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Proper Conference Room Setup Makes Presenting Much Easier

The downside is true as well. Improper conference room setup can actually make you more nervous and make delivering the presentation more difficult.

This post has two parts. Part one is about The Different Conference Room Styles . In that section, I’ll give you different conference room setup options with pros and cons of each. Then, in Part Two, I’ll give you the Best Practices for How to Set Up a Conference Room and how to set up a meeting room. These best practices will help you avoid some of the big mistakes that presenters make when they set up the tables, chairs, and audiovisual for meetings.

Part One: The Pros and Cons of Different Conference Room Styles.

For instance, when I teach a leadership development class, I sometimes change the room set up at each break. This is helpful, because the purpose of the class is to increase the :comfort zone” of the participants. So, changing the way the chairs are set up or the way the tables are set up makes the participants have to move to a new seat each time.

When I teach the group how to remember names, a u-shaped room is ideal. That way, each person is able to view every other participant in the room. (They aren’t looking at the back of anybody’s head.)

However, when I cover a module on presentation skills, a chevron style classroom setup is better. This style allows the presenter to be the center of attention. It also lets every person in the audience have a great view of both the speaker and the speaker’s visual aids.

Then, in the same class on the afternoon of the first day, we cover meeting skills. In that session, I push two classroom tables together to make bigger meeting tables. And I put six to eight chairs around each table. This allows each table to operate as a separate group.

However, unless you are covering multiple topics in the same presentation, you shouldn’t need to do this, by the way. For example, when I teach a regular two-day public speaking class , I keep the same chevron-style class setting throughout the entire class.

The point is to alter the conference room set up to fit the needs of the audience. And when the needs change, alter the conference room set up as well.

List of Different Conference Room Styles:

Theater/Auditorium

Boardroom Style: All the Participants Gather Around a Single Long and Skinny Boardroom Table.

Boardroom Style-All the Participants Gather Around a Single Boardroom Table

One major advantage of the boardroom style is that almost every building has some type of conference room. Another is that the table is already set up in the room. Finally, this style is ideal if you want the participants to communicate with each other (from a seated position.) Everyone in the room can see each other face-to-face.

The major disadvantage, though is that the audio and visual components are often built into the room. So you lose a lot of flexibility with this room style. Also, when people design boardrooms, they often make the screen or display the center of attention. As a result, the presenter will often have to deliver the presentation from either side of the screen.

The other major disadvantage of this style is that if you have more than 12 people, the style doesn’t work very well. The room is too crowded and people have a hard time moving around to go to the restroom or get a coffee refill.

Still though, for a small group, a boardroom is often the best option.

U-Shaped Style: Tables Are Set in a Square Shape with One End Opened for the Presenter.

This room setup is also very easy. All you need is a minimum of three tables to set it up. The major advantage of the U-Shaped style is that the entire group can still see everyone in the room face-to-face. So, this setup is ideal for team meeting where you want the audience to communicate with each other and share ideas.

Just like with the boardroom style, though, the major disadvantage is the group size. As the group gets larger, you lose the major advantages. So, if you have 14 or 16 people, you get the same advantages of the boardroom even though the group is a little larger. However, at 18, 20, or 22 people, you begin to lose this advantage. It will be difficult and impractical to get all 22 people to participate in a discussion.

So, since you lose this value, as the group gets bigger, you may want to switch to a classroom setup.

Just as an FYI, there is an alternative style called the “open square” style. It is the same as U-Shaped, but the open end is closed off. Between you and I, I have never really found any value in this style. You lose a lot of the advantages of the U-Shaped style without adding ANY advantages.

Theater Style or Auditorium Style: Chairs Set Side-by-Side as in a Movie Theater.

Theater Style or Auditorium Style Room Setup

The major advantage of the theater style is that you can comfortable seat a large number of people. The entire room will be able see and hear the main speaker (or speakers.) So, if you are organizing an annual meeting for hundreds (or thousands) of people, you might use this style for an opening introduction. Or, if you invite a keynote speaker or comedian to speak, this room style works well.

However, this style has a huge disadvantage. The audience has no place to write or take notes. So, if your audience has handouts or printed content, avoid this conference room style. (Use the classroom style instead.) The other major disadvantage of this room setup is that it will be very difficult to get the audience to interact each other or the speaker. So when organizing a big meeting, this conference style doesn’t have as many uses as other styles.

Classroom Style: A Series of Six foot by One Foot Tables Set Up in Rows.

The advantages are that you can comfortably fit more people using this style and everyone in the room can see the presenter. Also, every audience member has his or her own space. And no one has to sit with their back to the stage. Another huge advantage is that the speaker has more control and authority in the room. It is easier to get and keep the attention of the audience.

The only real disadvantage to this style is that you’ll have difficulty getting groups to interact in teams. If you want to create small groups to discuss items from the meeting, you may need to get a row to turn around. When you do this, you’d need to leave the stage to give instructions.

Still though, this is the conference room style that I use most often when I set up meeting rooms.

Banquet Style: Six to Ten People Gather Around Big Round Tables.

Banquet Style is a Hybrid Between Classroom and Boardroom

Each audience member styles gets adequate space. They also get to see the people at their table face-to-face as with the boardroom style. So, this conference room style is kind of a hybrid between classroom style and boardroom style.

A major disadvantage, though, is that this style takes up a lot of space. So, it is more expensive if you are renting space from a hotel or convention center. The other major disadvantage is that some people at the table with have limited view of the stage. They often have to turn their chairs when speakers are talking. So, they lose the advantage of having the personal space.

Still, though, this style has works well if you want a big group of people to interact with each other. It allows you to have tables discuss items with each other and brainstorm solutions to challenges.

Part Two: Best Practices for Proper Conference Room Set Up for Presentations (How to Set Up a Meeting Room.)

Setting Up the Room Wrong Can Make You a More Boring Speaker!

For instance, if you cram 20 people into a boardroom, they will be uncomfortable. You may be presenting well, but the facial expressions from the audience may be less-than-cordial. If multiple people in the room are giving you negative facial expressions, you might begin to feel a little more self-conscious.

Basically, the way you set up the conference room can either make presenting easier or make it harder. Improper room setup can cause challenges that you just don’t want or need when you present.

Below are some of my favorite ways to set up a conference room for a presentation. These are the “best practices” that I have discovered over 20 years of presenting.

1) Present from the Short-Side of the Conference Room.

In the podcast that I did about eye-contact, I gave an example of how this can cause challenges. The analogy that I used there was to think about sitting in a movie theater with only three rows of seats. If you happen to be on either end, your view isn’t great. If you are the speaker, it is even worse. It is difficult for you to keep eye contact with the people on either side of the room.

To fix this, just present from the “short” side of the room. If you are presenting in a rectangular room, you will have two short walls and two long walls. Present from the short wall that is farthest away from the main door to the room.

By the way, a good A/V person can make presenting on the long-side of the room better. They will often set up big screens on both sides of the stage. This allows the audience to be closer to the speaker and still see the visual aids. Still though, this is just fixing a symptom caused by another problem.

2) Make Yourself the Center of Attention, Not the Visual Aid.

When presenters violate this room setup tip, it can cause some major problems with delivery. For instance, the speaker will often move to the side of the room and look at the visual aid screen as he or she speaks. Obviously, the audience will look at the screen as well. Now that the visual aid is the center of attention, the speaker will often move behind the audience to continue to speak. Instead of being an interesting dialogue between the speaker and the audience, the presentation will become a monologue.

This room setup for a presentation can lead to the click… talk… click… talk method of delivery. (This is really boring.) So, move your screen to the side.

3) Get Rid of the Lectern.

If you feel like you need to have notes to deliver your presentation, make sure to read How to Memorize Your Speech . This post gives a number of tips that will allow you to deliver your entire presentation without notes.

Just so you know, standing behind a lectern is a technique that presenters sometimes use to feel more comfortable. In reality, though, it often makes people more nervous. Any time we feel threatened, we want to put something between us and the potential threat. In martial arts, students are taught to put their hands (fists) between themselves and the threat. For presenters, we put a lectern between us and the threat. A good example of how the demeanor of a presentation changes with a lectern is political debates. Candidates who feel like they have an advantage connecting with voters on a personal level always favor “town hall” style debates. (Just as an FYI, audiences do too.)

4) Place Whiteboard or Flipchart to the Proper Side When You Set Up Your Room for a Presentation.

If I forget and place the board on the wrong side of the room, I will have to cross in front of the board and stand on the opposite side to write. I makes for an awkward transition in the speech.

Also, since I’m left-handed, I pay attention to moving the whiteboard for each presenter. Just before I introduce the next speaker, I will move the stand over for a right-handed person. Obviously, if you are the meeting leader and every speaker is right-handed, this is much easier. But you’ll be surprised at how many speakers are left-handed. So, pay attention.

5) Chevron Style Room Set Up Is My Favorite Conference Room Setup Style.

Basically, you set up your room classroom style. This is rows of six-foot tables straight across. However, put an isle in the middle of the room that is maybe six-foot or so wide. Then, move the edge of the table that is on the isle back about three feet, so that the tables now angle toward the front-center of the room. Instead of the rows being straight across, now, they will be slightly “V” shaped.

When you set up your room for a presentation this way, you are creating a stage to present from. Basically, you can now walk into your isle to be closer to the audience. However, when you do, the folks on the front row don’t have to crank their necks to follow you. They will be looking directly at you.

Best Practices for Room Set Up for a Presentation in a Boardroom

If you are presenting in a boardroom, many of the tips still work. You still want to present from the short-side of the room. If the room has a dropdown screen that is in the center of the room or on the long-side of the room, you can always just project onto a whiteboard. (I do this a lot when I use boardrooms.) It allows me to be able to write on my slides as well, so it is really helpful.

The biggest suggestion I can make about presenting in a boardroom is to stand up when you speak. If everyone is seated in the boardroom (including you) when you start your presentation, just stand up to call attention to your visual aid. (Then don’t ever sit back down.)

Never, ever, ever sit on one side of a boardroom table and use visual aids on the opposite side of the table. This is the HUGE mistake that amateur presenters make that will cause your presentation to be so boring, you will put your audience to sleep. Avoid it at all costs. Stand up and use your visual aid to add to your verbal presentation — not replace it.

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How to Optimize Room Setup for Training and Presentations

If your audience seating arrangement and overall room setup isn’t aligned with the design of your session, you are starting from a position of weakness.

In this article, we describe the core principles that factor into your room setup choices. We then offer an in-depth view of several popular options, and point out the advantages and disadvantages of each. Finally, we end with tips you can use to optimize the room for your audience and set yourself up for success.

Core Principles for Choosing a Seating Setup

Before we dig into the many seating styles available, let’s first review the high-level audience-centric principles which will guide your choices.

Comfort — Are audience members able to participate fully while facing forward? Or do they need to constantly twist around? Is there enough room for them to get to their seat easily? Will they be bumping into one another constantly? If they are comfortable, they can focus on listening to you.
Sight lines — Can audience members see the presenter? The slides? Each other? Clear sight lines allow your audience to absorb the visual component of your message, whether it be slides, body language, or anything else.
Utility — Is a surface provided for using a laptop, taking notes, practice exercises, eating, or drinking? You want your audience members to be active learners, so give them space to do it.
Proximity — Are audience members relatively close to the screen, the presenter, and each other? Or is it sparse seating? Too far apart drains energy from the room, but too close can be uncomfortable.
Compatibility — Is the layout of the room and the seating arrangement optimal for the style of presentation/training being offered? Does it support slide content? Large-group discussions? Small-group exercises?

These five principles will be our focus as we tour many popular seating styles available for your room.

Theater Style Seating Setup

Theater style seating is a series of chairs arranged in parallel rows, all facing forward to the front of the room. No tables are provided. Most large lecture theaters and movie theaters are arranged this way.

Allows high-density seating; that is, for a given room size, theater style seating maximizes the potential audience size.
Because audience members are close to each other and the speaker, this arrangement tends to maximize the energy in the room.

