What is conference style seating

Skip to main Skip to footer. Conference Management. On-campus residences summer only Shown here are 9 popular seating configurations: 1. Boardroom Double tables form a unit 5 feet across with as many units long as required to seat the group. Buzz groups Useful for small discussion groups, classroom seating is altered by having every other row turn and face each other.

Classroom This style is preferred for meetings lasting longer than 2 hours or when participants must work with papers or materials. E-shape When a large group is required at the head table, the e-shape works well. Hollow square or circle Used to equalize all members of a large group.

The banquet style room arrangement is a round table setup with participants facing each other like at a dinner table. This encourages full interaction between people sitting at one table. It is often used for interactive workshops with group discussions and exercises. It can also be suitable for large group workshops where teams are expected to work together over the course of the event. Conference or boardroom style has one large table that fits around 7 to 20 people with room for their various equipment such as laptops, mobile devices and video conferencing devices.

All participants face the middle to enable discussion and interaction from all directions. This type of seating setup is ideal for business meetings , video conferencing, brainstorming and open discussions. It is a classic classroom style setup where tables and chairs are arranged in parallel rows facing the front of the room. It is common for lectures and primarily supports interaction between the speaker and the audience and less between participants.

Although, participants sharing a table can do small group exercises or sharing their work with one another. However, choosing this room setup requires a thoughtful agenda design in order to get participants properly engaged with the content; the room setup itself does not support interactive learning experiences.

As the name suggests, members of the audience are seated in a round table but leaving empty space towards the stage or the location of the speaker. Tables are either scattered or strategically placed to maximize engagement as well as line of vision.

The setup is conducive to small group exercises or discussions while keeping a focus on centrally displayed information or a speaker. The cabaret arrangement is useful for training sessions that aim for small group discussions and exercises combined with visual presentations.

It is also popularly used for awards and gala nights. A reception style arrangement is similar to a banquet one but with extra cocktail tables in between group tables.

The cocktail or high tables with no chairs are for mingling or networking. They are also good for breakout discussions and collaboration between members of the audience belonging to different groups.

It is best applied to dynamic and creative training sessions with collaborative exercises. The reception style is also great for team building events. The chevron or V-shaped setup is actually similar to a classroom arrangement but tables and chairs are angled for better line of vision and engagement between participants themselves as well as with the speaker.

Similarly to the classroom setup, the chevron shape is suitable for training sessions and workshops where instructions and individual work dominate. The fishbowl setup is used for dialogue type events. Four to five chairs are arranged in an inner circle — the fishbowl — while the remaining chairs are arranged in concentric circles around the middle area.

Speakers take the inner seats and start discussing the topic introduced by the moderator. In an open fishbowl, one seat is left free, and anyone from the outer circles can join the conversation. At the same time, then, another member from the fishbowl must give up his place in the inner circle. This style is often used for forums or large group discussions where participants can openly discuss topics covered with the speakers or experts.

It enables the whole group, or all members, to actively participate and be involved with the content, i. Fishbowl is best for forums, conferences and large group meetings where there is a high expectation of participation. Team tables, or clusters, is a similar setup to the banquet style but it is more for informal type of events. You can choose between cocktail style or high top tables and seating.

Tables should not be any bigger as it will cramp the room and hamper the dinner service. Conference seating is around a long rectangular table with not more than 12 - 15 seats; over 15 and the people at the far end feel left out and form a separate unit. Best for - Small meetings, training sessions, interviews Downside - For delegates of the same or similar rank.

The tables are arranged together to form the shape with a space in the middle, conference seating is around the outside. Suitable for meetings where rank is not an issue. Best for - Interaction with a facilitator; note taking Downside - Visuals are awkward to use. Tables are arranged to form the shape with seating around the outside.