From important meetings to sharing new ideas; conference halls can host a variety of organisations and conversational topics, many of which can last several hours. So, it’s important to have the right seating for your conference hall.
What is conference style seating?
Conference style seating, also known as boardroom seating, simply consists of a single rectangular or oval table with everyone sitting around it. This type of conference seating is ideal for small meetings of around 25 people, such as seminars and workshops. You are sat in close proximity, making this the classic seating arrangement for collaborative discussion.
However, depending on the size of your conferences, your venue and arrangement of speakers, other seating configurations could be more beneficial.
Conference Room Seating Configurations
U-Shape Style Seating
True to its name, the U-shape seating arrangement is, you guessed it – in the shape of a U. This allows there to be a focal point, making this particularly useful for conferences that involve a singular speaker. U-shape conference seating is popular in a number of university seminar rooms for example, as the configuration allows for both collaborative and single discussion.
However, for large conferences or a small venue space, the U-shape configuration only allows room for approximately 25 people and does not make the most use of space. Also, if a meeting relies on visual aids, the majority of the audience are facing side-on, which isn’t ideal.
Classroom Style Seating
Frequently found in lecture theatres and schools is classroom seating. This conference seating arrangement type features tables and chairs in rows, all facing the same direction to focus on a singular speaker. This style of seating is ideal for any venue space, as the rows can be as far or close together as you like, allowing you to increase or decrease the seating depending on the audience size.
Aisles are necessary when adopting this conference hall seating arrangement, as the audience needs access to enter and exit with ease. If your conference relies on audience interaction or collaboration, classroom style seating may not be ideal as the seats do not face each other.
Herringbone Style Seating
Herringbone conference seating (or V-shaped or Chevron seating – so many names!) is very similar to classroom seating, but the desks and chairs are at an angle. This angle is usually inwards and provides the audience with a better view of the speaker, ideal for conferences and meetings that utilise visual aspects, such as video or PowerPoints.
V-shaped seating increases engagement with the speaker, but like the classroom style before it, collaboration between peers may be difficult as the audience is not facing each other, with most having their backs to the row behind.
Banquet Style Layout
This type of conference hall seating consists of multiple round tables with approximately 81-0 chairs around them. This seating arrangement is perfect for conferences that require discussions between small groups, with less of a focus on a main speaker as a quarter of the audience will have their backs to one side of the room.
It’s important to consider the layout and size of your venue, as banquet style seating uses a lot of space and wouldn’t be recommended for large audiences.
Theatre Style Layout
Also referred to as auditorium style seating, the theatre layout is a classic conference hall seating arrangement. Theatre seating is the go-to configuration for any meeting or conference that involves a central speaker, as the aligned rows all face the focal point of the room, such as a stage, podium, screen, whatever your venue may have.
If your conferences need to accommodate a large audience, auditorium seating could be the best option for you. Depending on your venue, you could also have different heights per row, so the entire audience can see clearly.
Let Auditoria Services Help You!
Has a style of conference hall seating caught your eye? Or, perhaps you’re still unsure what seating configuration is best for your venue? Contact Auditoria today and our team of experts can help you configure the best seating style for your conference hall.
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