Cabaret: the right answer for a presentation with dinner
A cabaret setup uses standard round tables but removes the chairs from the third of the table nearest the screen or stage. Nobody ends up with their back to the speakers, and no one has to crane their neck for hours.
It drops each round table from 10 to 6 or 7 people, but it makes hybrid work-and-dinner conventions far more comfortable.
U-shape or horseshoe: debate and executive presentations
Three blocks of rectangular tables joined into a U, open towards the screen or speaker. The inside is left clear so the presenter can walk in and stay close to the room.
To work properly, the clear width inside the U should be at least 2 metres, and it is best not to go beyond 35-40 people: the far ends end up too distant from the main speaker.
Classroom or theatre: how to decide for a corporate event
If people need laptops, notebooks or printed material, classroom style is compulsory: allow 1.3 m² per person with tables 45-50 cm deep.
If the session runs under two hours and is purely a presentation, theatre style doubles the room's capacity at just 0.6 m² per person, with central aisles every 14 chairs as fire regulations require.