Top 5 things to consider when you’ve decided on a standing event.

Not everyone is happy to stand around for an hour or more..

Lately I’ve been to quite a few events that are essentially “standing room only”.  These set ups are great because they make it easy to move around the room, the organiser/facilitator can flit from group to group and you can fit a lot more people in the room.

There are a few challenges to consider for patrons of standing events, so I thought I would write out a few things to think about when you’re planning an event.

On arrival, is it clear to your guests where they go to check-in, find the beverages and the hospitality?  Keep an eye on the registration area and if it’s the first time for them, you maybe want to give them a little run down on how the event runs.

Where have you set up the food and beverage station?  Is it somewhere where people will congregate?  Think about how a standard food and beverage establishment is laid out and take note of the journey the customer takes.  If you can’t afford or don’t want to pay for tray service, consider spreading the hospitality around the room, encouraging people to move about.

How long is your order of proceedings expected to take?  Most people are happy to stand and listen for about 20 minutes but after that they start to get a bit uncomfortable and focusing when the speaking is going to finish, not the great content being shared.  Some of the events I’ve been to lately have gone on for 30-45 minutes, which is a long time to expect a guest to stand still, not speak and for women, potentially juggle a handbag, beverage and canape on a napkin.

Can everyone see the speaker?  If it’s all a flat floor room, be conscious that if you randomly start proceedings and people have not had the opportunity to position themselves where they are comfortable in the room, you may find yourself with a front row of people either still talking, bunched together so no-one can see through, or tall and blocking others’ view.  Let people know that you are about to start the proceedings, so they have a minute to move to where they are comfortable, get refreshments, etc.

Expect the speaker to go over time and perhaps the audience to misbehave.  A standing event makes things a little more casual.  Without the formality of a seated group looking expectantly at the speaker, they may see this as an opportunity to be less formal with their presentation, which means they may take more time than originally anticipated.  Additionally, the audience finds it easier to keep talking over speeches, commenting and moving around, when they are standing and can essentially “hide” more easily.

So, weigh up the cost of a more formal presentation with fully engaged audience, against fitting more people in the room.  If you have enough space, I believe it’s always a good idea to add theatre style seating.  Guests are compelled to stay in their seat, will listen to the entire presentation and as it appears more formal, speakers will stick to topic and are more likely to stick to their time limit.  And if they don’t at least you know your guests are not fidgeting from foot to foot, complaining to their companions about their sore back, and finding the nearest exit to sneak out.

Sally Porteous is the Owner and Principal Producer at www.redlanyard.com.au