You don’t always need the best and biggest venue to host the event of your dreams. Sometimes something small and intimate is all you need. Yet sometimes you wish the space you had was just a little bit bigger. If you are facing planning an event in a small venue, and you are not sure how to fit everything you need into such a small space, don’t fret! Check out these tips to help you maximize your venue’s potential and get the most from your layout.

Separate Needs from Wants

When faced with planning in a small space, the first step you need to take is to sit down and separate what is absolutely necessary for your event to function and what you would like to have but could function without. Do you need banquet tables and chairs for a full-service meal, or can you get away with standing room and cocktail tables for light hors d’oeuvres? Do you need to allot space for a band or audiovisual equipment?  Is a bar, stage, or dance floor integral to your event’s purpose? Identify those necessary elements first and focus on fitting them within your space, then plan the placement of unnecessary but wanted elements around those central items. 

Round vs. Rectangle Tables

When it comes to saving space, not all tables are created equal. Generally speaking, round tables take up more room than rectangular tables. For instance, a 5’ round table can seat 8 guests, and it occupies a 10’ x 10’ space once you factor in room for chairs and walking space around the table. In contrast, an 8’ rectangular table, which also seats 8 guests, only occupies a 7.5’ x 8’ space. This discrepancy is largely because of lost space in the center of round tables that is only useful for centerpieces, but it is magnified by the fact that round tables must always be spaced apart, whereas rectangular tables can be lined up end-to-end. If you are trying to layout your space with round tables and find you are not able to accommodate your guest count, consider swapping to rectangular tables to squeeze in those last few chairs.

Play with Angles

The human mind is hardwired to look for patterns and symmetry, but when it comes to planning an event layout, relying too much on symmetry and straight lines may hold you back from fully maximizing a space. When you are trying to fit a lot of things in not a lot of space, sometimes it is necessary to think outside the box. Sometimes turning things on the diagonal can save you a bit of extra space, and sometimes it even allows you to make use of the corners of the room that all too often become dead space. If you find that things just aren’t fitting as planned, switch it up, turn things around, and allow yourself to play with the angles. 

If Not Out, Up

When planning your event, remember that you are planning in a 3-dimensional space. You may only have so much square footage of floorspace to use, but you also have the distance from the floor to the ceiling to utilize. If you use up all your floorspace on necessary elements like tables and chairs and have no more room to build out, start to build up. This can look like focusing on wall-hanging signage and decor, displaying special items like awards and photos on a shelf instead of a table, adding tiered platters to your buffet table, or choosing hanging centerpieces or florals to float above the tabletop and save valuable surface space.

Include Egress

As tempting as it may be to scoot everything a little closer together to try to fit a few more tables and chairs, try to avoid packing the space too tightly. Besides the fact that most commercial buildings require certain exits to remain clear and accessible to adhere with fire safety regulations, a space that is too packed with items can become cramped and uncomfortable. To avoid this, plan routes of egress into your layout to allow guests to move in and out of the space unimpeded.