Laying out a corporate reception

Furniture for a corporate reception by number of guests

Guests	Poseur tables (Ø 80 cm)	Stools / seats	Stations and bars	Usable m²
50 people	10 – 12 tables	15 stools	1 station + 1 bar	40 – 45 m²
100 people	20 – 24 tables	30 stools	2 stations + 2 bars	80 – 90 m²
200 people	40 – 45 tables	60 stools	4 stations + 3 bars	160 – 175 m²
300 people	60 – 70 tables	90 stools	6 stations + 4 bars	240 – 260 m²

The 30% seating rule at standing events

At any reception running beyond 90 minutes there will be older guests, people in heels and anyone simply tired who needs to sit down for a while.

Putting 30% of the capacity as high stools or lounge benches around the edges stops people leaving early, without getting in the way of the networking in the middle.

Where the bars and food stations go

Never put the main bar right beside the entrance, or you get an instant bottleneck as soon as the first 20 guests arrive.

Spread the drink and food stations to opposite ends of the room, so people have to move around the whole space.

Aisles for waiters carrying canapé trays

Poseur tables need at least 1.8 m to 2 m between them, so that standing groups of four still leave enough room for waiters to get through with trays without spillages.

Frequently asked questions

How many people fit around an 80 cm poseur table?

Four to five is the comfortable number. Six is tight once everyone has a glass and a canapé plate at the same time.

How long does a corporate reception usually run?

A drinks reception before a meal runs 45 to 60 minutes. A full cocktail dinner runs from 2 hours to two and a half.

This, in MisePlan

Floor plan

In MisePlan you draw the room’s real outline on a grid — whatever shape it is, L-shaped or with a cut corner — place the columns and set the doors. The usable floor area is worked out with the voids taken out, not from the rectangle around it, and that plan is reused for every event that passes through the room.

Laying out a corporate cocktail reception: poseur tables, perching and circulation

Furniture for a corporate reception by number of guests

The 30% seating rule at standing events

Where the bars and food stations go

Aisles for waiters carrying canapé trays

Frequently asked questions

How many people fit around an 80 cm poseur table?

How long does a corporate reception usually run?

Lay out your next reception at scale

This, in MisePlan

Floor plan

Estates and farmhouses

Keep reading

Stage and AV space in event rooms

Theatre versus classroom setup

Allergens: what a caterer must be able to prove

Shall we talk?