Theatre
Set the front line from screen width and viewing distance, not from the wall. Break long runs with aisles, keep doors clear and include accessible seating positions within the audience.
For hotels, conference centres and corporate events
Conference room layouts: choose for the session, not only the headcount
Theatre maximises audience seats. Classroom supports note-taking. Cabaret enables table work. Boardroom, U-shape and hollow square prioritise discussion. The right setup follows the work delegates must do.
Six conference seating layouts compared
Space ranges are planning guides before fixed features, staging, AV and local safety requirements.
| Layout | Best use | Advantages | Disadvantages | Typical planning space |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theatre | Keynotes, town halls, product launches, AGMs | Highest seated capacity; all attention faces one point. | No work surface; audience interaction and catering are harder. | 0.5–0.7 m² (5–8 sq ft) per delegate |
| Classroom | Training, exams, laptops, note-heavy sessions | Each delegate has a desk and forward sightline. | Desk depth and aisles reduce capacity substantially. | 1.4–1.8 m² (15–19 sq ft) per delegate |
| Cabaret | Conferences combining presentations and group exercises | Team discussion with an open view towards the stage. | Part of each round is unseated; larger rooms and more tables needed. | 1.4–1.8 m² (15–19 sq ft) per delegate |
| Boardroom | Leadership meetings, interviews, negotiations | Everyone faces the group; strong status parity and table access. | Poor at large scale; long tables create distance and AV problems. | 1.7–2.2 m² (18–24 sq ft) per delegate |
| U-shape | Facilitated training, demonstrations, workshops | Clear presenter zone with good delegate interaction. | Open centre consumes floor; far ends become remote above ~30. | 1.8–2.5 m² (19–27 sq ft) per delegate |
| Hollow square | Committee meetings and group discussion without a single front | All delegates face inward with a continuous work surface. | The empty centre uses space; presentation sightlines are uneven. | About 2.0–2.8 m² (22–30 sq ft) per delegate |
Classroom
Allow laptop depth, power access and enough chair movement behind desks. A centre aisle alone may not serve wide desk blocks; add cross-access where needed.
Cabaret
Seat only the stage-facing part of each round. Check the delegate at each outer position still has an acceptable view without twisting through the session.
Boardroom
Prioritise comfortable table width, screen visibility and camera angles. If conversation feels like it crosses a ballroom, switch to smaller tables or another format.
U-shape
Protect the open end for the trainer, screen and demonstrations. Keep the internal opening broad enough to work in without trapping the presenter.
Hollow square
Use for peer discussion without a dominant front. Plan cable entry and water service carefully because the continuous perimeter limits crossing points.
AV and sightlines change the nominal capacity
A screen, stage, lectern, confidence monitor, cameras and a production desk all claim floor area or viewing angles. Start the first row far enough back, protect projector or camera paths and test the view from the edge seats. Metis can show the same plan in 2D for measurement and in 3D for a guest-level sense of the room.
When sessions change format during the day, document the turnaround: which furniture leaves, where it waits and how long the team has.
Hotels and venues: publish defensible setup capacities
Build each room once with its doors, columns and fixed AV, then save proven theatre, classroom, cabaret and meeting templates. Sales teams can quote the correct setup rather than a single headline maximum.
Use the meeting room capacity calculator for quick qualification, compare the wider capacity effect of every layout, then create the client plan in Metis event floor plan software.
Conference setup checklist
- Confirm usable room dimensions and ceiling height, not only brochure area.
- Mark entrances, fire exits, columns, air walls, fixed screens and control panels.
- Define stage, screen, lectern, panel seating and production positions before audience seating.
- Allow accessible routes and integrated wheelchair positions.
- Plan power and data without running unprotected cables across circulation.
- Check catering stations and refreshment queues against session changeovers.
- Issue the approved plan and equipment list to banqueting, AV and client teams.
Planning capacity onlyThe room setup does not replace fire-risk assessment, premises licensing or legal occupancy limits.
Test the conference layout in the actual room
Generate a meeting-room plan, compare formats and then refine the approved setup in Metis.
Open the Meeting Room Calculator