I’ve spent a lot of time in conference rooms, and one of the most important things I’ve learned is that the layout of your meeting room can greatly affect the outcome.

It is absolutely essential to keep in this mind when planning your next event. 

Without the right meeting room setup, you risk your participants not receiving the intended message from the speaker or getting the maximum benefit from the event. 

A poor meeting room layout really can impact the outcomes of your session.  

We know that different meeting room set-ups allow for different types of learning and audience participation. 

When you’re planning your meeting room layout, your intentions for levels of participation and interaction should be at the forefront of your mind. 

Choose a room that will help you achieve your objectives! 

Set up a room so the greatest amount of attendees get an up close and personal experience!

One of my biggest pet peeves is meeting rooms that are wide and narrow but are set from the end and not the middle. 

When the audience and the speaker are so far apart, it creates a major disconnect with the participants who are seated from the middle to the back of the room.

Regardless of the meeting layout, look at the space, and envision the room so the audience can have the maximum absorption of the presentation. 

Audio-visual equipment is another important factor in meeting room layouts. 

You want your attendees to experience maximum exposure to the content you’re delivering, so be sure they have a clear view of the presentation instead of the back of a monitor.  

With these tips in mind, now is a good time to go over some layout options for your next meeting. 

Here are some meeting room layouts to consider for your next event.

1. Theatre Style: Appropriate for shorter sessions or larger groups that do not require extensive note-taking.
2. Classroom: Works great for longer presentations and also when note taking is a must!
3. Banquet Style: Used for meals and small group discussions.
4. Cabaret Style (or half rounds): Like a banquet, but seating is only set on one side.
5. Hollow Square Style: Appropriate for groups fewer than 40 where there is a leader or panel seated at the head of the set up.
6. Horseshoe: Popular for large meetings, presentations, team briefings.

Now that you know how important room layouts are when it comes to having great meetings with optimal impact, how will you plan the layout for your next meeting? 

Are you looking for an incredible speaker for your next event? We’ve got lots of great options for you. 

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