The six standard meeting room setups are: theatre (max capacity, no tables), classroom (tables facing front), boardroom (single table), U-shape (open-ended), banquet (round tables), and cabaret (half-rounds). Your setup determines how many people fit — a 200-capacity theatre room holds only 60 in classroom.
LOGISTICS
Meeting Room Setup Styles: The Complete Guide for Event Planners
The same room holds 180 people in theatre style but only 60 in cabaret. Picking the right setup — and knowing the capacity trade-offs — is the difference between a cramped event and a wasted room block.
Theatre style
Rows of chairs facing the stage, no tables. Highest capacity setup — fits roughly 1 person per 0.8-1.0 m². Best for keynotes and panel sessions where attendees only need to listen and watch. Poor for note-taking, laptops, or interaction.
Classroom style
Rows of narrow tables (usually 45cm deep) with chairs on one side only. About 1.5-2.0 m² per person. Good for training where attendees need to write or use laptops. Cuts capacity roughly in half vs theatre.
U-shape
Tables arranged in a U with chairs on the outside. About 2.5 m² per person. Good for workshops of 15-25 where a facilitator needs to see every face. Awkward above 30 people — use hollow square instead.
Hollow square
Like U-shape but closed on all four sides. Best for 20-40 person board-style discussions where no facilitator stands in the middle. Equal sight lines for everyone.
Boardroom
Single long table with chairs around it. Best for 8-20 executives. Above 20, conversation fragments; use U-shape or hollow square.
Cabaret / crescent rounds
Round tables of 6-8 with chairs only on the side facing the stage (no backs to the front). About 2.0-2.5 m² per person. Ideal for hybrid presentation + discussion formats. Capacity roughly one-third of theatre for the same room.
Banquet rounds
Full round tables of 8-10, used for meals. Check whether the same room is set banquet for lunch and theatre for afternoon — if so, budget 30-45 minutes for the flip and confirm the flip is included in the price.
Tip
When specifying setups in your RFP, give the hotel the session type (keynote, breakout, networking lunch) rather than dictating the setup — they often suggest a better fit.
Capacity rule of thumb table
For a 300 m² meeting room, rough capacities are: theatre 280-320, classroom 140-180, cabaret 120-150, banquet rounds 150-180, U-shape 50-70, boardroom 30-40. Always verify against the venue's published capacity chart — fire code, pillars, and AV position affect real numbers.
Watch Out
Published theatre capacities often assume no stage, no aisles, no AV tech table. Real-world capacity is usually 15-25% lower than the brochure number.
Theatre or cabaret. Theatre for pure-audience formats, cabaret when you want attendees to discuss between sessions.
30-60 minutes for a standard flip (theatre to banquet). Plan your agenda with a break of at least that length and confirm labour cost.
Some venues charge extra for mixed-style setups (e.g., cabaret with a classroom section at the back). Confirm pricing in advance.
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Try Easy RFP freeFrequently asked questions
01What setup is best for a panel discussion?
Theatre or cabaret. Theatre for pure-audience formats, cabaret when you want attendees to discuss between sessions.
02How much time does a room flip take?
30-60 minutes for a standard flip (theatre to banquet). Plan your agenda with a break of at least that length and confirm labour cost.
03Can I mix setups in the same room?
Some venues charge extra for mixed-style setups (e.g., cabaret with a classroom section at the back). Confirm pricing in advance.