Organiser's Guide - Furniture

Venue Review of Organiser's Guide - Furniture

Not all venues will have the furniture you need. Here’s how to hire the right pieces for your event.

Furniture is a key element of any event. Asking delegates to sit on uncomfortable chairs for extended periods is a definite no-no. Likewise wobbly tables and shabby sofas. So it pays to do a bit of research before booking a supplier.

What separates the best from the rest is care – both for the furniture and for the client (that’s you). The first question you should ask potential candidates is how often their furniture is cleaned or renovated. The right answer here being that every piece is checked after every event, and retouched if necessary. You want to hire furniture that looks brand spanking new, not as if it’s just been used in a Wild West bar-fight scene.

Decide what sort of furniture you want to hire. Traditional or contemporary? There are companies out there specialising in stylish designer pieces, often offered at surprisingly similar prices to more run-of-the mill options. Be bold: why not consider LED-lit furniture (available in up to 2,000 colours), or giant bean bags? If you don’t want to have too formal an atmosphere for a sit-down dinner, think about hiring different-sized tables. Oval tables are a good compromise between trestles and more sociable round tables and are becoming increasingly popular.

Try to give as much notice and info as you can. Simple orders can be placed at the last minute, but you won’t get the best stock. Let your supplier know the exact timings – they’ll need to liaise with the venue to know how much set-up/break-down time they have. Order a few spare chairs for unexpected extras. Size matters. Consider how much space you have to play with. The rule of thumb is to allow 12sq ft per 6ft table. A 6ft table should seat 12 guests – but perhaps as few as eight if the table setting is for formal dining (your venue should know). And think about how accessible your venue is – a large sofa might not be the best choice for a party on the top floor of a Georgian townhouse.