Disadvantages

No surface on which to place laptops, writing pads, food, or any other items.
Poor sight lines for people sitting near the front corners and, in very large rooms, people sitting toward the back and along the sides.
Angle of seats may require some audience members to “twist” their body to face the speaker or screen.
May be cumbersome to get to seats, depending on locations of walking aisles.
Less overall comfort (i.e. hot, stuffy) due to high density.
Audience members have essentially zero eye contact with each other, making discussions inconvenient and unlikely.

Best for…

Presentations for large audiences where the information flow is one-way (from speaker to audience) and there is no requirement for taking notes or using laptops.

Classroom Style Seating Setup

Classroom style seating is a series of tables (or desks) and chairs arranged in parallel rows, all facing toward the front of the room.

Tables (or desks) provide space for laptops, note-taking, and food.
Highest density of any seating arrangement involving tables or desks.
Poor sight lines for people sitting near the front corners.
Angle of seats and tables requires some audience members to twist their body to face the speaker or screen.
Training sessions where most audience members are taking notes or using laptops, and where most of the information flows from the speaker to the audience.

Boardroom Style Seating Setup

Boardroom style seating is a single large table (or several smaller tables butting up against one another) surrounded by chairs on both sides. The most common shape is rectangular (as shown in the diagram), but variations include both circular or square tables.

Lots of eye contact between audience members promotes discussion.
Tables allow for laptops, note-taking, and food.
Terrible sight lines to view slides for many audience members, particularly those at the “far end”.
Even worse sight lines from audience members to see the presenter, who must either stand to the side (not good) or sit (worse).
Multi-tasking (e.g. using a laptop while viewing slides or the presenter) requires lots of body twisting.
Depending on length (and shape) of table(s), audience members at the extreme ends can feel isolated. Tables which are circular or square can mitigate this.
Small groups focused on discussion and making decisions where there’s no primary presenter and little reliance on slides.

U-Shaped Style Seating Setup

U-shaped style seating is a series of tables forming three sides of a square or rectangle, with seating arranged around the outside. In this arrangement, all seats face the middle of the “U” shape.

Clear sight lines (both audience-to-presenter and audience-to-audience) fosters large group discussions.
Presenter can walk into open space within the “U”; this creates a unique dynamic because they are “immersed” within the audience.
Tends to lead to very low density seating, and thus requires a larger room for the same size audience.
Audience members at the “bottom” of the “U” are seated a large distance from screen, leading to several bad results: [a] readability of slides or flip charts is reduced, [b] participants are more easily distracted, and [c] participants are more likely to lose focus.
Audience members in the “corners” can feel relatively isolated.
Training sessions which are designed to emphasize large group interactions, with less emphasis on slide content.

Banquet Style Seating Setup

Banquet style seating is when a number of tables are scattered throughout the room, with seating arranged entirely around each table. Tables are often circular, but can be other shapes as well.

Tables create focal points which promote small-group discussions.
Small group settings create feelings of inclusiveness, and counteract the isolated feeling or anonymity that individual participants may feel within a large group.
Many people are naturally facing away from screen, and must turn away from table to see slides or presenter.
Tables can promote side chatter among groups unrelated to event goals.
Table space can be limited, depending how many people are seated at each table. (i.e. there is less individual space compared to classroom, boardroom, or U-shaped style seating)
Moving to/from seats can be cumbersome, depending on overall room size and walking aisles.
Training sessions which are designed to emphasize small-group exercises, with less emphasis on slide content.

Cabaret Style Seating Setup

Cabaret style seating is when a number of tables are scattered throughout the room, with seating arranged only partly around each table. This avoids anyone sitting with their back to the front of the room where the speaker or screen are located.

Most people are facing screen and presenter with limited twisting.
Lower density compared with Banquet style seating. More tables and a larger room are required for the same number of people.
Training sessions which are designed to emphasize a balance between small-group exercises and slide content.

Chevron Style Seating Setup

Chevron style seating (or V-shaped seating) is when tables are arranged in a series of angular patterns relative to one another, with seating on one side so that every chair is oriented optimally to face the screen or speaker. In narrow rooms, tables might be arranged in true “V”-shapes (as shown in the diagram); in wider rooms, tables might be arranged with a central “wing” connecting the two ends of the “V”, like this: \_/ .

Everyone faces the screen and presenter, so nobody has to twist their chair. Note-taking or using a laptop is thus comfortable for everyone.
Many audience members are now able to make full or partial eye contact with each other, promoting group discussion.
Relatively high density (similar to Classroom seating).
Individual tables support small-group exercises.
While some large group discussion is supported, it isn’t ideal because some people are still looking at the backs of other people’s heads.
Training sessions which are designed to emphasize slide content, but also want to incorporate some small-group exercises and some large-group discussion.

What is the Best Seating Arrangement?

It depends! There’s no single seating arrangement that works best for all speakers and all settings. I have had productive sessions (both as the speaker and as an audience member) in all of the above arrangements, and I’ve also been in many rooms which were not set up properly to support the goals of the session.

A trainer who trained me several times usually adopts U-shaped style seating, because her courses rely heavily on large-group discussion, and she feels very comfortable sitting in the middle of the “U”.

On the other hand, I generally prefer chevron style seating for the courses that I teach, because I feel it offers the best blend of comfort and flexibility to support the slide content, large-group discussions, and small-group exercises which I design into my courses.

Tips for Optimizing the Room for Your Audience

Regardless of the seating arrangement that you choose for your event, be thoughtful and action-oriented when it comes to setting up your room for success. Every style above can be modified and enhanced to further support your goals.

Be proactive. Plan for success. The overall success of the presentation or training session reflects on you. Ask questions about what is possible. Think about the seating arrangement that will best support your format, and make it happen.
Show up early and roll up your sleeves. If the room isn’t set up as you requested (and if the furniture isn’t all bolted to the floor), then go ahead and move it. Several times, I’ve asked for chevron-style seating with tables, and discovered that the tables were stacked at the back of the room. Moving them was a small effort to invest in the success of the training session.
Pull the seats forward. When your audience is unnecessarily far away from you, it’s harder for them to hear you, harder for them to read your slides, and harder for you to connect with them. I have routinely moved all of the seats forward to improve this situation.
Eliminate unnecessary seats. Suppose you know that your audience is going to be 30 people, but the room is set up with 6 rows of 10 chairs each (=60 seats total). Most people tend to choose a seat toward the back. The result is that most of your audience will sit in the back half of the room. This reduces the overall energy in the group, and makes it harder for them to hear you and see you (and your slides). You have several options: [a] push the chairs/tables all the way back so they aren’t an option, [b] tip the chairs on the back rows forward to indicate they are blocked, or [c] “tape” them off.
Identify and solve sight line problems. Check the seats in the corners to make sure that someone sitting there can see [a] the screen, [b] you (even as you move around) and [c] any other equipment you’ll be using (e.g. flip charts, white boards, etc.). I recently delivered a training session in a long, narrow room which could only be set up in Boardroom style. The consequence was that most participants would not be able to see both the screen and the flip chart if I left them side by side. So, I decided to pull the flip chart to a central location when I needed it, and then push it away again to support focusing on slides.
Plan your movement with room constraints in mind. Remember that your body will block sight lines too. Map out where you can stand to avoid blocking your audience’s view of the screen, whiteboard, or flip chart.
Design your slides with room constraints in mind. If you know that the room will be set up in such a way that everyone past the front row can’t see the bottom 10% of your slides (which is the case in many rooms), then don’t place any useful information there.

Which seating arrangements do you prefer?

As a speaker or trainer, which seating style helps you achieve your goals?

As an audience member, which seating style is most conducive to your goals?

Have you ever been in a room which was set up in a way that contradicted the goals of the session?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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Yes – just yes! It always amazes me how many presenters just accept the room as it is when they walk in.

I’ve been known to turn the entire room around to get what I wanted. (Mind you, my team weren’t all that impressed by how hard they had to work 😉 )

Thanks, Simon. Good to hear that others are being proactive with the room setup too.

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How to use room setup styles to maximize engagement

Engagement and participation are two key words that every facilitator, event organizer and meeting professional sets as a goal when designing meetings, training sessions or conferences. Room setup plays a big role in making engagement happen.

Room setup is the seating arrangement of participants: the placement by which they receive content and interact with one another. It is a critical aspect of every event because the atmosphere the physical space creates will impact the experience in obvious, and subtle, ways.

As an event begins, there’s always an invisible barrier between a speaker and their audience. In fact, there is also a psychological barrier among participants, especially when they do not know each other well.

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Why room layout is important

Deciding where to host an event, conference or workshop is an essential step in its planning and design . Room layout and other conditions determined by the location will determine some of your event choices. Let’s review some of the main reasons why room setup is important for event design:

For practical reasons

Meeting room setup will determine accessibility. Consider whether your participants require accessible spaces, and how they will reach the space (e.g. steps, elevators). The Youth Disability Advocacy Services has a great infographic you can refer to for more insight on inclusive spaces.
Location arrangements will determine what activities you can and cannot lead. Moving around in order, for example, to do Impromptu Networking , a favorite Liberating Structures method to start an event, may be impossible in an auditorium.
Timing of breaks will also change based on the location. If participants need to go around the building, down a flight of stairs and across a corridor to reach a cafeteria or toilette, you cannot expect a quick break to last 5 minutes.

For psychological reasons

The type of room setup, as we will see in further detail below , will immediately communicate to participants what is expected of them in terms of more or less active participation.
A surprising room arrangement is a powerful way of shaking people out of consolidated habits and opening their minds to new experiences , ideas and opportunities.
A room setup that echoes the topics of the day is a guaranteed way of making your day memorable. Hosting a conference on water management by the banks of a river, a future scenarios workshop on a theatre stage or an open space day dedicated to the future of work inside an abandoned factory are all true-life examples of exceptional settings for memorable events.

What is the best room setup for workshops?

In her practical manual The Workshop Book , Pamela Hamilton states: “If the workshop is taking place in the same room where you have other meetings, the room itself will keep people in old thinking habits”. Workshops typically involve hands-on activities, facilitation techniques , group discussions, simulations, and collaborative exercises , which allow participants to explore, ideate, and participate in achieving their desired outcomes.

Because of their highly participatory nature, workshops deserve extra attention when organizing seating and setting up the space. If you want to know more about what makes a workshop tick, and how these events are different from meetings and conferences, you can read a full introduction here .

Here are some of the things a workshop leader will pay special attention to when it comes to room setup:

Will the seating arrangement need to be changed during the session ? If yes, avoid using a place where tables are fixed to the ground.
Will participants need to use laptops , or have note taking/sketching space?
What type of visuals do you plan to use. Slides? Flipcharts? Video conferencing? Make sure all participants have an unobstructed view of the visuals so that they don’t need to twist and turn to see the visuals.
Where will participants go for small-group activities ? Ideally, it should be possible for everyone to work comfortably without going so far that they can no longer see or hear the facilitators!
What are the acoustics like in the room? Many conference spaces are not designed to keep in mind the possibility of many participants talking at the same time. This is even more true in case of hybrid workshops, where you expect interaction between online and in-real-life participants. For more on the specific requirements of hybrid events, see our dedicated guide .
Is it ok to hang posters on the walls? Check that the masking tape you’ll be using doesn’t ruin the plaster, nor your markers leave blue and red splotches on the walls if someone decides to write directly on a poster rather than on the sticky-notes!

Facilitators typically ask for access to a workshop space at least one hour before the start time. What will participants see when they walk into the room?

Overall, you are looking for a clean and welcoming space , with materials ready to use as well as for a surprise effect that will jostle people out of their daily routine (putting chairs in a semi-circle or around working tables is usually all that is needed to achieve this).

As the workshop progresses, don’t forget to keep the space clean of any clutter and re-arrange materials as needed.

Particularly for workshops that last more than one day, it is very satisfying to see walls fill up with posters, canvases, and other artifacts created by participants. This gives everyone a feeling of progress and achievement and can do wonders to anchor learning through visual memory.

