Key Takeaways
- Theatre: maximum pax per square metre, zero table surface — correct for keynote-heavy programmes where content is delivered, not worked with
- Classroom: 40% fewer pax than theatre in the same room, table per row — correct for learning formats where delegates take notes or use laptops
- Banquet/dinner: 25–30% fewer pax than theatre — correct for galas, awards and conference dinners
- Cabaret: fewer pax than banquet, 4–8 per table, tables angled toward the stage — correct for leadership sessions combining presentation and facilitated discussion
- Hybrid configurations (plenary in theatre, breakouts in cabaret) require production that supports both formats in the same day
Theatre
Rows of chairs facing a stage, no tables. The highest-density configuration (typically 0.7–0.8 sqm per person including aisle). Correct for: keynote presentations, product reveals, award ceremonies in conference context, any format where the speaker is the content and the audience's role is reception. Limitation: delegates cannot take notes, cannot use laptops, cannot work — unsuitable for workshops or learning formats. Sight lines from the back rows are the primary quality variable — correct chair alignment and row raking (stepped floor height) are production decisions, not furniture decisions.
Classroom
Tables in rows facing the stage, 1–3 seats per table row. Approximately 40% fewer pax per sqm than theatre. Correct for: training programmes, working conferences where note-taking is essential, events where delegates need laptop access throughout. Limitation: row tables create a physical barrier between presenter and audience that is absent in theatre — the production must compensate with better sight lines (higher stage) and better content visibility (larger screens relative to room depth).
Cabaret
Round or half-round tables of 4–8, angled toward the stage. Per-sqm density between classroom and banquet. Correct for: strategy conclaves, leadership workshops, facilitated discussions where table-level conversations are as important as the plenary presentation. The production implication: the stage must be visible from all table positions — which at cabaret density in a standard rectangular room means either a thrust stage (extending into the audience) or twin flanking screens. Both require production specification; neither works with a standard straight-front stage.
Herringbone
A variant of classroom with tables angled 30–45 degrees toward the stage, creating a chevron or herringbone pattern from above. Slightly better sight lines than straight classroom, slightly fewer pax per sqm. Best for: boardroom-scale working conferences of 20–80 pax where the delegate-to-speaker relationship needs both a work surface and improved direct contact. Less common in Indian corporate events than in Western conference formats, but increasingly specified for leadership conclaves.