Template
Seating chart template for any event
Five layouts that cover almost every seated event, with the capacity trade-offs nobody tells you until the tables are already out.
Choose the layout
Banquet rounds
Rounds of 8–10 in even rows with a metre of clearance for service. Best all-round choice for dinners over 80 people.
Long tables
Parallel 8ft tables seating 8–10 each. Feels communal and photographs well; harder for guests to talk across.
Conference / U-shape
Open horseshoe facing a screen, 20–40 people. Everyone sees the speaker and each other.
Cabaret
Rounds with the seats on the far side removed so nobody has their back to the stage. Costs about 30% more floor space.
Theatre with tables
Rows of long tables facing forward for training days and AGMs. Highest capacity per square metre.
What a usable template contains
- Table numbers or names, in the order guests will read them.
- Seat count per table, and which seats are actually spare.
- Guest name exactly as it should be printed, plus their group.
- Dietary and accessibility flags for the caterer.
- A floor plan showing doors, bar, stage and service routes.
Clearances to respect
Leave 1.2m between table edges for service, 1.5m for a main aisle, and never seat anyone within a metre of a speaker stack or a kitchen door. Venues will tell you the room fits more than it comfortably does.
Questions
What is the best format for a seating chart template?
A table-by-table list for the venue and caterer, plus a visual floor plan for the door. The list drives service; the plan drives the guests.
Can I reuse a seating chart template?
Yes — for recurring events, keep the table positions and swap the names. Saving the layout once removes most of the work every time after.
Do I need software for a seating chart?
Not for 30 guests. Past about 60, a drag-and-drop maker saves hours because every dropout reflows the plan instantly instead of forcing a redraw.
Build it in the browser instead
Paste your guest list, drag the tables where they really sit, export a print-ready chart. Free to start.
Open the seating chart maker