What to keep in mind when choosing locations

Next to these considerations that are tightly related to workshop design, there are other logistical matters you’ll need to keep in mind when choosing locations and setting up rooms. Let’s quickly see what to check:

Do you need to inform people on how to reach the venue ? You might want to set up arrows or signs or send participants detailed instructions. If you are hosting a public participation event, for example, can it be reached by public transport?
Consider where snacks and meals will be served . You might want to dedicate some extra tables to coffee break supplies when a break room is unavailable.
Check the location of restrooms and water fountains and make sure these are easy to find and access for participants. And while you are at it, make sure recycling bins are available and clearly marked. More ideas for greener events are in this useful list from the European Commission .
Usually, the number of chairs should match with the number of participants, allowing a few extra chairs in case you have extra participants.
Power supply and outlets . There should be enough to accommodate charging of laptops and other electronic devices needed for training and exercises, placed accessible but strategically so not to hinder the speakers, trainers and participants. You don’t want people tripping over power cords.
Internet access . Do you want/need your participants to have internet access? If yes, make sure that the WiFi code is easily visible to everyone upon arriving. And if you need to use the internet during the session for any task, make sure that the bandwidth is enough to accommodate everyone.
Heating and cooling . The venue must be warm or cool enough. For larger groups, expect that the temperature will rise over time with more people in the room.
Additional furniture . Aside from tables and chairs, what other furnishing should be added or removed from the room to provide better comfort and utility to both facilitators and participants?
Lighting . The venue must have enough lighting for speakers and participants to be able to see clearly but without being too bright. Natural lighting is preferable as people tend to get less tired , and attention spans last longer.

As you can tell, there is a lot to keep in mind to plan excellent events! Checklists are a great way to keep track of everything you need for room setup and preparation. In SessionLab’s planner , you can add a checklist to the top of your agenda for the day, and make sure you get those boxes ticked before you start.

An in-depth look into meeting room options

Each seating arrangement fulfills different purposes and matches different types of event style and size. Here are the 10 most popular kinds of seating arrangement setups for different types of events:

Theater or auditorium style seating

Theater-style seating is a classic one: participants are seated in rows of chairs, much like in a theater or cinema, to watch and listen to a speaker or several speakers as well as visual and auditory aids. There’s generally a gap in the middle to allow easy access for central seats and a large stage to accommodate speakers, visuals and auditory aids. This style, thus, is typical for events with a large number of attendees where content is delivered as a lecture.

Theater-style seating allows for a large number of participants.
Maximum seating capacity of the venue can be achieved.
Since every chair is facing the stage, the focus is on the speaker.
Since the focus of the audience is directed on the speaker and not on each other, participants are hindered from interacting with one another.
There are often no provisioned spaces for participants to take notes, bring out their devices and record notes.
Audience members tend to be too close to each other for comfort, and there’s a tendency for pushing past other people to enter or exit from seats.
Spaces for aisles are needed to ensure access to seats

This type of seating arrangement is best for conferences, annual board meetings, product launches, lectures and performances . These events call for less interaction and focus more on visuals and listening to speakers and presenters.

U Shape Style

A U-shaped seating arrangement is just what the name describes; a letter U setup of tables and chairs arranged in an open-ended shape with the participants facing inwards. It is a classic boardroom setup that enables members to both face each other and the speaker.

Removing the tables and only having chairs in a u shape style allows for open interaction between the trainers and participants. This version is often used for skills development trainings and workshops.

A u shape setup enables the presenter to closely engage with each participant.
Participants can interact with one another.
The open area can be set up as a presentation area or as a focal point.
The seating capacity of the room is not maximized since floor space is not fully utilized.
A majority of the participants view the front (speaker and visual aids) in a sideway position. This can become uncomfortable as the session progresses.

As described earlier, this type of seating arrangement is ideal for boardroom meetings and video conferences with a limited number of participants, but it is also good for training sessions or interactive workshops if you remove the tables .

If you keep the tables, then this setup allows for note-taking with laptops and other digital devices that aid in writing and learning.

Banquet Style Setup

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.

Full potential for interaction between participants as they face each other.
Allows for more members to get to know each other; useful for networking purposes.
It maximizes the use of the space in the room.
Although it’s easy to interact with other members at the table, it’s not easy to mingle with other participants at other tables.
It has the tendency to isolate groups and form cliques.

The banquet-style setup is good for formal and informal gatherings such as weddings , galas , sit-down dinners , music and entertainment – parties where there’s no need to constantly focus attention toward a stage/central platform.

It can also be suitable for large group workshops where teams are expected to work together over the course of the event.

Boardroom Setup or Conference Style Seating

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. The boardroom or conference room style can also be adjusted to include many tables that form a hollow square/rectangle.

Conference room layout allows for direct interaction between participants from any direction
Table space allows for the use of laptops and other gadgets, paperwork and consumption of food and drinks.
There are spots from where some participants may not be able to view slides or other visual presentations clearly.
Because participants are able to use their laptops and other devices, they can easily shift their attention away from the meeting.
The people at the far end of the table may feel isolated. Using circular or even square type conference tables can diminish this isolation.

This type of seating setup is ideal for business meetings , video conferencing, brainstorming and open discussions .

Classroom Style Seating

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 among meeting participants. Participants sharing a table can do small group exercises or share their work with one another.

Tables or desks are provisioned for taking notes and use of devices.
It maximizes the space and seating plan with tables/desks.
Line of vision for participants seated near the front corners or back corners is compromised
Because of the angles of certain seats and tables, several participants may have to twist or turn to have a good view of the speaker or visual aid.
Interaction and eye contact is unlikely in this setup and group discussions can be difficult.

The classroom style seating is ideal for instructive types of training sessions and workshops where the members need to take notes or use laptops and the flow of discussion is mostly from trainer/speaker to the audience. 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.

Crescent Rounds Seating or Cabaret Style Seating

As the name suggests, members of the audience are seated at 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 half crescent shape creates a focal point towards the stage to instruct and brief group work.
Because there’s no hindrance to line of sight of the speaker and visuals, participants do not have to move to uncomfortable positions or twist around to see the front.
Table setup encourages chatter within the group that’s irrelevant to the content or event objectives.
It is not as compact as banquet style seating. More tables are used without maximizing seating.

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 .

Reception Style Seating

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.

Allows for focused group exercises at the main tables, while the cocktail tables provide convenient opportunities for breakout conversations or engaging with other group/table members.
A dynamic setup which encourages participation and prevents boredom.
Room space may not be fully utilized compared to more traditional training setups.
Not all members of the audience might appreciate a dynamic setup.

It is best applied to dynamic and creative training sessions with collaborative exercises . The reception style is also great for team building events .

Chevron Setup

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.

It basically mimics the classroom setup but with improved view from outer ends to give participants better line of vision.
Tables give members the space to take notes and user their devices.
It can maximize seating capacity and is good for large groups.
It allows for small group exercises for people sitting at the same table.
Participants are not facing each other and some will be behind others; this does not encourage active listening, and can still hinder line of vision in this way.

Similarly to the classroom setup, the chevron shape is suitable for training sessions and workshops where instructions and individual work dominate.

Fishbowl format

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.e. ask questions, make suggestions or give their own conclusions.

Encourages participation in larger groups.
Speakers are put at a position of equal distinction with participants, meaning they are among the group instead of at the head of the room or on a stage.
This setup may be a problem for shy and introverted members of the audience who are afraid to participate. It may be harder to get their opinions or know what they think.
It is hard to divide the large group into smaller sets for more intimate discussions of the topics.
No tables or room for taking notes or using laptops.

Fishbowl is best for forums, conferences and large group meetings where there is a high expectation of participation.

Cluster setup or team table seating

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. The tables and chairs depend on the volume of people at the event. A sit-down table setup is for training in groups with a lot of group discussions and exercises, such as in team building, yet with an informal vibe and tendency for mingling or changing places.

An informal setup is always good for building rapport among participating members.
People can move around and still be comfortable in the training or event.
Tables can be arranged to maximize lines of sight.
Depending on the size of the room or the arrangement of the tables, line of vision can still be hindered.

Clusters are used for training with a lot of group discussions or exercises . It is best for team building and networking events where there’s still room to mingle and move around.

What is the best room setup for your conference, event or meeting?

The room design for your event should be determined by the goals you want to achieve and the number of participants you have. See some examples below:

Have a large audience? Consider one of the room arrangements that can effectively be scaled up, even to hundreds of participants. For example: Auditorium, Banquet, Crescent or Reception
Want to facilitate networking? Reception or rotating banquet tables can be a useful room design.
Need participants to actively work together during the event? Choose a setup that fosters teamwork: U-Shape, Banquet
Want to combine effective content delivery and participants working on their own devices? Classroom or Chevron can be a great fit.
Do you have a group of 5-10 people that need to make a decision about a project? Choose a setup that supports open communication, such as U-Shape, Boardroom or Hollow Square.
Are you planning for an interactive soft skills development training session? You may choose a u-shape without tables that allows you to present information and facilitate group conversation, then allow the group to break up into smaller circles by rearranging the chairs.

Knowing the answer for these two factors – interactivity and group size – will help you pick from these room setups:

If you have a longer, more complex event that spans over multiple days or if the session has different tracks, you should be prepared to arrange the room differently for different segments/days, if necessary.

How to get your meeting room style properly implemented

So, you have designed the meeting, you have a plan, and you have figured out which room arrangements will get you through your session. This means you are done with the planning work!

What can you do to ensure that your plan will be properly put into practice? Here are some tips to follow to have your planned room arrangement set up for you:

Most of the time, the venue will take care of the complete set up of your desired room arrangements and other related logistics requirements. In order to minimise the chance of miscommunication, it is best if you can show examples of what you want. (For instance, show what a u-shape seating looks like and clearly specify whether you want or don’t want tables in front of the seats.)
If you ask for different room arrangements over the course of your meeting, make sure to communicate this in terms of your agenda timing . If you need different room setups, you may want to ask for multiple rooms so you can flexibly move from one room to another.
Even with the best communication from your side and a great venue, the initial setup you will find at the venue might need adjustments. Make sure you have time to do this before participants start to arrive.
Don’t place participants too far away from yourself (the speaker/trainer/facilitator).
Remove unnecessary seats
Check if visuals (presentation screen, flipcharts) can be seen by all participants.
If you like to move around while you speak, do a check from different seats to see which spots in the room might be blind to some. Make sure everyone can see you at all times.
Don’t use fonts that are small and hard to read Mind that, if you have multiple rows, not everyone might be able to see the bottoms of your slides.
Lastly, have a checklist of equipment and materials you need, so you don’t forget to bring any of the tools and props you might need during your session.

Despite all the best planning though, in real life sometimes things escape control completely. The location manager loses the keys at the last minute (this is a real story). Communication before the event is insufficient. Your train is late. So before we close this review of room setups, let’s see what happens when all the planning goes out the window.

Facilitating in weird locations: what can you do?

A delightful conversation recently took place in SessionLab’s Community space around the question: What is the strangest place you have facilitated in? From churches to parking lots, outdoor gardens to heavily guarded intelligence facilities, it seems that any place large enough to accommodate a group can ultimately work out for facilitation.

Reading those stories, two top tips emerge to help you face the situation with poise and style in case you are asked to work in a less-than-ideal location yourself:

Acknowledge what is going on and get participants on your side. Facilitators are often encouraged to model vulnerability and honesty in their stance, and finding yourself in a weird location is a great opportunity to do just that. Don’t pretend the space is ideal if it is not: explain what is going on and ask for participants’ support in making it work.
Deploy extra creativity and make the best of it. If columns block the view in the middle of the room, turn the columns into symbols of an important value or topic for the day. If the doors are locked and you have to work outside, take it as an opportunity for an outdoor practice or impromptu interviews with passers-by. Weird locations are a great playground for improvisation.
But make sure participants are comfortable. If the location makes it impossible for people to sit, see, or hear, they are not going to have the focus they need to work well together. Call for a break and renegotiate options with your client, including moving the workshop to a later date!

