Cheat Sheets

Quick... How big a meeting room is necessary for 350 attendees, classroom-style? How many hors d’oeuvres should be ordered at a pre-dinner reception for 4,000?
   Planners have enough details to remember without having to keep in mind all the myriad numbers and ratios involved in setting up meeting rooms and functions which is why M&C offers the handy charts on the following pages. For irregularly shaped or column-filled rooms, it can be helpful to diagram the space with software such as MeetingMatrix, Optimum Settings or Room Viewer, but for an accurate approximation, these formulas will do the trick.
   Setup ratios are presented as a range, to account for differences in budget and available space. If unsure about room capacity, check with a fire marshal.

Meeting Room Setups

Theatre-style

Space needed:
9-13 square feet per person 
More than 33" between rows
4'-6' for aisle space 
Twice the screen height between the front row and the stage; 4' or  more behind the last row

How to calculate:
For the number of rows that will fit in a room, take the length of the room, front to back, minus twice the screen height (for adequate space in the front) and minus 4' (for space behind the last row). Divide that by 3.58', the depth needed per row for chairs and legroom. Round down to the nearest whole number for total number of rows. For the total number of chairs in the setup, subtract aisle space from the width of the room, then multiply by the number of rows and divide by 1.83', the width needed per chair.

Classroom-style

Space needed:
Allow from 14.5-24 square feet per person and 3'-5' between tables. 
For especially tight setups, put three attendees at each 8'x18" table.
If space is available, put two attendees at each 6'x30" table.

Tips to remember:
Add 2 square feet per person for groups of fewer than 60, and subtract 2 square feet per person for groups of more than 300.
If space runs short, fill in the back of the room theater-style instead of cramping the classroom tables

Reception

Space needed:
7-15 square feet per person

Tips to remember:
Some planners deliberately use less space, preferring the room to be crowded. Provide enough chairs for 25-30 percent of attendees.

Banquet:

Space needed:
60" round: 80-120 square feet per table; each seats 6-9 
66" round: 90-135 square feet per table; each seats 7-10
72" round: 100-150 square feet per table; each seats 8-11
Dance floor space: 2-3 square feet per person

How to calculate:
For the total space needed, divide the number of attendees by the number of seats you want at each table, round that up to the nearest whole number (for total tables needed), and multiply by the area, in square feet, of that table. To determine the maximum number of attendees a space will fit, divide the usable square feet of the room (don’t include nooks and stage space) by the square feet per attendee (allot 9-18 square feet per attendee).

Trade show exhibits

Space needed:
For 8'x10' booths, allow 160 square feet per booth; for 10'x10' booths, allow 200 square feet per booth.

How to calculate:
For the total space needed, simply multiply the number of booths by the square feet per booth.

U-shaped/hollow square

Space needed:
37.5-45 square feet per attendee; 2'-3' between seats

Tips to remember:
These sets should be used for groups of 50 or fewer. Add 4 square feet per attendee for groups smaller than 20.

Your notes:

Food and Beverage 

Beverages (morning)

Amount to serve:
1 gallon regular coffee per 30 attendees; 1 gallon decaf per 75 attendees; 1 gallon hot water per 75 attendees

Tips to remember:
1 gallon fills 21 6-oz. cups, 16 8-oz. cups or 10 12-oz. cups. Put out small cups, and attendees will consume less. Many planners also offer juice and bottled water; some are beginning to offer sodas.

Beverages (breaks)

Amount to serve:
1 gallon regular coffee per 50 attendees; 1 gallon decaf per 50 attendees; 1 gallon hot water per 75 attendees

Tips to remember: Provide soft drinks and bottled water for 70 percent of group; order bottled water and soft drinks by consumption.

Beverages (evening banquet)

Amount to serve:
1 gallon regular coffee per 30 attendees; 1 gallon decaf per 30 attendees; 1-2.5 alcoholic drinks per person, per hour at an open bar

Tips to remember:
There are 25 1-oz. drinks in a 750 mL bottle, 33 1-oz. drinks in a 1 L bottle and 4-5 glasses of wine per 750 mL bottle. Size of drinks can vary greatly among bartenders; use a pouring-control system to contain costs.

Breakfast Breads

Amount to serve:
Order one item (bagel, muffin or pastry) for 75 percent of attendees. In other words, for 100 people, you’ll need 75 pieces.

Tips to remember:
Muffins and bagels are the most popular items. Minimize pastries, unless they look particularly appetizing. Order on the low side, because it is usually simple to add more cold foods when depleted. Also, put the buffet table outside the meeting room to discourage attendees from returning to the buffet once the meeting begins.

Lunch/dinner buffet

Amount to serve:
0.8-1.5 entrées per person; 1 beverage station per 75-100 guests; 1 food station per 75-100 guests

Tips to remember:
Estimate 50 percent beef, 40-45 percent chicken or fish, and 5-10 percent vegetarian.

Passed hors d’oeuvres

Amount to serve:
Before dinner: 4-6 per person, or one of each kind per person. Reception only: 8-12 per person

Tips to remember:
To conserve on food, butler-pass hors d’oeuvres instead of putting them out buffet-style

Staffing

Service ratios:
1 bartender per 75-100 attendees; 1 cocktail server per 50 attendees; 1 waiter per each of the following: 50 attendees (reception), 40 attendees (breakfast buffet), 30 attendees (lunch/dinner buffet), 25 attendees (plated breakfast), 20 attendees (plated lunch/dinner), 15 attendees (upscale dinner with wine)

Your notes:Note: These guidelines were compiled with the help of the following sources: The Convention Industry Council Manual, 7th Edition (from the CIC, based in McLean, Va.); Dallas-based Meeting Professionals International’s Comfort Calculator; Twinsburg, Ohio-based Conferon’s “Guide to Meeting Management”; Professional Meeting Management, published by the Chicago-based Professional Convention Management Association; and planners Tim Ball, CMP, president of Washington, D.C.-based Everett/Reed Meetings & Events; Karen Jennings and Tom Albrecht, co-owners of Williamsburg, Mich.-based Meeting Site Solutions; and Jennifer Knapp, vice president of sales and marketing of St. Louis-based MAC Meetings & Events.