Seating Chart Software Guide

Now more than ever, the ability to creating seating charts virtually and work with clients remotely is critical to the continued success of event businesses.

Events / Seating Chart Software Guide

Allseated provides the seating plan software tools needed to efficiently manage the table seating and floorplan details for all types of events. The seating chart creator tools offer virtual and collaborative benefits, making the planning process easier than ever before.


Before using a seating chart maker to arrange an event seating chart, there are a few important steps to take when planning an event. First and foremost, it’s critical to know the event budget and guest count at the start of the planning process. These two details outline the event so that a proper venue can be selected. Only once a venue is selected can you move forward in designing a floorplan and using the wedding seating chart tools to create the seating arrangement for the event. Guest list management, floorplan layouts, and seating chart templates require organization, accuracy, and efficient collaboration between vendors and clients to ensure a seamless day of event. Using Allseated’s seating chart creator and floorplan layout tools makes it easy for vendor teams and clients to work together. 


In order to easily design an event seating chart, there are steps to take prior to getting started.


Allseated offers many collaborative planning features for event planning. Once you create an event in Allseated, you will have access to the guest list feature, floorplan design tools, wedding seating chart tool, timelines, reports, and more! In this article, we take a deep dive into planning an event using Allseated, how to design the seating chart, and cover popular seating chart styles for all types of events.


Establish Guest List

Establishing the event guest list during the initial phase of planning is one of the most important aspects of creating a seamless, more efficient process. Allseated’s state of the art guest list tool increases organization and operational efficiency. The guest list is an added value to clients, allowing users to do the following:

  • Keep an accurate count and list of all invited guests in one place.
  • List mailing information
  • Group guests into categories (such as friends, family, colleagues) for even more organization.
  • Keep notes
  • Track RSVP’s
  • Assign meal preferences for each guest, preventing the chance for error.
  • Specify guests for multiple events such as wedding-related events (bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and day-after wedding brunches).
  • Arrange seating charts directly from the guest list.
  • Generate reports

Design Floorplan

An event floorplan can be designed once the event venue is selected and template is chosen within the event you create in Allseated.

 

Using Allseated to design a floorplan offers you many features and tools including ability to:

  • Select your tables, chairs, objects, and furniture
  • Customize spacing
  • Join tables and/or knock off chairs
  • Include spacing for dance floors and entertainment areas
  • Mark exits within the layout
  • List any planning details and/or notes directly within the floorplan
  • Save favorite objects and templates for future layouts
  • Create custom groups and save to favorites
  • Upload files (including JPG, PNG, PDF) to floorplan


A major benefit to using Allseated’s seating chart creator tools is the ability to view the seating layout in 2D and 3D. At any time during the seating chart design process, it’s easy to switch from 2D viewing to 3D viewing to take a virtual walkthrough of the layout. The 3D viewing options include Bird’s Eye viewing which allows you to see your event seating chart in 3D from an above view. It’s also possible to virtually walk through the event layout in 3D via 1st Person View as if you were taking a virtual walkthrough of your event floorplan layout. The many varieties of 3D seating chart viewing options help to ensure that you’re 100% satisfied with the event or wedding seating chart during the design process. This makes the day of the event seamless, accurate, and in line with your event vision.

Digital Seating Chart

Once RSVP’s are received and floorplan layout is created, easily create an online seating chart. The seating tab within your event provides you with access to your floorplans and guest list. Seat guests within the floorplan layout by selecting guests from the guest list and placing them at the desired tables. It’s simple and efficient to select a guest, then click on a specific table in the floorplan, to easily seat the guest. When creating your event or wedding table seating chart, you may wish to seat guests at specific seats at specific tables. Allseated offers you the option to do this by first placing them at a table, clicking that table, and assigning the guest to their specific seat.

To learn more about the features that are available to you when designing an event seating chart in Allseated such as 3D tabletop designer tools, how to build and manage timelines and generating useful reports for the event, click here

Seating Chart Styles

From wedding seating charts to corporate event seating, designing seating layouts within Allseated is simple and efficient.

