Rooms may be set-up to meet the needs of the presenter, guests or functions. Below are some conventional themes. You may want to consult your experienced event manager as he or she can provide alternatives to traditional room set-ups to help your event or meeting excel. Refer to the capacity chart to determine room capacities and their corresponding set-ups.
Event Facility Styles & Capacities
Classroom, Herringbone, Chevron
These set-ups are appropriate when the conference is an informational type presentation. The presenters are providing the information, with some dialog with the audience. Herringbone and Chevron creates a more enclosed type of feel for the presenter and audience, but it does require slightly more space than regular classroom style set-up.
Theatre Style
This set-up maximizes meeting room space utilization. Theatre works well when the audience needs to take minimal notes and/or when the presentation is two hours or less in length. Theatre can also be made in a "herringbone" and "chevron" shape if desired.
U-Shape
This set-up works well with small groups that require conversations between the presenter and audience, as well as conversations between the participants. The presenter is able to move freely among the group for a more intimate feel. This set-up does require more space than other set-ups and is recommended for groups of 24 people or less.
Conference, Open Square
Both of these set-ups work well for board meetings and small "brainstorming" sessions when the group does not have a designated presenter/leader. They provide plenty of workspace for each person and good communication/visual lines for each participant. We recommend that the size of the group for both of these set-ups is 24 people or less.
Banquet
In addition to those occasions where a meal is served, banquet style works well for group breakouts or clusters. Eight guests per table is recommended; no more than nine guests per table is suggested.
