Tip: Set up the room if possible so that entrances are along the rear of the seating area, and along the back and sides. This will minimize disruptions of latecomers, and people who might have to leave.

Tip: Ideal seating row width is no more than the distance from the screen, creating a V shaped formation for optimal viewing. This isn’t always possible, but if it is, this will present the best viewing angle for the audience.

Tip: When choosing function rooms, space requirements are not just seating of guests, keep in mind some of the following:

• AV and Rear Screen requirements, and distances
• Room obstructions – pillars, balconies, large, low hanging chandeliers
• Traffic Flow – restroom accessibility, proximity to coffee-break areas
• External Noise
• Lighting controls, do they have a remote lighting console, can the lights in your area be controlled separately from other sections of the room that you aren’t using? Are lights dimmable?

Schoolroom or Classroom:
Consist of Rows of tables with chairs. Tables are usually 18 inches in depth and either 8ft. or 6ft. in width. Allow at least 3.5 feet between rows of tables. Front row of tables should be at least 6ft. from stage or screen, or 2 times the vertical height of the screen, whichever is greater.

Pro: This allows people room to take notes, and look at distributed materials.

Con: Inhibits interaction with other participants, or presenters on stage if needed.

Recommended Seating: 2 people at a 6ft. classroom table, 3 people at an 8ft. classroom table. This can be increased but does limit the ability of people to move and use the available space.

Banquet Rounds:
Mostly used for food functions. This format usually uses 5ft. or 6ft. diameter round tables in the U.S.A. Minimum of 5ft. between tables will insure enough seating room, plus room for servers at meal functions, award recipients to have room to move to stage etc.

Pro: Allows a great deal of interaction, great for meal functions.

Con: Difficult for all people to see screen and stage for presentations, must turn around their chairs. Takes up more space in function room than most other seating styles.

Recommended Seating: 8 people at a 5ft. round, 10 people at a 6ft. round.

Theater or Auditorium Seating:
Chairs set next to each other in rows, without tables in front of them. Most standard ballroom or function room chairs are 19.5 inches to 20 inches wide, allow 2ft. for each chair left to right, and allow 3ft. from the back of one row to the back of the next row of chairs.

Pro: Maximizes number of attendees in a function room, allows interaction between attendees.

Con: Not very good for taking notes, or handing out, reviewing literature etc.

Recommended Seating: 24inches in width per seat, and 3ft. in depth.

Aisles, and No. of Seats Per Row:
Fire regulations in each city will set the numbers of people who can be in each row, the amount of aisle space, and the number of rows before you must break into another seating section.

General Rule of Thumb :
15 to 20 people per row in Auditorium style seating, no more than 24ft. of tables in Classroom seating.

10 to 15 Rows before breaking for a “horizontal” aisle and beginning another section of seats.

Aisles:
Normally allow 4 to 6 feet in any center aisles, and at least 4ft. for aisles at the walls of the function room. 6ft. to 8ft. for breaks between sections of seating rows. Many larger facilities, such as Convention Centers where large audiences are the norm, will demand center aisles of at least 8ft in width, with 8ft. to 10ft. of aisle space for the break in seating sections. Even if you have a small function room in one of these centers with a small audience, the same fire regulations may apply.

Always check with the facility on what local regulations are, they may even change depending on the seating style you pick. A good rule of thumb is always 4ft. at the sides of the rooms, and at least 5ft. for center aisles.

Seating Style	Sq. Feet Per Person
Theater	6 square feet plus aisles
Schoolroom	9 to 12 square feet plus aisles
Banquet	12 to 14 square feet plus aisles