There are a few factors to keep in mind when selecting the right event seating style for an event. Along with venue layout and guest count, it’s important to consider the type of event and the event’s needs.

Popular Corporate Seating Styles

Below are some of the most popular corporate event seating chart styles and what purposes they serve for an event within an event layout.

U-Shaped Seating

A U-shape configuration seating style promotes interaction between event attendees and allows for a focal point or presentation area within the layout. U-shape seating is suitable for smaller groups (up to 30 attendees) and ideal when there is a speaker in the center of the floorplan or at the open end of the ‘U’.

Classroom Seating

Classroom seating is and ideal seating chart design for lectures, seminars, and meetings where note-taking or the use of a laptop is required. Attendees do not face one another within a classroom seating style so interaction between them is limited.

Board Room Seating

Board room seating (and conference seating) offers one long, rectangular table for guests to sit facing each other within the event layout. Board room seating is ideal for small corporate meetings where discussion and brainstorming as a group is the priority of the event.

Auditorium Seating

An auditorium style seating arrangement features built-in seats or rows of chairs that focus on a single point in the layout, which is usually a stage and podium.

Cabaret Seating

For cabaret seating styles, it is customary to place the chairs in the floorplan in a U-shape around a table with an opening that faces a chosen focal point.

Hollow Square Seating

The hollow square style looks exactly how it sounds and is similar to banquet and U-shaped seating styles. In a hollow square seating layout, guests can see each other while still maintaining a comfortable distance. This seating style is ideal for eating meals during a meeting or working with laptop computers.

Popular Wedding Seating Styles

There are many wedding seating style options when creating a wedding floorplan layout. While many wedding couples think that a dozen round tables is the only way to seat guests, there are other wedding seating options to choose from for the layout.

 

Below are the most popular wedding styles chosen by wedding couples. Keep in mind that the seating style should complement the venue, guest list, and overall event vision.

 

Circular Table Seating

Circular tables (round tables) are one of the most popular seating styles for weddings. This classic wedding seating is easy to arrange circular tables for large or small events and the seating arrangement style works for a wide variety of venue layouts.

Banquet Seating

Banquet seating is an elegant seating arrangement that is great for maximizing spaces. Banquet seating is perfect for long narrow venues or even for layouts in which wedding couples want to create a nice, long, learn look. With this style of wedding seating, guests are positioned around the circumference of the table facing inwards. Seat important guests (VIPs, the wedded couple) in the middle of the room so they’ll be at the heart of the action, Banquet seating encourages guests to interact with one another. Remember to choose tabletop decor and centerpieces carefully as to not interrupt the flow of conversation at each table.

Family Style Seating

Family style seating generally refers to a wedding seating layout with one long rectangular table or several rows of longer tables within the floorplan.

Mix and Match Table Seating

If you can’t decide between using round or rectangular tables within your layout, use both! The mix and match table seating style is elegant, unique, and fun, and works with most venue layouts and sizes.

 

U-Shaped

U-shape seating is a popular seating style for many types of events. This seating layout configuration promotes interaction and allows for a focal point within the floorplan.

3D Viewing

At any time during the process of designing the floorplan and seating chart,  it’s easy to switch from 2D viewing to 3D viewing to take a virtual walkthrough of the layout. The 3D viewing options include Bird’s Eye viewing which allows you to see your floorplan in 3D from an above view. Alternatively, you can also walk through the event seating plan in 3D via 1st Person View as if you were taking a virtual walkthrough of your floorplan. The many 3D viewing options help to ensure that you’re 100% satisfied with the layout before the day of your event.

Allseated Physical Distance Tool

Allseated has launched a revolutionary new technology that enables the creation of social distance floorplans and event seating plans providing the Events Industry with a path to safely reopen as COVID-19 restrictions are eased. This physical distance tool for floorplans and table seating allows planners, venues and other event stakeholders to plan event layouts incorporating new social-distancing guidelines, and dynamically ascertain new room capacities, ingress and egress, and foodservice protocols while ensuring the safety of event guests and staff as paramount. 

