Plan a Marquee

When you have collated as much information as possible about your event (see things to consider) you can design an effective layout for your marquee. We have given some tips below on how to do this yourself, but are happy to
guide you through this process step by step.

Size

What size marquee do you require? Your marquee must be big enough to accommodate all your guests (sitting and/or standing), furniture, fixtures and fittings and the different activities that will happen during the course of your
event such as; catering arrangements, speeches and entertainment.

As a rough guide...

For a buffet event allow a minimum of 8 square feet per person
For a seated event allow a minimum of 15 square feet per person
Factor in extra space for dance floors, stage area etc.

Site Plan

We recommend making several different plans of your marquee which show; how the inside of your marquee
will be laid out, and how your marquee will be sited in relation to other buildings, tents etc in your chosen location.

Marquee Plan
Your internal marquee plan should show how the layout of your marquee will look. If your marquee needs to be laid out differently during different parts of your event you should make a plan showing each layout variant.

The plan should show...

Entrance & exit points to the marquee
Furniture (tables, chairs, reception table/area, cake/present tables, stage, dance floor, other tables or fixtures)
TV/audio/video/PA equipment
Electricity points
Lighting
Bar
Catering areas

Remember to leave enough space between tables and chairs to allow your guests to sit, stand and move comfortably and unrestricted around the marquee. Fire exits much be kept clear at all times.

Bird's Eye View Plan
A bird’s eye view plan should show how your marquee looks in the context of a full site plan showing; parking areas, access points in and out of the location, outside entertainment areas, separate catering or bar tents/areas, toilet facilities, other buildings etc.