There are some basic rules of thumb for laying out your event. Some are really obvious, self-explanatory and even remedial. But others are completely subjective and turn a simple draft into a blueprint for a work of art. It is generally accepted that feng shui is really important to how you design the layout of your house. The idea isn’t very different for an event. First, figure out what you are trying to accomplish. Is this a wild party? Do you want people to be able to sit and chat? How should the guests feel? Should they feel at home, or should they feel like VIP guests at the most exclusive nightclub? Should they appreciate the food, the music, the décor? Will they be drunk or sober, happy or excited? When you have those answers, you are ready to start laying out your room. Start with your entrances and exits. When a guest walks into the room, what should they see? Use the layout of the room to direct people. We want them to feel invited. We want them to feel welcome. So we provide a place for that. The more frenetic the energy of the room, the bigger that entrance space should be. When guests walk in, they need a place to acclimate to the room. Are executives going to welcome guests, or servers provide drinks? What happens to the rest of the people trying to enter? Lay out your entrance so that the initial experience is what you want. Plan for lines. There will likely be lines at a bar, a buffet, or an activity. Expect them and put them in a smart place. If a guest is sitting at a table, they don’t want to be crowded by a line. If two lines meet each other, it creates chaos. I doubt that is what you want. There are times that a huge section of tables has the right feel. You might want an attendee to look around the room and feel the enormity of the team they belong to. They should feel part of a community. Other times, it is better to have intimate seating areas broken up by bars, activities, entertainment or buffets. As you are designing the layout at your event, make sure that you are creating the party you want to go to. Remember that no one can see what it looks like on your floorplan. They just know what it feels like to be there.