 

With Allseated’s Physical Distancing Tool, you can:

  • Give clients confidence by designing floorplans and event seating charts with guest and staff safety at forefront
  • Create online seating chart layouts to meet distancing guidelines to run a safe distance event.
  • Visualize the event floorplan with distancing in place.
  • Better understand how new guidelines will affect capacity.

Use of the physical distance tool when arranging event seating charts really helps vendors and clients to visualize what this new type of layout will look like for an event. It also removes the uncertainty surrounding how to create a physically distant seating chart and floorplan, making clients much more comfortable with hosting social and corporate events. 

 

The Physical Distance Tool was recently featured during a segment with NBC News NOW to discuss how Allseated’s event technology is assisting wedding venues, planners, and clients open back up and get back to planning events safely.

Designer Tools

As part of the Allseated’s floorplan and wedding seating chart maker tools, designer tools are available. The designer tools allow you to build tabletop and buffet displays to-scale within layouts. Watch this quick video to learn more about how designer tools will help you to see exactly what fits to-scale on the tabletops in the floorplan. The designer tools currently include options for place settings, flowers, centerpieces, linens, and buffet pieces, with many more options to come soon.

Generate Reports

Allseated seating software includes the ability to generate useful reports. Reports can be filtered to meet many of your event planning needs. Easily generate a floorplan report to detail your specific layout along with a complete listing of the inventory, table breakdown, and seating information.

 

A guest report can also be generated to include details such as meal types, table numbers, and any other information relevant for the venue/caterer. A guest list report can also be generated for other planning purposes such as invitations, escort cards, and favors.

 

Important To Remember 

The use of digital planning tools for creating social and corporate saves vendors and clients a considerable amount of time throughout the process. With all data stored in one place and easily accessible, guest list management, floorplan design, event or wedding seating chart creation, and timeline tasks are efficiently and effectively addressed and handled.

 

Easily Make Changes

When using Allseated’s tools to create your event seating layout, it’s super easy to make changes and adjustments until you reach the desired seating chart. Move guests, change table sizes, and adjust the floorplan as often as needed with just a click of a button. It is much easier and more efficient to handle the wedding seating chart task using online planning tools in comparison to the paper and pencil approach.

 

To learn more about Allseated and how the virtual tools can benefit your business, schedule a demo.

Things To Know

The most efficient way to design event seating charts is through the use of digital planning tools and platforms like Allseated. Allseated provides the easy to use technology and top features needed for creating seating charts for events.

U-Shaped Seating, Classroom Seating, Boardroom Seating, Auditorium Seating, Cabaret Seating, Hollow Square Seating 

Circular Table Seating, Banquet Seating, Family Style Seating, Mix and Match Table Seating, U-Shaped

FAQs

When planning an event, guest list management, floorplan layouts, and seating chart templates are important steps that require organization, accuracy, and efficient collaboration between vendors and clients to ensure a seamless day of event.

Yes, once RSVP’s are received and floorplan layout is created, easily create an online seating chart. The seating tab within your event provides you with access to your floorplans and guest list. Seat guests within the floorplan layout by selecting guests from the guest list and placing them at the desired tables.

At any time during the process of designing the floorplan and seating chart, it’s easy to switch from 2D viewing to 3D viewing to take a virtual walkthrough of the layout. The 3D viewing options include Bird’s Eye viewing which allows you to see your floorplan in 3D from an above view. Alternatively, you can also walk through the event seating plan in 3D via 1st Person View as if you were taking a virtual walkthrough of your floorplan. The many 3D viewing options help to ensure that you’re 100% satisfied with the layout before the day of your event.

Allseated’s physical distance tool for floorplans allows planners, venues and other event stakeholders to plan event layouts incorporating new social-distancing guidelines, and dynamically ascertain new room capacities, ingress and egress, and foodservice protocols while ensuring the safety of event guests and staff as paramount.

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