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Most Popular Room Setups and Event Seating styles for your Big Day

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Most Popular Room Setups and Event Seating styles for your Big Day

Are you planning an event and need to choose the right event seating styles? Not sure where to start? This blog post will help you decide which seating style is best for your event. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of each type of seating so that you can make the best decision for your guests. Let’s get started!

1. Theatre

For the most part, events feature a theatre-style seating layout.
For the most part, events feature a theatre-style seating layout.

A theatre-style seating arrangement is the most basic and widely used in events. The seating is found in a theatre or cinema, with chairs aligned in consecutive straight rows. Some venues, such as a university lecture, can have these at different heights, allowing for more seats in a smaller space.

Advantages:

  • All of the seats face forward, towards the front of the function room. – The function room has a maximum seated capacity.

Disadvantages:

  • The audience is crammed in, forcing people to push past each other to enter and exit the seating area.
  • Aisles are required to provide adequate access to the seating area.
  • There is no provision for taking notes or consuming plated food and beverages.

2. Classroom

Having everyone seated in a row, like in a classroom, makes paying attention to the performance or lecture easy.
Having everyone seated in a row, like in a classroom, makes paying attention to the performance or lecture easy.

The Classroom style seating, as the name implies, is similar to that found in a school or lecture theatre, with chairs and trestle tables aligned in consecutive straight rows.

Advantages:

  • All seats face forward towards the stage and the front of the function room, allowing for note-taking and consuming plated food and beverages.
  • Excellent for focusing on the stage and speaker content rather than being distracted by another attendee.

Disadvantages:

  • Once again, the audience is hemmed in, making it difficult for members to enter and exit.
  • Aisles are required to provide adequate access to the seating area.
  • The trestle tables reduce the seating capacity.
  • Because the audience is not facing each other, they are less likely to interact.

3. U Shape

To maximize U-shaped seating, consider how you'll utilize the room's centre and sides.
To maximize U-shaped seating, consider how you’ll utilize the room’s centre and sides.

This seating style is shaped like the letter U, with tables and chairs arranged in an open-ended configuration with the audience facing inwards.

Advantages:

  • The open end allows for a presentation area or focal point.
  • Enables the speaker to interact with each audience member.
  • The interaction between audience members is improved by having them face each other.

Disadvantages:

  • Inefficient use of floor space, resulting in reduced seating capacity.
  • A large proportion of the audience is seated side-on to the presentation area.

4. Horse Shoe

When presenting or having a roundtable discussion with a large group, the horseshoe layout is the norm.
When presenting or having a roundtable discussion with a large group, the horseshoe layout is the norm.

This style is similar to U Shape, but instead of tables, there are chairs arranged in an open-ended U-Shaped configuration with the audience facing inwards.

Advantages:

  • The open end serves as a focal point and provides space for a presentation area.
  • Gives the presenter a chance to interact with and approach each audience member.

Disadvantages:

  • Inefficient use of floor space, resulting in reduced seating capacity.
  • Aisles are required to ensure adequate access and egress to the seating area.
  • There is no provision for taking notes or consuming plated food and beverages.

5. Hollow Square

Configuration of Hollow Square seating is arranged in a square (or rectangle), and chairs are arranged around the perimeter of the table.
Configuration of Hollow Square seating is arranged in a square (or rectangle), and chairs are arranged around the perimeter of the table.

This style is similar to the U Shape, but it has four sides and no open end, and the audience is all facing inwards.

Advantages:

  • Fully enhanced audience interaction, with all audience members facing each other
  • • Allows the audience to consume plated food and beverage easily

Disadvantages:

  • Seating capacity is reduced;
  • No main presentation area or focal point is possible.

6. Board Room

Restricts the area of focus or presentation to the far end of the table.
Restricts the area of focus or presentation to the far end of the table.

This style is a scaled-down version of the Hollow Square or U Shape, but it features a large elongated table with the audience all facing inwards.

Advantages:

  • Encourages audience interaction because everyone is facing inwards.

Disadvantages:

  • Limits the location of a presentation area or focal point, typically to the table’s end.

7. Banquet

What is banquet-style seating?
What is banquet-style seating?

Banquet seating is similar to a round dining table, with the audience seated around the table’s circumference facing inwards.

Advantages:

  • Audience interaction has been greatly enhanced, with all audience members facing each other.

Disadvantages:

  • The audience is cramped, necessitating pushing past other audience members to enter/exit the seating area.
  • Line of sight can be disrupted for guests facing away from the stage, as well as those having difficulty seeing past guests blocking their view.

8. Cabaret

Cabaret is an alternative to the closed-end Banquet form of seating.
Cabaret is an alternative to the closed-end Banquet form of seating.

The Cabaret seating arrangement is similar to the Banquet seating arrangement, but there is an open end, with the audience seated in an arc facing forwards to the stage area.

Advantages:

  • The open end allows for a focal point or presentation area while maintaining a clear line of sight.

Disadvantages:

  • Inefficient use of floor space, resulting in reduced seating capacity.

9. Cocktail

Cocktail-style seating can create a real party vibe, with lots of space for a dancefloor and a large bar area.
Cocktail-style seating can create a real party vibe, with lots of space for a dancefloor and a large bar area.

With no chairs or tables, this style is unlike any other. It’s literally just a standing room.

Advantages:

  • Most effective use of the available floor space with the largest possible room.
  • Increased audience interaction, with audience members free to mingle and roam.

Disadvantages:

  • The audience is standing, with no opportunity to sit and rest.
  • It is not possible to take notes or consume plated food and beverages.

10. Lounge Zone

Event planners are including a new seating arrangement in their mix to refresh the formal vibe and encourage networking – introducing the Lounge Zone. To create this creative space, arrange sofas, chairs, coffee tables, bar tables, and ottomans in clusters.

Positives:

  • Excellent for encouraging networking and providing attendees with an informal seating area to relax and mingle.
  • Can be used to create a sense of space within a larger venue space, and the style/type of furnishings can be used to complement your event’s theme.

Disadvantages:

  • Some venues lack the space to accommodate a lounge zone;
  • A relaxed, styled area may not be appropriate for all event types.

Wrap up..

Trying to decide which event seating styles are best for you and your guests can be a daunting task. But, by evaluating your venue, understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each option, and having a clear vision for your event, you can make an informed decision that will ensure a successful event. So take some time to consider all of your options before making a final decision – your guests will thank you!

Find out more useful articles from Designa to get more ideas for your wedding.

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