Now over to you…

We hope you have found useful tips above on how to design a room setup for your next event.

What is your number one tip for getting room arrangements right? And what is the strangest place you have facilitated in?

Let us know about your experience in the comments or join the conversation in our friendly Community space .

12 Comments

What a Resource! You guys are soooo helpful, and giving!????????????

You’re welcome, Franklin – I’m happy to see that you like the article!

THANK YOU! I have been asked to step in for a collegue who has gone sick, and needed some thoughts as it is several years since I taught TtT. A browse through your blog has given me confidence to deliver the first few days this using his notes until he is well again.

That’s fantastic to hear, David, wishing you a great delivery! By the way, if you want see more tips on what to include in a train-the-trainer programme, you might find some useful ideas in this post: https://www.sessionlab.com/blog/train-the-trainer/

Thank you, Robert, for a wonderful insight on a room set up for any event.

You’re welcome, Vandana!

Hey, apart form room based conferences, have you guys used online conferencing tools like Webex, R-HUB HD video conferencing etc? If yes, kindly share the feedback.

Thank you for the question, Barbara. We mostly focused on live sessions so far, but remote facilitation is getting to be more frequent. Sounds like an interesting topics to cover in the future :-)

Thank you so much Robert for this helpful figures, cheers.

Wow…thanks now I have an idea about room setting

Which room set up can accommodate 250 guests?

Thanks for sharing all of the options for setting up training sessions. Several of them were unfamiliar. Great resource!

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8 Meeting Room Layouts: For Effective Team Collaboration

If you are hosting a meeting, one of the most important considerations is the meeting room layout. The optimum meeting room layout will help everybody see the whiteboard or other meeting materials and hear the speakers. It will also help anyone who is joining the meeting virtually, experience it as if they were there.

In this article, we will look at several meeting room layouts and examine which is best for certain types of meeting.

What is a conference room layout?

A conference room layout is the set up of chairs and tables in a conference space. The most effective conference room layout depends on the size and style of the meeting.

8 Possible meeting room layouts

Boardroom style.

Boardroom style is one of the most popular meeting room styles - and you’ve probably seen it before in many office-related movies .

It consists of a small group of people sitting around a large table. An interactive whiteboard or alternative , like those sold at Avocor, could be installed on any of the walls. Any virtual participants could join in on the interactive display.

This boardroom style meeting may be led by one or two people, but typically everybody in the meeting will participate.

This is a really effective way to run a meeting if you want active involvement from everybody.

U Shape Style

U Shape Style is another popular meeting room design for smaller discussions. It involves a small group of people sitting around tables in a U shape or horseshoe formation.

The speaker will stand at the open end of the U shape, and they can give a presentation here. They could install an interactive display on the wall by the top of the U shape.

Because people usually have a table with lots of space, this style is excellent for taking down notes. It can be used for formal meetings or informal collaborative office spaces .

Although the speaker traditionally stands at the top, the U shape means that all participants face each other and can easily enter into a discussion.

This type of meeting room is excellent for companies with remote workers , as they can join the meeting virtually via the interactive display.

A box style meeting set up is a U shape with another table running along the side, creating a box or a hollow square. The meeting leader will stand in the middle and lecture a small group from there.

This isn’t the best meeting room layout for presentations, as the participants will all be facing away from a wall - so there is nowhere to mount an interactive display.

However, a box style layout works well for meetings with breakout sessions, where smaller groups of meeting participants can discuss certain aspects before returning to the main forum.

Lecture Style

This meeting room setup is usually for much larger meetings and conferences. It consists of rows of people facing the front as they would in a theatre or university lecture hall.

The speaker will stand at the front of the hall with their interactive display. People in the company may not contribute directly to the meeting, although they may ask some questions at the end.

People could join this meeting virtually if it is live streamed.

Banquet style

Like in a wedding or other event, a banquet style meeting features several large round tables with participants sitting on chairs surrounding them.

This type of meeting is often casual and especially good for networking events , as participants are likely to chat to the others at their table. A banquet style meeting could even (as the name suggests) involve food and drink!

There may be a speaker, panel or display at the front, but the meeting will probably mainly consist of networking with people at the table.

Cabaret style

Like the banquet style, this meeting room plan consists of groups of people sitting on round tables.

The main difference between banquet and cabaret style is that participants will usually sit at the back of the table and watch a presentation or speaker at the front.

This type of meeting is typically more formal than banquet style - it may be more focused on the speaker or panel and less on the table participants - but less formal than lecture style.

It normally consists of a lecture and Q&A session after.

For very casual meetings, standing might be an option. This style is typically for huddle rooms or other meetings that won’t last too long.

They might be more informal meetings that don’t require any kind of presentation or display between members of staff who know each other well.

Classroom Style

Classroom style is basically lecture style, but with tables. Meeting participants all have tables in front of them to take notes or place other items. The speaker will stand at the front where they might do a presentation.

This style is perfect for larger meetings where participants need to write things down or discuss various points in groups.

Meeting room layouts FAQs

Which meeting layout is best suited to a presentation style meeting.

Presentation style meetings are usually larger meetings with an interactive display at the front and rows of people facing the presentation. However, if you are presenting in a smaller meeting , you might use the boardroom or U shape style, ensuring that everybody can easily see the interactive display.

How do you arrange a meeting room?

Here are a few tips for arranging your meeting room :

Think about how many people are going to the meeting. If the headcount is smaller, you may favour a more intimate presentation setup, whereas you might have a meeting in lecture or wedding style if it is bigger.
Consider whether you will need wheelchair access or any other special features, including security or additional space.
Plan whether just one person or multiple people will speak at the meeting. If it is just one person, you might want to set the room up as a presentation style meeting, whereas if everyone in the conference will talk, you might set it up so people can see each other.

From U shape to lecture style, there are many different meeting room arrangements. The perfect layout depends mainly on the number of people at the meeting, the room size, how formal it is and what is being discussed. Every meeting is different, and one company may use several meeting room styles!

The tips and descriptions above should help you decide which meeting room style is best for you.

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The Throughline Blog

Practical Media Training and Public Speaking Tips

Speaking Environment Part 1: The Room, Setup, and Other Considerations

Photo credit: Matthew Osborn/Unsplash.com

As a presenter, it’s crucial that you give your speaking environment the same kind of attention you give to the content of your talk . Presentation logistics – including the room, the seating layout, the temperature, your audio and video tools, and more – play a critical role in the success of your presentation.

In most cases, you’ll have at least some influence over those considerations, and you should exert it to ensure the audience is as comfortable and receptive to your ideas as possible.

This post begins a four-part series that focuses on how to best prepare for and approach your speaking environment – from the room setup to your timing, as well as other considerations – so that your presentation is heard and experienced exactly as you intended.

We begin with some space-related elements that can affect the way your audience experiences your talk.

4 Ways to Improve Your Speaking Environment

1. choose the right room.

I once saw a band play at New York City’s 21,000-seat Madison Square Garden. The group was past their peak popularity and, unfortunately for them, they performed in an arena that was more than half empty. It was sad to see the one-time radio staple reduced to playing for thousands of empty plastic chairs.

Imagine if they had booked a smaller venue instead? The concert hall would have been sold out, the audience would have felt electrified, and the fans would have left feeling good that their favorite musicians could still pack a room.

That example highlights the decisive factor when selecting a room – you want one that places people as closely together as possible , but with just enough space between each person to ensure their comfort. (We look forward to being able to do that again post-pandemic!) It’s difficult to build an intimate rapport in a vast room with hundreds of square feet of unused space. (If you don’t have any say regarding the room selection, you may be able to influence the seating arrangement, which can help. We’ll say more about that in the next post.)

2. Be Wary of Environmental Factors

You’re probably familiar with the dreaded “war of the thermostat.” You like it cold; your co-worker likes it warm. You crank the heater in the autumn; your roommate throws open the windows to bring in crisp outside air.

While you may not be able to create the ideal room temperature for everyone, your goal is to create a space as conducive to the audience’s ability to receive your message as possible. High temperatures can negatively impact people’s moods, even triggering anger and hostile thoughts . Low temperatures, which multiple studies find are more uncomfortable for women than men, can come at the cost of productivity.

Rooms set to between 71- and 76-degrees Fahrenheit (about 22- to 24-degrees Celsius) are usually right on the money.

3. Head off Distractions

I once gave a talk in a hotel conference room. One room over, the guests were being led in a drum circle (long story). With only a thin wall separating us, it was virtually impossible to stick to my original plan – so we called for a break, migrated into the hallway, and finished our session there.

Hopefully, you won’t face such a massive distraction. But anticipating what could go wrong allows you to help mitigate risks, as the examples below demonstrate:

If loud sounds such as construction work or hallway music pose a threat to audience attention, ask the building manager or hotel staff to help halt the noises.
If the room in which you’re speaking has a beverage station, ask the catering manager not to refresh or clean it during your talk (I’ve had audiences distracted by banging glasses and poured ice).
If you’re speaking in a room that has large glass walls or windows, stand on the opposite side so audience attention remains on you, not the passersby on the other side of the pane.

Finally, avoid standing near the exit or entryway. It’s like being near the kitchen or bathroom in a restaurant. Every time someone arrives late or leaves to take a break, you must reengage your audience’s attention.

4. Adjust the Lighting

In general, avoid putting the audience in the dark or semi-darkness. Doing so makes it easy for them to zone out and makes it difficult for you to encourage interaction or elicit questions.

The lighting should allow the audience to see you clearly and, if appropriate for your event, have enough illumination to take notes or read handouts. If you’re displaying visuals, test your slides before the audience arrives to make sure the lighting isn’t washing out the screen. If necessary, dim the lights near the screen to create a sharper image.

Finally, technology allows most presentations to be displayed without the need for a projector. But if you do need one, ask that it be placed toward the front of the room. If it is too far back, you run the risk of being awash in light, blocking the screen, and having light beaming into your eyes.

Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash

Presentation Preparation is Key

You may have a greater influence in the way your public speaking environment is organized if you think about the setup you want to create as far in advance as possible.

Questions that will influence your decisions about such elements as seating arrangements, equipment, and timing include:

What’s the audience size?
Is this a short presentation or an hours-long training?
Are you providing a one-way flow of information or seeking regular participation and feedback?
Are you a keynote speaker, presenting to a small group, or moderating a discussion?
Do you want audience members to interact with one another?
Are you doing small-group exercises or breakout sessions?
Do you plan on using slides or other visuals?
Will your audience need or want to take notes?
Do they have space to comfortably rest their notepads, laptops, refreshments, etc.?

We’ll go into more depth on your answers to those preparation questions during this four-part series. But, for now, here are a few high-level pointers:

Arrive early on the day of your talk. Doing so gives you time to organize and prepare (and if necessary, clean) the room before you speak. You’ll often find me kneeling on the floor to tape down wires, clearing a conference room table of unnecessary wires, and moving chairs closer to the front of the room.
Coordinate with the audiovisual technician. A/V pros, if available to you on site, are crucial allies in getting your presentation up and running. However, their go-to best practices may not match your best practices for your specific talk. You are the person in the front of the room. Consider their ideas – they’re often right – but don’t automatically yield to their expertise.

Ultimately, audience members won’t notice when the setup is just right. They’re unlikely to comment on the crisp sound of a new microphone, for example – but you’ll hear about it if your words are incomprehensible due to reverberating echoes bouncing off the walls of a cavernous ballroom.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this series:

Part Two: Presentation Timing

Part Three: Microphones and Other Tech Considerations

Part Four: The Seating Arrangement

presentation logistics
presentation skills training
public speaking tips
speaking environment

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Presentation settings for different rooms

August 21, 2014

One presentation really doesn’t fit all situations. Depending on the room, the setting, the purpose of your upcoming presentation, the slides have to be optimized. Your preparation will differ. This is a quick guide to how three different settings effects three aspects of your presentation.

Slides for seminar setting

Contrast – avoid being a shadow.

