Theater style is ideal for large groups. It is a popular seating arrangement for keynote speeches and/or lectures with minimal group participation. This is also a perfect way to present ideas utilizing visual presentations (e.g., PowerPoint) that do not require discussion. Theater style is appropriate for short- to mid-length presentations.

 

 

There are several ways to set up a room in theater style and the most popular approaches may not be the best for your audience. For example, in the "Not Preferred" setups (below) notice how the best seats (those directly in front of the speaker) are wasted in a large empty aisle, forcing the speaker to address a "divided" audience. In addition, many participants will be positioned at an uncomfortable viewing angle or be too far from the speaker to see clearly.

 

 

 

 

The "Preferred" setup (below) creates the best room dynamics by using two smaller aisles on either side. Curving the rows around the stage area increases the number of seats you can place near the front. An added benefit of this setup method is audience responses to humor increase when people can see each other!

 

 

 

Calculating space requirements

 

As a quick way to determine the approximate number of people your room will accommodate when using theater style seating, divide the "attendee" seating area (square feet) by 6 (six). This calculation allows for standard chair and passage aisles but does not take into consideration unique situations like wide traffic aisles, location of columns and service doors, or unique room shapes.

 

 

Additional recommendations:

 

• Keep the front row as close to the stage as is comfortable. The distance from the first row of seats to the stage should be no more than 10 feet.
• Platforms or risers give presenters greater visibility. The ideal stage/riser height for audiences up to 200 people is 6-12 inches. For audiences over 200 people, increase the height to 12-24 inches.
• If a lectern is being used for introductions, set it back a few feet, and to the far right or far left on the stage/riser.
• Stagger the chairs. Don’t put one chair directly behind the other. If you stagger each row, audience members won’t have someone’s head right in front of them to block the view.
• Do not overset the room. If you are planning for 300 people, set the room for 275 and stack a few extra chairs at the back of the room. It is much better to have every seat taken than large empty spots throughout the audience.
• Rope or tape off the last 5-10 rows until the presentation is about to start. Also, don't put handouts on the seats in the roped area. This will encourage people to sit near the front.

Rounds (round tables) are used when higher levels of participation and interaction are desired and/or when it is impractical to use theater style seating (e.g., when the presentation is taking place in the same room where a meal will be/has been served). Although not the perfect arrangement when using visual presentations, individuals do have the flexibility to move their seats for better viewing. Note: One of the disadvantages to rounds is the amount of space needed for this configuration (see "Calculating space requirements").

 

 

There are several ways to set up a room in rounds and the most popular approaches may not always be the best for your audience. For example, while the "Not Preferred" setup (below) allows more seats to be set up in the room, notice how few of the best seats (those directly in front of the speaker) are available. The length of the room also makes it difficult to engage the people in the back. In addition, the speaker is "blocked in" and is forced to speak to the table directly in front of him or her which alienates those on the sides.

 

 

The "Preferred" setup (below) creates the best room dynamics by staggering the tables to allow a clear view of the speaker—by using the width of the room, more people have "front row" seating. In addition, because the speaker is not "blocked in" he or she will be able to maintain eye contact with every individual in the audience.

 

 

 

Calculating space requirements

 

As a quick way to determine the approximate number of people your room will accommodate when using round-table style seating, divide the "attendee" seating area (square feet) by 10 (ten). This calculation allows for standard chair and passage aisles but does not take into consideration unique situations like wide traffic aisles, location of columns and service doors, or unique room shapes. Note: This calculation provides maximum seating—if space is available for more comfortable seating, allow an additional 2 square feet per person.

 

Round tables can accommodate the following number of attendees per table:

 

• 48" table seats 6-8 people
• 60" table seats 8-10 people
• 72" table seats 10-12 people

 

 

Additional Recommendations:

 

• Keep the front group of tables as close to the stage as is comfortable. The distance from the first table to the stage should be no more than 10 feet.
• Platforms or risers give presenters greater visibility. The ideal stage/riser height for audiences up to 200 people is 6-12 inches. For audiences over 200 people, increase the height to 12-24 inches.
• If a lectern is being used for introductions, set it back a few feet, and to the far right or far left on the stage/riser.
• Since this seating arrangement places some of the audience with their backs to the speaker, allow enough room between tables for people to turn their chairs around for better viewing.
• If you are planning a meal, set the room for the maximum number of expected attendees but do not put chairs around the tables in the back corners. Stack extra chairs at the back of the room. It is much better to have every seat taken than large empty spots throughout the audience.
• If you are planning a meal, you will probably be assigned a maitre d'. Discuss the way you would like the wait-staff to clean up after the meal. Nothing is more distracting during a speech than the noises associated with dirty dishes being removed. Have the dishes removed as the meal progresses, leaving a minimum amount of clean-up at the end of the meal, or start the speaker after the dishes are removed.

