How do you estimate the size tent you need for an event? If you’re an industry veteran, you probably know the answer thanks to years of experience. But if you’re new to stretch tents this handy guide to matching a tent to your event is all you need to ensure a successful event.
Apart from the obvious question, that is “how many people will need to be accommodated”, you’ll need to consider the following two factors: The type of event, and how much additional floor space will be required.
A performance event is an event where people are seated in rows, traditionally referred to as cinema-style seating. Not much space is required for each person.
Typical event examples include concerts and conferences.
A cocktail or reception-style event is an event where people are generally standing. Little seating is available throughout the space.
Typical event examples include product or media launches, small award ceremonies or VIP zones at festivals.
A seated dinner or lunch event is an event where people are seated at a number of rectangular or round tables. An imprtant consideration here is enough space to allow for the comfortable flow of service staff between tables, even when two back-to-back facing chairs are pulled out.
At most events, one or all of the following will need to be considered:
Unlike a traditional marquee that has an unchangeable amount of floor space, a stretch tents’ usable floor space varies depending on the configuration it is set up in. For example, a stretch tent that’s set up with all its sides down to the ground will not have as much usable space as a stretch tent that’s set up with its sides ‘floating’. See examples below.
Stretch Tent With All Its Sides Down
Stretch Tent With Two Sides Down
Stretch Tent With One Side Down
Stretch Tent With No Sides Down (“Floating”)
For the purposes of this article, a good starting point to calculate the amount of space required is as follows:
Performance/ cinema-style event: 1.25m²/ 13.45ft² per person
Cocktail/ reception-style event: 1.5m²/ 16.14ft² per person
Seated dinner/ lunch event: 2m²/ 21.52ft² per person
Our easy-to-use stretch tent size calculator serves as an easy reference to matching a tent to your event.
Get in touch with our experts for assistance with all your questions.
Contact Us