In a dark conference room, slides with a white background will be really bright and you might appear like a black shadow in front of them (and you do want nice pictures on Twitter from your presentation, don’t you?). Make sure the color of the slide background fits the lighting of the room.

Images in the right size

Images are always important (one picture is worth more than… you know… yada yada yada) – but in a seminar setting they will have an even bigger impact. You have to choose images carefully. Use only high resolution images (please, please, don’t take them off Google Images!) Make sure your presentation has the same aspect ratio as the projector (so your pretty 4:3 presentation isn’t stretched and all your great images are being shown in an unplanned 16:9 view).

Speaker notes and practice

If you’re presenting in a seminar setting, maybe even when your face is up on a side screen, your speaker notes needs to be larger and shorter – probably only keywords. You need to have practiced and practiced again (unless you plan to stand behind a podium and read from a script and getting pictures of your top of your head on Twitter, while they go hard your presentation skills). Every “uhm” and “so” becomes more obvious on a seminar stage.

Tips for making slides for keynote presentations

Slides for workshop setting

Are you ready for improvisation.

Workshops are, if done right, a explorative maze of great conversations. Regardless of your planning, workshops outcome are usually not very linear (workshop attendees have the annoying habit of bringing up subjects you had plan to present on slide 54). You need to be able to improvise live and your slide deck needs to work for improvisation (nice, slow slide transitions might not be the best when you quickly have to move from slide 2 to slide 54).

Intelligent slides

Being able to move around your slide deck quickly also calls for a very different navigation setting of your slides. You might need to connect different decks and move seamlessly between them without losing time – or focus. You might need to move quickly between different parts of your presentation. This is a great time to learn you to utilize the hyperlink function in your presentation software.

Prepared workshop notes

You probably want the participants to have notes from your workshop even though you can’t be sure where the workshop conversations will take your presentation. You might want to prepare ahead and create a practical handout template which will accommodate notes and sketches from your presentation – while still using the carefully crafted outline in your workshop slide. Or bring along a coworker who continuously through the workshop can make notes directly into a prepared template, ready to be distributed electronically right after the workshop.

Tips for making slides for workshop presentations

Slides for formal setting

The smart intro.

When meeting a prospective client or partner for the first time most people tend to want to divulge into the “About us” slides to legitimize themselves and the reason they have been invited. But most often the prospective client or partner actually knows your company- they might have been the ones to invite you. This is a good time to learn how to do a smart intro – how to connect your “about me”-slides to the “about the client”-reality and keep it short, simple and engaging (an un-smart intro is the ones where the default “About us” slides are all about us, us, us).

Time smart presentations

Even though you did think you had 60 minutes to prepare, the client was late coming in, introductions and chit chat took place and the client has to cut the presentation short and you end up with 15 minutes to present. Is your presentation time smart? Do you know how to cut it short without stressfully clicking away with the clicker (because you did bring one right?), while watching the slides go by faster than a high speed train?

Dual purpose presentation slides

Often the prospective clients want to have your slides and you want to save time – so you’ve crammed a lot of info on your sides (really they’re probably more a document in slide mode than a presentation). This is the time when you have a great handout template with all information and the fine print added, while still presenting nice, pretty, story focused slides and leaving the small text for reading later. You can even save your slides as a pdf from the handout mode and everything will be there when you hand it over to the client (or beam it with your super connected device).

Tips for making slides for formal presentations

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Meeting Room Layouts: How to choose the best setup for your meeting

30th January 2020

Published in

Landmark Updates

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There are several things that can make or break a meeting. Having your presentation rehearsed and ensuring attendees engage with the topics being discussed are arguably the most important factors, but the layout of the room is actually just as important. If your audience is seated in the right way, they will find it easier to meet the objectives of the meeting and won’t be left feeling uncomfortable or disengaged.

Choosing a suitable meeting room layout depends on the type of meeting you’ll be hosting and what you want attendees to take away from it. Is it an in-depth training session that will cover the entire day, or a quick assembly to point out a few company changes? Each style lends itself well to different purposes, which is why we offer a range of room styles here at Landmark. To help you understand the different seating plans available, we’ve put together this guide.

Boardroom Layout

What is a boardroom-style meeting room.

Much like Alan Sugar’s office in The Apprentice, the boardroom layout consists of one large table that everyone sits around. The shape of the table doesn’t necessarily matter, but it’s usually either rectangular or oval. This can either be used when there is one authoritative person making an announcement, or if you want to encourage a discussion between attendees.

When is a boardroom setup suitable?

For meetings of around 10 to 20 people, boardroom layouts are ideal. You don’t want to have too many attendees involved, especially if there is a level of discussion required, as it could get very noisy very quickly. This is also a good choice if you’re making an announcement, as it keeps attention on you before naturally leading to a dialogue or Q&A session.

Round Table Layout

What is a round table meeting room.

Also known as a banquet, dinner, or even dinner-dance layout, round table meeting rooms consist of circular tables surrounded by chairs. These can typically seat between eight and ten guests per table, which allows them to communicate as a group. As each chair faces in, there isn’t usually a ‘head’ of the group and full attendee engagement is encouraged on topics that might require vulnerability or personal connection.

When is a round table setup suitable?

This layout is ideal if you’re planning a meal for your attendees, as it gives them the space required to sit and eat while talking amongst themselves. With everyone facing each other on their own tables, it naturally instils a clique mentality, making the layout great for networking sessions where people mingle in small groups around different tables. This is also a good layout to encourage some friendly competition between the groups. Circle layouts can include a single table, seating around 8 guests, or you can choose to have several tables within a room to make space for others.

Cabaret Layout

What is a cabaret-style meeting room.

This style looks a little like the round table layout, except there aren’t chairs on one side of each table. All the tables will be set out in this way in order to point towards the focus, much like at a cabaret theatre. This kind of table layout is also known as half-rounds.

When is a cabaret setup suitable?

With or without a stage, cabaret layouts are great for presentations, lectures, and product demos, and usually reserved for congregations of 25 or more people. The setup allows you to draw focus to a presentation or speech, but also facilitates discussion between attendees should it be required. Having the chairs clustered around one side of the table also makes it easy for delegates to make notes without being hampered by uncomfortable seating arrangements. This layout is also perfectly suited to award ceremonies, where you might also serve food and refreshments.

Theatre Layout

What is a theatre-style meeting room.

This seating arrangement features rows of chairs facing the front area of the room where a stage would be. Aisles are cleared in the middle of the room, along with space on the sides to ensure everyone has easy access to and from their seats. As this meeting room layout is not usually tiered, attendees sitting towards the front will have a better view than those at the back. Depending on the size of the room, you may require a microphone and PA system to allow those at the back of the room to be able to hear what the speaker has to say. In some cases, you may choose to have a screen at the front to accompany your presentation.

When is a theatre setup suitable?

Theatre setups are ideal for meetings where presentations, product demos or announcements need to be delivered to a large number of attendees. This layout style does not allow for much note-taking as users don’t have much to rest on other than their laps, while it’s also difficult to facilitate any kind of discussion between attendees, as everyone will be facing the same way in rows. However, theatre layouts do allow for efficient question and answer sessions between speakers and attendees.

Booking a Landmark meeting room

Here at Landmark, we offer premium rates on all of our meeting and conference rooms . We offer all four of the above layout styles. Just let us know what type of meeting you’re planning, and our expert team will have everything set up before you arrive.

We can also provide notepads and pencils for your guests, as well as still or sparkling water. Let our team know if your meeting is scheduled to start early in the morning, and we can even provide breakfast for your attendees. For events that will last the day, we offer lunch and snacks from a full menu. Get in touch to book your meeting room today.

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The 8 Types of Presentation Styles: Which Category Do You Fall Into?

Updated: December 16, 2020

Published: September 24, 2018

Types of Presentations

Visual Style
Freeform Style
Instructor Style
Coach Style
Storytelling Style
Connector Style
Lessig Style
Takahashi Style

Everyone on the internet has an opinion on how to give the “perfect” presentation.

One group champions visual aids, another thinks visual aids are a threat to society as we know it. One expert preaches the benefits of speaking loudly, while another believes the softer you speak the more your audience pays attention. And don’t even try to find coordinating opinions on whether you should start your presentation with a story, quote, statistic, or question.

But what if there wasn’t just one “right” way to give a presentation? What if there were several? Below, I’ve outlined eight types of presentation styles. They’re used by famous speakers like Steve Jobs and Al Gore -- and none of them are wrong.

Check out each one and decide which will be most effective for you.

Types of Presentation Styles

1. visual style.

What it is: If you’re a firm believer slides simply exist to complement your talking points, this style is for you. With this speaking style, you might need to work a little harder to get your audience engaged, but the dividends can be huge for strong public speakers, visionaries, and storytellers.

When to use it: This style is helpful when speaking to a large audience with broad interests. It’s also great for when you need to throw together slides quickly.

Visual style presenter: Steve Jobs

2. Freeform Style

What it is: This impromptu style of presenting doesn’t require slides. Instead, the speaker relies on strong stories to illustrate each point. This style works best for those who have a short presentation time and are extremely familiar with their talking points.

When to use it: Elevator pitches, networking events, and impromptu meetings are all scenarios in which to use a freeform style of speaking. You’ll appear less rehearsed and more conversational than if you were to pause in the middle of a happy hour to pull up your presentation on a tablet.

Freeform style presenter: Sir Ken Robinson

3. Instructor Style

What it is: This presentation style allows you to deliver complex messages using figures of speech, metaphors, and lots of content -- just like your teachers and professors of old. Your decks should be built in logical order to aid your presentation, and you should use high-impact visuals to support your ideas and keep the audience engaged.

When to use it: If you’re not a comfortable presenter or are unfamiliar with your subject matter (i.e., your product was recently updated and you’re not familiar with the finer points), try instructor-style presenting.

Instructor style presenter: Al Gore

4. Coach Style

What it is: Energetic and charismatic speakers gravitate towards this style of presenting. It allows them to connect and engage with their audience using role play and listener interaction.

When to use it: Use this presentation style when you’re speaking at a conference or presenting to an audience who needs to be put at ease. For example, this style would work well if you were speaking to a group of executives who need to be sold on the idea of what your company does rather than the details of how you do it.

Coach style presenter: Linda Edgecombe

5. Storytelling Style

What it is: In this style, the speaker relies on anecdotes and examples to connect with their audience. Stories bring your learning points to life, and the TED’s Commandments never let you down: Let your emotions out and tell your story in an honest way.

When to use it: Avoid this style if you’re in the discovery phase of the sales process. You want to keep the conversation about your prospect instead of circling every point or question back to you or a similar client. This style is great for conference speaking, networking events, and sales presentations where you have adequate time to tell your stories without taking minutes away from questions.

Storytelling style presenter: Jill Bolte Taylor

6. Connector Style

What it is: In this style, presenters connect with their audience by showing how they’re similar to their listeners. Connectors usually enjoy freeform Q&A and use gestures when they speak. They also highly encourage audience reaction and feedback to what they’re saying.

When to use it: Use this style of presenting early in the sales process as you’re learning about your prospect’s pain points, challenges, and goals. This type of speaking sets your listener at ease, elicits feedback on how you’re doing in real time, and is more of a dialogue than a one-sided presentation

Connector style presenter: Connie Dieken

7. Lessig Style

What it is: The Lessig Style was created by Lawrence Lessig , a professor of law and leadership at Harvard Law School. This presentation style requires the presenter to pass through each slide within 15 seconds. When text is used in a slide, it’s typically synchronized with the presenter’s spoken words.

When to use it: This method of presentation is great for large crowds -- and it allows the speaker to use a balance of text and image to convey their message. The rapid pace and rhythm of the slide progression keeps audiences focused, engaged, and less likely to snooze.

Lessig style presenter: Lawrence Lessig

8. Takahashi Style

What it is: This method features large, bold text on minimal slides. It was devised by Masayoshi Takahashi , who found himself creating slides without access to a presentation design tool or PowerPoint. The main word is the focal point of the slide, and phrases, used sparingly, are short and concise.

