How To Organise Seating At A Banquet

When throwing a celebration for a large number of friends and family, planning can be stressful. Trying to organise huge crowds to eat at the same time takes a lot of organisation and careful timing in order for things to go smoothly. Oversights at a banquet mean that people may end up going hungry, in a banquet setting, things must run smoothly as even a single interruption can stem the flow of the whole evening and cause a backlog that can take a lot of time to unravel.

One of the most vital parts of the organisational stage is the seating plan. Assigned seating is the most common choice at a banquet but it does hold your guests back from being able to mingle with those they wish to interact with, instead forcing them into interactions with people of your choice rather than their own.

But is this a good idea? People have a tendency to be drawn to those they know, especially at social events. Left to their own devices, guests will seek out acquaintances and stick with each other all night, meaning that little social interaction actually takes place.

When it comes to planning the seating at a banquet, there is a subtle art and a dash of science that can help create the perfect balance between guest’s comfort and helping social interaction take place between everyone.

Two things you should always remember when assigning seating is:

1. Place talkative people on both sides of the table, preferably in the middle. These guests will keep conversation flowing and keep your party full of life.
2. Seating husbands and wives and best friends apart is actually a wise decision. Not only does it break them out of their usual social cliques and get them talking to new people it will also bring larger groups together as the evening progresses.

If you have any questions regarding seating plans for a banquet at Royal Nawaab’s halal restaurant in London, please speak to one of our team members today or visit our website for more information.