The 3 vital factors to remember when selecting and arranging seating for your meeting.

1. SELECTING AND ARRANGING A
MEETING ROOM
Some issues to consider

2. KEY QUESTIONS
 How many Attendees are
coming to the meeting?
 What layout is the best
compromise of
View, Safety and
Comfort?
 Will there be
presentations?
 How can the room
choice or layout enhance
your meeting?
 Could or will some
people attend
virtually, how can this
best be accommodated

3. CRITICAL CRITERIA
 Safety
 View
 Comfort

4. SAFETY
 Clear access and marking of Exits
 Exits are able to be opened
 Exits lead to routes to safety
 No tripping
hazards, cables, bags, flip charts

5. SPOT THE SAFETY
HAZARDS
EXIT
Projector

6. SAFETY HAZARDS
 Table blocking fire exit
 Cable is tripping hazard
 Some tables blocking routes to exit
 Some tables too close together
 Flipchart blocking view of exit

7. SPOT THE SAFETY
HAZARDS
EXIT
Projector

8. VIEW
Ideally:
All attendees can see a screen and flip charts
Attendees can see each other
Facilitator can see and be seen by all

9. SITTING IN A ROW
Too many attendees seated in a
row have no direct view of each
other

10. POWER POSITIONS
c
The ‘so-called’ power positions are difficult to avoid.
You could remove 4 here but would take capacity down to 9

11. VIEW
 All seats can clearly see presentations.
 Attendees have unobscured views of each other
 A facilitator can directly see all attendees and attendees
can see him or her

12. COMFORT
Red seats have to turn to view screen and facilitator
Blue seats line of vision obstructed by 3 people
Yellow seats facing directly at window

13. COMFORT
 Attendees with their back facing the front of the room
leads to neck and back pain
 Facing directly at a window can strain the eyes
 Meeting Room chairs are notoriously hard and periodic
movement is important
 No layout like this can give uninterrupted views without
straining
 Too many attendees at one table can be uncomfortable
and cramped

14. WINDOWS
 Daylight keeps attendees
more alert
 For visuals curtains might
be needed to improve the
view
 Bright light leads to eye
strain
 Outside activity can be
distracting
 Looking at attendees
backs to windows makes
faces unclear as eyes
compensate for light

15. SEATING IN VIDEO
CONFERENCES
Arrange seats to make it seem like everyone is in the same
room.
A semi circle in each venue is ideal