When to use it: If you find yourself in Takahashi’s shoes -- without presentation design software -- this method is for you. This style works well for short presentations that pack a memorable punch.

Takahashi style presenter: Masayoshi Takahashi

Slides from one of Takahashi’s presentations:

Whether you’re speaking on a conference stage or giving a sales presentation , you can find a method that works best for you and your audience. With the right style, you’ll capture attention, engage listeners, and effectively share your message. You can even ask an AI presentation maker tool to create presentations for you in your preferred style

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5 Common Meeting Room Setups: Pros & Cons

When it comes to choosing a meeting room setup, there are many factors to consider. What type of meeting is it? How much participation will be asked of the attendees? But have no fear: the options are many, and you will be sure to find the perfect fit for your next business meeting. Here are five meeting room styles to consider, and the pros and cons of each:

CLASSROOM STYLE This style is exactly as you would imagine, with meeting participants at tables facing the front of the room as in a classroom setting.

✓PROS: it is familiar and conducive to paying full attention to the speaker. Tables are great for taking notes, organizing meeting materials, using laptops or eating a meal while listening to the speaker. This is an ideal setup for training sessions . ✓CONS: this style can sometimes feel crowded, and is not a very cutting edge presentation style as participants may feel like they’ve traveled back in time to their school days. Meeting planners must make sure the tables are not too crowded, so that the seating arrangement is as comfortable as possible.

THEATER STYLE This style features a large area with rows of chairs, and often a stage where the speaker stands or the presentation takes place.

✓PROS: this style is great for a short meeting, or a long conference with ample breaks throughout the day. It is ideal for a large amount of people, like a press conference or product launch . ✓CONS: this is not well-suited for note-taking or meetings with a good deal of audience participation.

TEAM / POD STYLE This style groups participants in smaller clusters together in one large room.

✓PROS: this is great for working in small groups or encouraging interaction during meetings or breaks. It fosters community, and participants can bounce ideas and thoughts off of one another. ✓CONS: this is not ideal for a less interactive meeting, where the speaker is the sole focus of the conference and attention must be paid in great detail. It is susceptible to distractions and side talk.

U-SHAPE STYLE This style arranges tables around the perimeter of the room so that the presentation can take place in the middle of the participants.

✓PROS: this seating arrangement is great for a very visual presentation with a good deal of interaction from the group. ✓CONS: it is not ideal for a mass meeting or one where group interaction is discouraged.

CONFERENCE STYLE This is similar to a boardroom setup, where participants are seated around a conference table.

✓PROS: this is ideal for smaller, more intimate groups where discussion and participation is encouraged. The face-to-face interaction is an added bonus. ✓CONS: this is not an ideal setup for very visual presentations or meetings where interaction or input is discouraged.

Find your ideal meeting room setup at one of our AMA Executive Conference Center locations: Washington D.C., San Francisco, Atlanta, and New York City. Our state-of-the-art executive centers will provide all of your business meeting needs, no matter what style is best for you. Contact us today .

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An Event Planner’s Guide to Engaging Room Layouts

Skift Meetings Studio Team

September 1st, 2017 at 8:00 AM EDT

The room layout can have a huge impact on the engagement and learning at your event. Find out which are the best seating layouts for different events and some ways to mix it up with more unusual layouts to increase engagement in meeting design.

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When planning an event or meeting, one of the hardest parts can be accommodating the amount of attendees you need in a venue in the most engaging way. Are you sick of using the same standard and uninventive setups? Traditional layouts have their place and uses and can often maximize the room capacity but if you are willing to experiment you can use new and lesser known formats to mix things up.

Choosing the right layout is important because it can change the guests experience of your entire event. Whether you are looking to promote better learning, encourage networking opportunities, provide a good performance experience, or enable proper interaction for brainstorming or team-building exercises, the layout will either help or hinder this.

With this in mind, we have compiled a list of event room layouts you can use to accommodate attendees, what they actually mean and how they can be used best. Starting with the traditional and most well-known room setups we also cover some more inventive options you may wish to consider to change the dynamics of your future events. We have also created a checklist of the information you need to find out and check to be sure if a layout can work for your event.

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Choosing The Best Seating Arrangement

When deciding on the best room layout and seating arrangements there are a number of factors to take into consideration.

1. What Are The Attendee Numbers?

The attendee numbers will have a big impact on the final layout chosen. Some options just might not be workable for the numbers you have attending (or expect to attend) as you want to ensure that everyone can find a seat and be accommodated within the room. A layout is not workable if it means that everything is too cramped with bad sightlines, no wheelchair access and too cramped or far from the speaker. Smaller numbers can often offer greater flexibility in terms of seating arrangements.

Also consider if there may be walk-ups to the event. If you are likely to have an influx of attendees who haven’t pre-registered you probably want the option to accommodate them and find some additional seats quickly and easily, rather than turning them away.

2. What Space is Available?

The room dimensions will also determine whether a specific setup is possible or not. The venue will often have valuable guidance and hopefully even layout plans and capacities for the different setups. It has been known however for the numbers given by venues to be incorrect and based more on wishful thinking than practical usage. If you are in any doubt ask for the room to be setup in the way you require and check it yourself so you can be sure of the number of guests you can comfortably fit in.

If you are really struggling with capacity but don’t want to compromise on the layout of the space you may need to be inventive and split participants into two sessions, take advantage of live streaming and remote conferencing or look at creating a 2-day event or repeating it at a later date if the popularity is there.

3. What Are Your Priorities?

What are the objectives for your event, or for this specific room/element of the event? Within each area think about whether it is all about learning from the speaker or interaction with other attendees or simply recharging in a quiet area? You need to decide the most important factors for your event and what this means for your attendees to determine the best use of each space. Do you need engagement and networking over capacity or are you looking for comfort and stage view over interaction? Answering these questions can help narrow down layout possibilities to decide what you want.

4. What Are the Practicalities?

What are the practicalities of the venue and your event you need to take into account? For example where will food and refreshments be served? Do you expect any lines and if so how can people queue comfortably? Where will people eat and do they need to be seated or is it a finger or fork buffet designed to encourage mingling? If you want to keep capacity and minimize disruption, ensure you hire a venue with a separate area to serve refreshments and keep the main space for the event itself.

Are there any fixtures and fittings that you should be aware of? Some venues have fixed bars or heavy furniture that cannot be moved. Likewise is access needed to storerooms, fire escapes and shortcuts?

5. Decor and Furniture

Talk to your venue to find out if they have a choice of furniture available and included within your venue hire or whether you need to rent different options in terms of chairs , tables, linen hire and sofas as rental charges can soon add up. It is worth checking specifically how much furniture and how many of each type is available to you too if they have a number of different types. Consider the aesthetics and whether different tables and chairs can work together or whether they are different heights and sizes.

Also consider the look and feel of the room and the decor. For instance a very dark room might not be best suited to networking but might work well for performances and speaker presentations.

6. Do You Need a Stage?

Stages can take up a lot of space, particularly if you are already struggling with space to accommodate everyone. Raising up the speaker, even just slightly onto a low platform, can improve visibility from the back of the room. Or alternatively bring the facilitator down to attendee level to create a more intimate feel.

What is the stage being used for? If you are planning a panel discussion and want to have furniture such as table and chairs for the panel members this will increase the stage area required.

7. Activities

If you have planned activities at any point during your event, you will need to consider the space and layout available. Ensure that speakers are well briefed so they can prepare accordingly too as changing a room layout around isn’t an easy task and generally should be avoided within your event hours unless you have plenty of time, staff and storage areas available to ensure there is no disruption with the change-around. For example, if you have a theater style or auditorium layout this isn’t ideal if you want to do group work, have participants moving around or incorporate a chair-free team building space.

8. Health And Safety

The most important aspect is to adhere to health and safety guidance to ensure that the room layout is safe and that the venue can be evacuated quickly in case of an emergency. You need to liaise with your venue regarding capacity limits, emergency exit routes and any other special considerations to ensure that your layout doesn’t impede walkways, exits, refuge points, muster points and emergency assembly points. Some venues may also have additional special circumstances for example a reduced capacity for high level structures or older buildings, so you need to take this into consideration.

7 Traditional Event Seating Layouts

These room layouts are most commonly detailed by venues as standard room setups to give an idea of the capacity for each seating arrangement.

Theater Style

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Rows, Auditorium, Tiered (as seen in lecture halls, theaters, etc)

All chairs are setup in straight rows, facing a central point, such as a staging area. There is generally an aisle in the middle to allow attendees to reach their seats. theater style is one of the most common and traditional layouts seen, particularly when trying to fit as many attendees into a space as possible. theater style is commonly used for conferences, where a dense mass of people need to be seated and for events that require a large stage or presentation area. It can hinder interaction as you are limited to talk to the people immediately around you. Attendees have a tendency to spread out too and to leave unsightly gaps and empty chairs which people are blocked from filling.

Common Uses : Conferences , presentations, annual meetings , product launches, displays, lectures, performances

Classroom Style

This layout introduces square or rectangular tables and therefore immediately requires more space as attendees sit on chairs in rows behind the tables facing the central presentation area. It is useful for events that require note taking, tests and if access to equipment, refreshments and food is needed.

Common Uses : Ideal for note-taking, medium sized conferences or events, longer events, training, tests, use of computers and tablet devices, access to water

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Half Moon, Crescent

Using circular banqueting tables, attendees are seated around the tables. Sometimes half tables are used instead of rounds. The tables are staggered around a stage or presentation area. In a conference setting the chairs at the head of the table may be removed so that no one has their back to the activity and chairs may be angled towards the front. The downside is that you waste around 60% of table space as no one sits on the opposite side. This setup is particularly useful for events that have both meals and performances or require group work and want to encourage networking.

Common Uses : Meals with presentations or performances e.g. award evenings, luncheons, workshops, conferences

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Dinner Style

Introducing the seating all the way around around tables this layout is useful for dinner based events or those that don’t require attendees to be focused on a central point in the room and can allow more efficient table positioning. It allows you to use more of the space to fit attendees as tables are used to maximum capacity. While it is conducive to networking on the table, it makes it difficult to interact with other tables and can tend to silo attendees into groups and cliques which can also be one of its main benefits if you are aiming for people to get to know each other.

Common Uses : Weddings, evening events, sit-down meals, entertainment or music based stage events that don’t require attendees constantly focusing their attention or turning around.

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Hollow Square

Tables are turned inwards to create a square or rectangle with participants all seated at the tables facing the middle to allow interaction and discussion. With larger numbers or depending on the room, the boardroom layout may be hollow in the middle. This layout is popular for small breakout sessions and meetings and to encourage participation, brainstorming and discussion. It can take up a lot of room and if there are too many participants it can have the opposite effect, making it difficult for delegates to interact.

Common Uses : Meetings, conference breakout sessions, smaller sessions, brainstorming

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Tabled Horseshoe

This is essentially boardroom style but with one end table removed to accommodate a facilitator or session leader and the ability to see the stage or front/head of the table. This helps to allow discussion but facilitated in a more structured way so it can accommodate more than a traditional boardroom layout, especially if interaction is predominantly between a leader and the attendees.

Common Uses : Suitable for interactive sessions such as smaller conferences and meetings, debates, workshops, training sessions

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Reception, Buffet

If you are looking to use as much capacity as possible and allow people to network freely, a reception or buffet style often involves having several long tables at the edge of the room with food and refreshments while the rest of the space is free with several high-top tables to stand and rest at. Although some chairs may be used they are generally discouraged as this can interfere with networking and movement.

Common Uses : Short events, networking events, drink receptions, social events

12 Interesting Room Layout Alternatives

Room layouts don’t have to be limited to the uninventive tried and tested arrangements we see time and time again. If you are looking to give your meeting design a twist consider if one of these setups could have more impact.

Clustering is less formal than banquet style but with the premise that smaller cocktail or high-top tables and seating are provided ad hoc for attendees to stand or sit at as well as mingle and network. Depending on the room size and delegates that you are catering for will depend on the size of the tables and seating chosen.

