Finding the right-sized venue for your event can be a difficult feat, but with the right guidance you can determine the perfect size and atmosphere for your attendees.When serving food, 6-10 square feet of floor space should be given per guest:
6 square feet per guest
* Guests feel close and will have less ease of accessing food and drinks
7 ½ square feet per guest
* This is considered “comfortably crowded”
* Ideal for receptions and other similar functions
10 square feet per guest
* More than ample space for guests to mingle and easily visit food & drink stations
* Perfect for any luxury reception
For more information on number of buffet tables per guests and what size of buffet tables you might need you can access the article here.
For a sit-down dinner (wedding reception, gala, corporate event, etc.), you can calculate the number of tables you’ll need by dividing the number of guests by the “comfortable” seating capacity of each table. This number will vary depending on the type of table. For example, a standard 8′ banquet table seats eight people, so if you were expecting 150 guests, your calculation would be:
150 guests / 8 (at 96″ rectangular tables) = 18.75 – Round UP to get 19 Tables Needed
You can find the capacities and calculations for other table sizes here.
Tracy Fuller-White has owned and operated an event production company for 30+ years and has done events nationally and internationally for fortune 100 and fortune 500 companies.