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7 Event Setup Styles for Hotel and MICE Venues

by Novox Inc.

When planning to deliver the best hospitality experience, one of the first decisions you will need to make is what type of event setup style you want. There are many different options to choose from, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. We will discuss seven common setups for hotel and MICE venues. We will also provide some tips on how to choose the right setup for your customers and the hotel furniture to use.

Banquet Style

The first type of setup style is the banquet style. In Singapore and East Asia, the use of round banquet tables is popularly used for any gala dinner such as a wedding or corporate dinner. Dining guests would often move between tables to meet up with different social groups to interact with each other.

Hotel Event Setup Gala Banquet Style Furniture Placement Example

The gala banquet table layout is customized to a big venue floor size such as the ballroom or the banquet hall with bigger banquet tables. Smaller rooms would mean smaller round banquet tables to arrange with less seating.

On the contrary, in Western countries, long rectangle banquet tables are more commonly used. This is because they allow for more dining guests to be seated at each table and they provide a clear view of the portable stage or head banquet tables. Food can also be served more quickly as diners help each other with the food.

Hotel Event Setup Long Banquet Style Furniture Placement Example

This style is best suited for events where guests will be seated for most of the time. This setup is also suitable for a portable dance floor to be placed in the middle of the room when needed.

Cocktail Style

If you're looking for a more informal set up, then cocktail style may be the right choice for you. In this type of setup, cocktail tables are arranged in a versatile way that allows any person to move around freely.

Hotel Event Setup Cocktail Style Furniture Placement Example

This style is perfect for events where attendees will be mingling and networking, such as a cocktail party or reception. Cocktail-style setups are also great for allowing more people to fit into a smaller space. This setup style may include a mobile bar counter and mobile bar-back for customers who require quick and easy points to get their drink orders, reducing the need for manpower to order and service to the table.

Classroom Style

Classroom-style setups are often used for educational events, such as seminars and workshops. In this type of setup, rows of meeting tables and banquet chairs are facing the stage. This style is ideal for events where attendees will be listening to a speaker for an extended period.

Hotel Event Setup Classroom Style Furniture Placement Example

As meeting rooms are usually smaller than ballrooms or banquet halls, meeting tables are often used in classroom setup due to their portability and can be deployed for quick or frequent reconfigurations. The design of the meeting table is to be light-weight, and fixable with modesty panels and folding legs that can be kept stored easily on a cart.

U-Shape Style

The U-shape style's use is similar to the classroom style, except that the meeting table and chairs are to form in a U-shape around the stage or podium. This type of setup is often used for events where there will be group discussions or presentations.

Hotel Event Setup U-Shape Style Furniture Placement Example

This setup allows for better engagement between the speaker and the audience, as well as allows guests to interact with each other more easily. This type of setup is perfect for events where guest interaction is encouraged, such as panel discussions and Q&A sessions.

Auditorium / Theater Style

Auditorium or theater-style setups are often used for large presentations, speeches or forums. In this type of setup, rows of rectangle meeting tables or banquet tables with skirting and banquet chairs are facing a stage or screen. This style is ideal for events where attendees will be sitting and watching for an extended period.

Hotel Event Setup Auditoriums/Theater Style Furniture Placement Example

Depending on the type of event, on stage, there is usually a lectern or speaker's podium, especially when there is a speech or speaker segment.

Hollow Square Style

The hollow square style is similar to the U-shape style, but the chairs are arranged in a square around the step-up podium or raised stage. 

Hotel Event Setup Hollow Square Style Furniture Placement Example

This type of setup is perfect for events where guest interaction is encouraged, such as panel discussions and Q&A sessions.

Boardroom Style

The boardroom style is similar to the U-shape style, but the conference room is centered by a large table, formed by two semi-circle tables at the ends with a middle filled with rectangle tables.

Hotel Event Setup Boardroom Style Furniture Placement Example

This type of setup is suitable for brainstorming sessions or strategy meetings for businesses.

Now that you know about the different types of setups, it is time to choose the right one for your hotel or MICE experiences. Consider the type of experience based on the request of your clients and plan the place with the number of guests you expect, the amount of space you have, and the kind of business or social activities.

With this information in mind, you should be able to choose a versatile setup and plan the furniture and equipment to use that will create and deliver the best hospitality experience to impress your customer.

Contact us via sales@novoxinc.com if you wish to find out more about our banquet table or chair, meeting table, or other furniture, do check out our products online or click here to download and browse our catalog.

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