Best Uses : Performances, networking events, cocktail evenings, group discussions

Herringbone

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : V-Shape, Chevron

This layout can be incorporated with or without tables to mix up classroom and theater style and allows attendees to sit staggered and at an angle in front of a stage. This can enable better views and easier discussion which allows for more interaction than some of the other traditional layouts. On the downside it does take up more venue space as much is lost in the middle. This layout can also create more of a performance area up front or make it easier for facilitators to walk around different groups during workshop sessions.

Best Uses : Workshops, conferences, interactive meetings, product launches, performances, training sessions.

Although similar to U-shape layouts, true horseshoe layout removes the tables and has a seating only approach that allows for a facilitator up front to work closely with attendees. It also means that interaction, activities and discussion can flow more freely, for example at corporate retreats or brainstorming sessions to create a relaxed and more informal environment.

Best Uses : Corporate retreats, training, workshops, brainstorming sessions.

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Circle

For full engagement an open space or circle layout forces attendees to network and be completely open. It involves minimal furniture that could be chairs in a large circle or no furniture at all and the attendees standing. It is particularly useful for workshops or team building because of the lack of barriers but doesn’t suit anything that requires a presentation. It needs a strong leader or facilitator to keep things moving successfully. This layout allows for everyone to be part of a larger conversation and get involved or separate off into groups.

Best Uses : Team building, networking, workshops and training

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Bench layout

If you are looking to maximize space but need sit-down meals or table space, the imperial set-up involves long rectangular tables placed end to end with attendees sitting either side of the table. This can save a lot more space than round tables and encourage conversations across the table and with the people on either side.

Best Uses: Receptions, events serving food, networking, group activities requiring table space, presentations, weddings

As the name suggests this involves a longer presentation or staging area with guests sitting either side. Although commonly used for fashion shows it can be a dynamic layout for product launches, performances and presentations to gain more interaction from attendees as you can reach more of them, particularly if there is more than one person on stage at a time. It can be with or without tables

Best Uses: Fashion shows, presentations, product launches, displays

X-Formation

Placing tables in the shape of an X and seating attendees around the outside can allow for more interaction throughout the room when a central stage isn’t needed. Placing a circular table in the middle can create a decorative or practical area for food, stationary or equipment that can help facilitate the event while the tables themselves allow for note-taking and refreshments for longer events.

Best Uses: Weddings, conferences, meetings, large brainstorming sessions, longer events

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Arch, curved theater-style

A semicircle of chairs can help everyone see better as well make it easier for the facilitator to access and interact. It is a little more inviting and less regimented than theater style or herringbone layout. It requires more space than traditional theater style as it isn’t the most efficient positioning of the chairs but can still help meet capacity for a lot of attendees as well as feeling more open for discussion. This layout also allows for a low or floor level presentation area, ease of access for the attendees to help with demonstrations, as well other involvement.

Best Uses: Conferences, training, meetings, presentations

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : World cafe style

Creating paired rectangular tables to accommodate more attendees seated around it is useful for discussions, team-building or corporate retreats where participants will need to interact and take input from the facilitator.

Best Uses : Networking sessions, team-building, group sessions, world cafe format

You could opt to break convention completely and go mobile by having a walking format for a specific task. Facilitators can walk and talk to attendees and walking and talking lends itself to discussions in pairs or small groups. It avoids sitting for long periods of time and can help to encourage creativity and take in some fresh air. Perhaps you can incorporate this change of scene into the event, for example a walking session to an outdoor reception area for a short performance or presentation.

Best Uses : Tours, meetings, small sessions, corporate retreats, brainstorming, discussions, problem solving

Mixed Seating

Alternative Descriptions and Variations : Multi-heights

Not every attendee works in the same way and opting for a variety of different seating can be an interesting way of allowing everyone to pick what suits them. From normal chairs and bar stools to bean bags and floor cushions you can still incorporate a stage or presentation area by having the lowest seating at the front which would also be a natural way to overcome the viewing problem of theater style. Different seating types could also be clustered together to encourage networking as well as interaction if the event requires it.

Best Uses : Presentations, conferences, annual meetings, corporate retreats, performances, small group work

Opting for low level seating such as chairs, sofas, cushions and beanbags allows more of a relaxed and informal environment, particularly suitable for networking or informal presentations that don’t require much audience interaction. The comfort can allow for longer seating periods and with a higher stage level can make it easy for everyone to see. It will require more space and can give a VIP feel. You can also potentially include some low-level coffee tables for drinks and refreshments.

Best Uses: Showcases, presentations, relaxed events, performances, VIP seating

In Conclusion

Selecting the right event layout can really enhance and change the event experience. Often we go for traditional room layouts as this can be the easiest and most efficient option in terms of space, ease of setup and cost savings but if attendee numbers and the venue allow flexibility it can be worthwhile and memorable to explore alternative seating options. Discuss with your venue your vision as they may be able to suggest a suitable solution which will make an impact on your participants and enhance networking, learning and engagement.

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Conference and meeting room layouts – what’s the difference?

Photo Credit: http://www.catalystranch.com/

If you are planning a conference, meeting or even some indoor team building activities you will need to decide which room layout will work best and enable your delegates to get the most out of the event. There are many different options available so we thought it would be useful to explain the differences, as well as when each layout style would work best.

Theatre Style Layout

Bear in mind that this style of seating isn’t ideal if your delegates want to take lots of notes as they don’t have a surface to lean/write on, and delegates can sometimes feel ‘squashed’ if chairs are placed too close together.

Cabaret Style Layout

A cabaret style provides delegates with a solid surface to write on during presentations but does take up much more room than a theatre layout. If your event consists of long sessions and will last for an entire day (or longer) then a cabaret layout is a good choice and would provide delegates with plenty of comfort and space. This is also a good layout if you are planning on running team building activities which require some form of a surface for challenges or tasks.

Boardroom Layout

As delegates will be seated all around the table with this meeting room layout, If presentations will be taking place, a ‘U’ shape layout might be a better option.

Banquet Layout

A banquet layout can sometimes be referred to as ‘dinner/dance layout’ depending upon the venue.

U Shape Layout

If there won’t be any presentations during your meeting but you still want to facilitate discussion between the delegates, consider a boardroom layout.

Classroom Style Layout

A classroom layout is usually created with small rectangular tables with two delegates on each one. Tables will be placed in rows facing the front of the conference or meeting room.

In summary, there are a variety of options available when it comes to choosing a room layout for your next conference or meeting and which one you choose will ultimately depend on your individual event and what you are looking to achieve. Consider the space you have available in your event space, the presentations (if any) that will be taking place, and what delegates are going to be doing throughout the event.

White Rhino are the specialists when it comes to face-to-face, socially distanced, hybrid and virtual team building activities , is a friendly and hard-working event management company based in Surrey . If you would like some help or advice planning your next event, contact a member of the White Rhino team .

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Conference Room vs. Ballroom Style Presentations

Is PowerPoint good or evil ? This is the question that spurred the development of the distinction between Ballroom and Conference Room style presentations. Sooper kept track of the PowerPoint debate (for a while). For our purposes, all you need to know is that the experts – and the research – are divided on whether PowerPoint helps or hurts communication (although if you would like to know more, see Advanced Presentations by Design , p. 90-93).

I think that the reason the experts disagree is that they are talking at cross-purposes: they are talking about entirely different types of presentation. To understand this, it helps to understand the idea of presentation idiom. A presentation idiom is a form of expression with an associated set of design principles. I call the two main types of presentation idiom Ballroom style and Conference Room style. Ballroom style presentations are what most typical PowerPoint presentations are trying to be: colorful, vibrant, attention-grabbing, and (sometimes) noisy. They typically take place in a large, dark room—such as a hotel ballroom. Conference room style presentations are more understated: they have less color, with more details on each page; they are more likely to be on printed handouts than projected slides, and they are more suited to your average corporate conference room.

The biggest single mistake that presenters make—and the root cause of the PowerPoint debate—is confusing the two idioms, and particularly, using ballroom style where conference room style is more appropriate. Almost all PowerPoint presentations are given using ballroom style—yet most of the time presentation conditions call for conference room style. Ballroom style is appropriate for where the objective is to inform, impress, and/or entertain a large audience and where the information flow is largely expected to be one-way (presenter to audience). Conference room style presentations are more suited to meetings where the objective is to engage, persuade, come to some conclusion, and drive action. This covers any presentation where you want your audience to do something differently as a result of your presentation. It includes: making recommendations; selling; training; communicating the implications of research; and raising funds. Information flow in this idiom is expected to be two-way—it’s more interactive.

From this perspective, the critics of PowerPoint condemn—correctly—the use of ballroom style presentations in situations that need conference room style presentations, while its defenders uphold the use of ballroom style presentations in situations where they are appropriate. Therefore, in a sense, both are correct.

Read more on the difference between Ballroom and Conference Room style presentations, and how to do each well. Also read about how to combat fear of public speaking using conference room style presentations.

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Advantages and disadvantages of chevron style seating:

Chevron style seating is ideal for presentations, group training, and conferences because it allows the audience to face the front without having to turn their necks to see. It also gives the speaker a chance to see more participants at a time, making the experience slightly more intimate even if they’re in a large lecture hall. This arrangement fits in shallow rooms and around awkward columns. Angled rows also accommodate more seats than a straight row can.

The biggest disadvantage of chevron style seating is the fact that angled seats and rows make group collaboration harder. Guests can feel awkward and unnatural when they’re forced to strain to see everyone.

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Explore 8 chevron style seating arrangement ideas:

Use any of the following chevron style seating arrangement suggestions to make your event layout even more practical and visually interesting.

1. Angle tables 30 degrees.

Move the corner of the table that’s closest to the middle slightly back to create the right angle. Skip the measuring stick and eyeball the distance or use event diagramming tools to evenly space out your furniture using custom measurements. Aim to give everyone a comfortable view of the speaker and side profiles of others in their row, plus one row behind them.

2. Accentuate the walkway.

Place the aisle directly in the middle of the room so that it faces the middle of the presentation screen, board, or lectern for a dramatic statement. Leave space between each section to accommodate wheelchairs and give people room to pass by one another as they enter and exit.

3. Add a back row.

Looking to add a panel or seat other speakers? Include a straight row just behind the walkway of your chevron style seating. This will give other attendees a visual clue about their status or importance at the event. Make use of this space for equipment like projectors or prop staging if needed. Also, experiment with placing chairs on either side of table rows for group projects if a presentation isn’t the focus.

4. Make a diagonal aisle.

Cut across a block of chevron style rows to elongate the room and create a runway. If possible, have the aisle begin at the entrance and end at the steps leading up to your stage or podium. Make entrances count in extra large spaces by projecting live video of speakers entering the diagonal onto screens placed strategically throughout the ballroom or conference hall.

5. Mix with classroom.

Pair classroom style seating with chevron style seating by varying table lengths and staggering seats. Use shorter rows towards the front and mirror them in the back to make the floor plan more interesting. Combine multiple tables or extra chairs to lengthen the middle rows.

6. Form a theater.

Slightly curve the ends of your chevron rows to create a faux theater style seating arrangement. This style is popular for wedding since it gives guests a little more visibility towards the back of the space as well as the front for when the bridal party makes their entrances.

7. Strategically place equipment.

Place projectors in the middle of the aisle or just in front of it so that it doesn’t block anyone’s view. Use a projector in the middle and have supplementary televisions, presentation boards, or prop tables on either side. Put bar stools or podiums towards the side so speakers are visible yet out of the way of the presentation .

8. Pair up attendees.

Create a small group environment by pairing up seats or tables in each row. Limiting the number of participants in each chevron shape makes it easier to include teamwork or networking in your event programming. It’s also a great way to keep partners or brand representatives together during presentations.

Discover 5 examples of chevron style seating:

See what other event professionals at hotels and event spaces have done to personalize their chevron style seating arrangements.