Classroom style is excellent for large group presentations that are longer in length and/or when participants need space to write. It is a popular seating arrangement for seminars. This setup is also perfect for presentations utilizing visual presentations. Classroom style is appropriate for longer-length presentations (i.e., full-day presentations).

 

 

Classroom style seating typically utilizes six- or eight-foot tables. When placing the tables, be sure to line up the outside edge of the first table with the edge of the platform or riser. The following guidelines should be used when setting up for classroom style seating:

 

• The minimum width of table to be used in classroom style seating is 18 inches.
• The minimum table top length for a classroom style setup should be no less than 24 inches per attendee.
• Where food service is not required and seating is at one side of the table only, allow 36" between tables.

 

Here is a graphic representation of a properly spaced classroom style setup:

 

 

An excellent alternative to the classroom style seating is the chevron approach (depicted below) because it increases audience interactivity—it is very flexible, good for either large or small groups, and fosters a sense of audience involvement as audience members can see others and get visual and auditory feedback from them.

 

 

Both classroom and chevron style seating can be quickly adapted into interactive "clusters" for group exercises (audience members can simply turn their seats around to face the table behind for discussion).

 

 

Calculating space requirements

 

As a quick way to determine the approximate number of people your room will accommodate when using classroom style seating, divide the "attendee" seating area (square feet) by 8 (eight). This calculation allows for standard chair and passage aisles but does not take into consideration unique situations like wide traffic aisles, location of columns and service doors, or unique room shapes. Note: This calculation provides maximum seating—if space is available for more comfortable seating, allow an additional 2 square feet per person.

 

 

Additional recommendations:

 

• Keep the front row as close to the stage as is comfortable. The distance from the first row of seats to the stage should be no more than 10 feet.
• Platforms or risers give presenters greater visibility. The ideal stage/riser height for audiences up to 200 people is 6-12 inches. For audiences over 200 people, increase the height to 12-24 inches.
• If a lectern is being used for introductions, set it back a few feet, and to the far right or far left on the stage/riser.
• Do not overset the room. If you are planning for 300 people, set the room for 275 and stack a few extra chairs at the back of the room. It is much better to have every seat taken than large empty spots throughout the audience.
• Rope or tape off the last 5-10 rows until the presentation is about to start. Also, don't put handouts on the seats in the roped area. This will encourage people to sit near the front.

Room setup strategies should always take into consideration people who have disabilities. Here are a few easy tips that will enhance their experience:

 

• Blind/Visual impairment: Guide dogs are well-trained, accustomed to being around people, and need to stay with their owner, so make sure that a chair is provided with enough space on the floor for this working companion. Many people who have a visual impairment use computer technology to "read" information to them. If you can determine in advance of the conference that some attendees will be using this type of equipment, ask presenters to provide you with any electronic presentation files they plan to use in a format that can be read by this technology (e.g., .doc, .xls, .ppt).

 

• Deaf/Hearing impairment: If some of the attendees have a hearing impairment and you are providing a sign-language interpreter, seat them in the front off to one side. An interpreter will normally stand in front of the group with his/her back to the stage.

 

• Mobility impairments (i.e., wheelchairs or crutches): Remove a few chairs at the ends of the rows near the front to provide space for people using wheelchairs to sit in a comfortable position with a good view. People using crutches may have a need for greater space so the front row is usually the best recommendation. If any of the presenters are using wheelchairs and you are using any form of riser or stage, ramp access must rise no more than 3 (three) inches per foot of run.

 

Note: Make sure that any accommodations are in place prior to the arrival of the attendees because no one likes to be the cause of a disruption (i.e., moving people out of their chairs and re-locating them to accommodate a wheelchair).