cocktails or coffee.

Great as a stand-alone event setup for networking events or cocktail hours, the lounge setup besides functions well as a secondary area within your upshot infinite to let guests to take a break from your chief activities, specially if those activities involve longer periods of sitting, active listening or learning.

Classroom Setup

Ideal for: classes or courses, seminars, workshops, training, smaller conferences or meetings, presentations, events with estimator usage or note-taking

The classroom style room setup is one of the more than popular meeting room setups because it allows seated attendees to face the front; gives them tables on which to have notes or use computers; and lets attendees interact in small groups with tablemates.

Every bit such, information technology is a favored layout among hotels and corporate result centers for setting up for modest conferences, seminars, training and examination-taking, and it is also probably the near popular workshop room setup for educators likewise as a frequently used lecture style room setup.

Alternative: Classroom Chevron

The chevron coming together room setup differs from the classroom manner only in the fact that the tables are slanted slightly and so attendees are more focused on a key point at the front of the room. This makes the space a bit more intimate and allows attendees to more easily see one some other.

Breakout Setup

Platonic for: pocket-size group activity, speed networking or dating, classes, team building, brainstorming, training, workshops

For starters, this effect setup goes by lots of names, including breakout, cluster or pod style setup. However, the idea and intent for each are the same: to space out tables or pods throughout your consequence space so modest groups or teams tin sit or cluster effectually the tables and collaborate, begin and share ideas freely.

The type of seating and table program you cull for this layout type really depends on how active or focused you want your participants to be. For instance, if you want attendees to rotate tables or change out group members frequently, yous may desire to opt for high-top tables with stools or even no seating to facilitate lots of movement.

Conversely, if you want attendees to stay with the same group and be able to focus attentively for a longer catamenia of time, small square tables or circular tables with chairs may be a better option.

Rail Setup

Ideal for: way shows, speaking engagements, promotional events, fundraisers (with auctions), performances, concerts, award and recognition ceremonies

This may exist the most self-explanatory issue room setup included here, as information technology entails a long and ofttimes wide aisle for models, speakers, performers or emcees to walk downwardly and amble around while the audience focuses on them. Attendees are seated either in a single row backside tables or in tiered rows on risers that run parallel to the aisle to afford a close-up view of the action walking past you.

Note that the alley width will determine how much infinite you have left over for seating, and so make sure the room you select is broad plenty to accommodate your expected headcount.

Auditorium Setup

Ideal for: performances, concerts, keynote speakers, presentations, training, galas, conferences, conventions, meetings, seminars, promotional events, trade shows, award and recognition ceremonies

If you're planning an event where you lot need to pack em' in and maximize every square foot/meter of space, the auditorium or theatre manner room setup is definitely your best choice.

This result setup includes many parallel rows of chairs (with rows at least 2 feet autonomously from each other and chairs at to the lowest degree iii inches apart from each other) all facing a stage, dias or central signal at the front and aisles that run perpendicular to the chair rows to allow for easy ingress/egress to and from seats.

If you lot offer dissimilar activities (similar dining or networking) or need to comprise a trade show design along with a centralized mass meeting surface area, you tin incorporate a theater setup into your event if you have the infinite (which is what well-nigh larger conference style setups do).

Culling: Auditorium Chevron

Similar in design to the classroom chevron setup, this as well employs fishing the chair rows toward a center focal point at the front, making the setting a bit more intimate and assuasive attendees to see each other ameliorate. For more than participatory mass events, the theater chevron setup - likewise called herringbone setup - would work well.

Boardroom Setup

Platonic for: pocket-sized meetings or conferences, board of directors meetings, breakouts, committees, small presentations, small classes, working lunches

Finally we will await at some of the more popular smaller meeting room layout designs, and probably the most mutual is the boardroom or briefing room setup.

This can consist of one big table in the middle of the room or, if more participants will be involved, arranging four large foursquare or rectangular tables together. Chairs are arranged around the perimeter of the tabular array(south), encouraging interaction and chat, with potentially a leader or speaker in front of a whiteboard or screen.

The large table also makes the boardroom way room setup perfect for dining if attendees need to eat tiffin between sessions or accept java breaks.

Hollow Square Setup

Ideal for: minor meetings or conferences,, breakouts, committees, small presentations, modest classes, working lunches

Very like to the boardroom meeting design, the hollow foursquare room setup typically allows for more people to be seated around the perimeter and for i or more speakers or presenters in the middle to serve as a focal bespeak.

This event layout plan also encourages participation (and is conducive to luncheon-type dining) while opening up the space a bit and so attendees don't experience cramped.

U-Shape Setup

Ideal for: small meetings or conferences, training, breakouts, workshops, small presentations, small classes

This smaller meeting room setup is a bang-up choice if you want your attendees focused on a speaker or presentation at the front end of the room while however making the space amenable for word and participation.

The U-shaped meeting room setup can include chairs effectually the outside perimeter of the U or, if you need to fit more than people in the room, around the entire circumference of the U (this is sometimes chosen the purple setup).

If you choose the latter, just go on in mind that, similar the banquet room setup, half your attendees will demand to turn their chairs around to face the forepart when necessary, so you may not want to utilize this setup if you have lots of presentations planned.

Bonus: Chair-Only Setups

Ideal for: brainstorming, networking, training, workshops, retreats, team edifice, seminars, focus groups

If y'all want to remove concrete barriers between your attendees then they can communicate face-to-face and unimpeded, a seating layout without tables or other piece of furniture is a cracking idea.

These chair-only result setups can include the following:

Circle setups - Chairs placed facing each other in a full circle with possibly ane or a few chairs in the heart for group leaders/presenters.
Semicircle setups - Chairs placed facing each other in a half circumvolve with 1 or a few chairs on the open side of the semicircle for group leaders/presenters.
Horseshoe setups - Like to a semicircle (with an open finish and chairs in open up expanse for group leaders/presenters) simply with chairs placed in a U-shape so more than people can be seated.

Hopefully yous have a clearer picture now of the pinnacle consequence layouts and how you can apply them to your events for the best attendee feel. (And if yous need additional data besides what is provided in this post, attempt this article on event layouts and this mail service on meeting room layouts.)

Source: https://blog.planningpod.com/2019/11/20/event-layouts-and-room-setups-a-comprehensive-guide/