Seating Arrangements

Seating arrangements are the pre-assigned seating charts which are planned and made by the event planner and/or host that determine the actual seat and table where each guest will be seated at an event. Seating arrangements are usually planned in conjunction with the client and event planner in order to control where the guests sit. This saves time when seating begins and allows the coordinator to control the flow of conversation. Seating Arrangements are helpful at corporate events where the coordinator wants to allow different departments to get to know one another or at weddings when you want the people who have something in common to sit together.

Making seating arrangements requires the intimate knowledge of your group of guests depending on the reason for planned seating. The reason for wanting pre-arranged seating could also be very logical for instance, grouping those people associated with the same film at an Academy Awards luncheon. At a big event, it is necessary to have pre-arranged seating so you don’t have to wait for four hundred people to decide where to sit. Allowing open seating can cause confusion because it is such a hassle and is guaranteed to waste needless time. Another option is to offer prearranged seating for only a certain number of individuals this option would be beneficial for an event such as a charity or fundraiser.

A seating arrangement could also simply mean the arrangement of the seating in terms of where the tables and chairs are placed. This is helpful in a large venue because you would want to establish some sort of intimacy through the detailed planning of the seating. In a venue of limited space, it is helpful to be able to plan where people are going to sit in order to see how many people you would be able to accommodate. You might have guests who because of their importance or role in the event should sit closer to the stage than others. At a wedding, typically those who are closest to the bride and groom are the ones who are able to sit close to them such as the wedding party and parents of the bride and groom. Having a seating arrangement guarantees you control over the seating so that those who need to have the best seat in the house have it. When you don’t have seating arrangements, people tend to just help themselves, which is a recipe for disaster.