Take inspiration from the Hilton Garden Inn Los Angeles Marina Del Rey by limiting sections to two people at a time to facilitate partner discussions.
Use two screens for presentations like the DoubleTree by Hilton in New Orleans does when you split your chevron style seating arrangement into three equal parts.
If the space features a view, face your rows towards it to open up the entire room just like this Boston event space .
Learn from this idea from Homewood Suites in San Diego and give guests space to move around without sacrificing usable floor space by using rows that make sense for oddly shaped rooms.
Set projectors in the middle aisle and place presenter desks or stands off to the side near the front like this Georgia Tech meeting room to make your presentation the sole focus.

Now you know all about chevron style seating!

Given the angle involved, it’s important to evenly space out chairs for this style of seating. Use one of our chevron and curved style templates as the foundation of your design. Or, if you’re looking for event-specific floor plans, use one of these wedding layouts that event designers swear by.

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Spring Fling: Go Biophilic in Your Living Room With These 5 Verdant Looks

One of our absolute favorite strategies for this time of year when we’re sick of the stale indoors but it’s not quite warm enough to begin spending full days outside? Bringing the outdoors in, of course.

This week we’re all about the biophilic , aka design that incorporates natural elements and motifs and inspires an overall nature connection—even inside the comfort of our living rooms.

We sourced five trending looks from Instagram that will help you ride out the last of this cold, rainy weather in lush green style. Take a peek before your next living room splurge, and get all our designer details on how you can bring these looks into your space.

1. Leafy chair

For the classically elegant living room that needs just a splash of biophilic design, this charming leafy chair from @caitlinflemming answers the call perfectly.

“Pattern play with leafy designs adds a nature-inspired element to your home design without going overboard,” says designer Courtney Wollersheim of FLOOR360 . “Botanical pattern upholstery fits into the modern traditional trend that’s so popular now.”

Get the look: Add some playful fabric to your space with this Leabury classic swoop accent chair .

2. Casual dusty-green sofa

This laid-back, dusty-green sofa feels right at home in this cozy-chic living room from @lxhome_decor .

“When you want to lean into biophilic design, a green living room sofa is the way to go,” says Wollersheim. “It will pair beautifully with hardwood flooring, a natural fiber area rug in a jute or sisal blend, and even a few realistic faux plants styled on shelves or hanging from macrame.”

Get the look: Go for a chill, verdant look with this Cambria green velvet sofa .

3. Velvety green bench

A more formal take on the casual green sofa is this velvety bench featured by @houseliftdesign .

“If your design style leans toward quiet luxury and you want to incorporate biophilic design, introduce a green velvet bench or throw pillows to your living space,” says Wollersheim. “Velvet has a warm texture, and this rich evergreen shade adds an earthy tranquil feeling to the space.”

Wollersheim suggests pairing it with natural marble accessories and even a warm wood coffee table to round out the design.

Get the look: Create an upscale vignette with this Colt settee in Loden .

4. Hand-painted green walls

Go all out in your biophilic living room design by hand-painting your walls in a forest-forward look like this one from @melanielissackinteriors .

“To add nature-inspired walls into your living space is to invite the natural world into your home,” says designer Sarah Merenda , founder of Merenda Wallpaper . “There’s a special kind of magic when you surround yourself with lush greenery and floral patterns, especially in today’s hectic world.”

Get the look: Surround yourself with botanical whimsy by following this DIY tutorial . Or take a shortcut by shopping for this collection of peel-and-stick Forest wallpaper .

5. Gray-green dresser

Sometimes, the design is in the details, and that’s definitely the case with this gray-green dresser inspired by nature from @sittingprettyhomedecor .

“Upcycling flea market finds or family heirlooms continues to be a popular trend,” says Wollersheim. “Homeowners can add a touch of biophilic design to their dresser or sideboard flea market find by painting it a neutral gray-green.”

She recommends styling the surface with more nature-inspired items like a wood vase, marble catchall tray, or olive tree branches in a glass.

Get the look: Upcycle one of your favorite sideboards, or opt for this Lyonhart buffet in Vintage Sage .

Larissa Runkle (@therealtorwriter) is a real estate copywriter and journalist living in Colorado.

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COMMENTS

Have a Better Presenation When Your Room is Set Up Properly
A Boardroom Style Room Setup is ideal for small groups (usually fewer than 12 people) where different speakers will present. This room style works best for staff meetings, project briefings, or problem-solving meetings. If the meeting is going to be fairly short and you will only have a single main speaker, this may be your ideal conference room setup.
How to Optimize Room Setup for Training and Presentations
Eliminate unnecessary seats. Suppose you know that your audience is going to be 30 people, but the room is set up with 6 rows of 10 chairs each (=60 seats total). Most people tend to choose a seat toward the back. The result is that most of your audience will sit in the back half of the room.
What is the best room setup for your workshop?
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. Banquet Style Seating Arrangement.
8 Meeting Room Layouts: For Effective Team Collaboration
Box Style. A box style meeting set up is a U shape with another table running along the side, creating a box or a hollow square. The meeting leader will stand in the middle and lecture a small group from there. This isn't the best meeting room layout for presentations, as the participants will all be facing away from a wall - so there is ...
how to lay out the room for your presentation
Pro tip: use a remote control so that you can move around the room and make a point of presenting from the side of the table rather than being stuck at one end. That way you can work more easily with different people and you're not too far from anyone. What's more, it gives you the advantage of distancing you from your slides and puts you ...
Speaking Environment Part 1: The Room, Setup, and Other Considerations
Finally, avoid standing near the exit or entryway. It's like being near the kitchen or bathroom in a restaurant. Every time someone arrives late or leaves to take a break, you must reengage your audience's attention. 4. Adjust the Lighting. In general, avoid putting the audience in the dark or semi-darkness.
Presentation settings for different rooms
Presentation settings for different rooms. One presentation really doesn't fit all situations. Depending on the room, the setting, the purpose of your upcoming presentation, the slides have to be optimized. Your preparation will differ. This is a quick guide to how three different settings effects three aspects of your presentation.
Meeting Room Layouts
Aisles are cleared in the middle of the room, along with space on the sides to ensure everyone has easy access to and from their seats. As this meeting room layout is not usually tiered, attendees sitting towards the front will have a better view than those at the back. Depending on the size of the room, you may require a microphone and PA ...
Interior Design Presentations: The Secret to Winning More Clients
The first step to creating a dynamic interior design presentation is to sketch your initial design concepts for each area clients want to be revamped. Draw a basic layout of the space, make note of its dimensions, and add comments that will help guide the remainder of your design process. 2. Draw a 3D floor plan.
Designing the Perfect Presentation Room
An unaided presenter's voice, speaking in a normal tone, is about 72 dB; you need at least 20 dB of clear sound bandwidth over the general noise level in the room to properly hear. Based on this, the ambient noise in a presentation room should be no greater than 52 dB. This infers that the sound of the HVAC system at full load, lighting ...
The 8 Types of Presentation Styles: Which Category Do You Fall Into?
3. Instructor Style. What it is: This presentation style allows you to deliver complex messages using figures of speech, metaphors, and lots of content -- just like your teachers and professors of old. Your decks should be built in logical order to aid your presentation, and you should use high-impact visuals to support your ideas and keep the audience engaged.
Three room layouts for presentations
Room layout: Example 1. Initial presentation se-up with a "Presenters' Table" at the front. Let's start north of the border with this bunker-like monstrosity! 😉 The caption kind of gives it away, to be honest. The expectation was that I'd sit at the table with my slides appearing on the wall behind me.
10+ Types of Effective Presentation Styles (Top Methods for 2022)
Here are more than ten common different effective presentation styles: 1. Visual Presentation Style. The visual style is great for anyone who wants to use your presentation to complement the main points of your speech. This visual presentation technique is perfect for people who have many important talking points.
5 Common Meeting Room Setups: Pros & Cons
This style arranges tables around the perimeter of the room so that the presentation can take place in the middle of the participants. PROS: this seating arrangement is great for a very visual presentation with a good deal of interaction from the group. CONS: it is not ideal for a mass meeting or one where group interaction is discouraged.
The Ultimate Conference Room Setup Guide [2024]
All of these questions are extremely important as you consider conference room setup strategies - since the layout can make or break a meeting. You want to ensure that every attendee can see and hear each other as well as the presenter (if there is one), and that the room is equipped with the right audio-visual equipment. Below is our ...
Meeting Room Layouts: Everything You Need to Know
11. Hollow Square. Create a layout similar to a boardroom style floor plan with long rectangular tables forming a square in the center of the room. Similar to other interactive layouts like the decision maker or the circle, the square puts everyone on equal footing.
PDF Room Setups for Presentations
brainstorming. If the presentation involves note taking or reference to handout material, Classroom style is a better choice as it provides a writing surface. Chevron style is an excellent choice for audience interactivity.It is very flexible, good for either large or small groups and fosters a sense of audience involvement as the audience can see
An Event Planner's Guide to Engaging Room Layouts
Alternative Descriptions and Variations: Rows, Auditorium, Tiered (as seen in lecture halls, theaters, etc). All chairs are setup in straight rows, facing a central point, such as a staging area. There is generally an aisle in the middle to allow attendees to reach their seats. theater style is one of the most common and traditional layouts seen, particularly when trying to fit as many ...
Ballroom vs. Conference Room Style Presentations
The Ballroom style presentation is what most typical PowerPoint presentations are trying to be: colorful, vibrant, attention-grabbing, and (sometimes) noisy. They typically take place in a large, dark room such as a hotel ballroom. The Conference Room style presentation is much more understated: less use of color, more details on each page ...
Conference and Meeting Room Layouts Explained
A Classroom style layout is perfect for training events or meetings where delegates will be taking a lot of notes and will provide attendees with plenty of room to work whilst being able to see presentations and speakers clearly and easily. A classroom layout is usually created with small rectangular tables with two delegates on each one.
Conference Room vs. Ballroom Style Presentations
A presentation idiom is a form of expression with an associated set of design principles. I call the two main types of presentation idiom Ballroom style and Conference Room style. Ballroom style presentations are what most typical PowerPoint presentations are trying to be: colorful, vibrant, attention-grabbing, and (sometimes) noisy.
Chevron Style Seating: The Ultimate Guide
Pair classroom style seating with chevron style seating by varying table lengths and staggering seats. Use shorter rows towards the front and mirror them in the back to make the floor plan more interesting. Combine multiple tables or extra chairs to lengthen the middle rows. 6. Form a theater.
Biophilic Living Room Designs From Instagram
3,013 likes. Add a comment... This laid-back, dusty-green sofa feels right at home in this cozy-chic living room from @lxhome_decor. "When you want to lean into biophilic design, a green living ...

Proper Conference Room Setup Makes Presenting Much Easier

Part One: The Pros and Cons of Different Conference Room Styles.

Boardroom Style: All the Participants Gather Around a Single Long and Skinny Boardroom Table.

U-Shaped Style: Tables Are Set in a Square Shape with One End Opened for the Presenter.

Theater Style or Auditorium Style: Chairs Set Side-by-Side as in a Movie Theater.

Classroom Style: A Series of Six foot by One Foot Tables Set Up in Rows.

Banquet Style: Six to Ten People Gather Around Big Round Tables.

Part Two: Best Practices for Proper Conference Room Set Up for Presentations (How to Set Up a Meeting Room.)

1) Present from the Short-Side of the Conference Room.

2) Make Yourself the Center of Attention, Not the Visual Aid.

3) Get Rid of the Lectern.

4) Place Whiteboard or Flipchart to the Proper Side When You Set Up Your Room for a Presentation.

5) Chevron Style Room Set Up Is My Favorite Conference Room Setup Style.

Best Practices for Room Set Up for a Presentation in a Boardroom

How to Optimize Room Setup for Training and Presentations

Core Principles for Choosing a Seating Setup

Theater Style Seating Setup

Classroom Style Seating Setup

Boardroom Style Seating Setup

U-Shaped Style Seating Setup

Banquet Style Seating Setup

Cabaret Style Seating Setup

Chevron Style Seating Setup

What is the Best Seating Arrangement?

Tips for Optimizing the Room for Your Audience

Which seating arrangements do you prefer?

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