Corporate event outdoors: 8 formats in a tent and the area each needs

A 100 m² tent holds 133 people standing for a cocktail, but only 66 if they sit down to dinner and dance. Asking for “a tent for 100 people” without saying what they will do in it is like asking for a price without knowing what you are buying.

Before asking for a quote, note three things: the number of people present at the busiest moment, the order of the moments (plenary, then meal, then party), and what has to fit under the tent at the same time. If the plenary and the dinner follow each other in the same space, count the more demanding of the two, plus the time needed to turn round the chairs and tables.

After the cocktail, this is the densest format: the grid uses 0.8 m² per person for theatre-style seating, with an aisle. For 100 people, the smallest marquee in the grid is the 6×15 m (90 m²). Add the area for the stage, screen and sound and lighting desk, which the grid does not count: it is set on a plan.

A plenary under a tent needs two precautions that a room does not: sound and light. Check with the hire company how well the canvas blocks outside noise and how bright it is for the screen. The article on outdoor seminars covers a full day in detail.

Standing with furniture (high tables, a few seats), the grid uses 0.75 m² per person: the lowest of the areas covered here. For 200 people, the smallest marquee is the 10×15 m (150 m²).

The corporate cocktail, after-work drinks, an opening and a results presentation all use this format. The difference lies in the atmosphere and the programme, not the area. The article on corporate cocktails offers twelve ideas, and the one on openings a running order.

A seated meal takes 1 m² per person with rectangular tables and 1.2 m² with round tables. For 100 people, the marquee goes from 10×10 m (100 m²) to 10×12 m (120 m²): the round table, friendlier for conversation, needs 20% more area.

For a team lunch, long rectangular tables leave room for quick service. For a dinner with clients or partners, round tables encourage conversation. Also count the caterer's prep area, which sits next to the tent or in a separate catering tent.

Dinner followed by a party: the grid uses 1.5 m² per person. This is the format that needs the most area. For 100 people, the marquee in the grid goes up to 10×15 m (150 m²). For 200 people, to 10×30 m (300 m²).

If the party is the highlight, this is the right basis. If only part of the guests will dance, a dance floor of modest size within a round-table meal costs less than a whole tent sized for dancing. The article on the year-end party covers this choice, and the one on flooring compares the options.

For stands, demonstrations or a guided route, the grid gives no area per person: everything depends on the size of the stands and the width of the aisles. The right approach is to draw the plan before asking for the area, then have it checked during the site visit.

When a tent receives people from outside the company, fire safety rules for public buildings may apply depending on the number of people. They depend on the case and are settled with the town hall: the article on marquee authorisations explains the steps.

A seminar with workshops is not sized like a plenary: each workshop has its own tables, materials and route. There are two solutions: one large tent with marked-out zones, or several smaller structures around a central square.

Team building outdoors adds ground constraints: flooring, slope, shade and shelter if it rains. Always keep a covered area for everyone, even if the main activity takes place outside.

The area sets the structure, but other points weigh just as much on the day: flooring (especially on soft ground), power and lighting, seasonal heating, toilet units and access for the setup lorry. Each has its own article in the advice section.

The weather is followed as the event approaches with Météo-France's vigilance map. It has four levels, from green (no particular vigilance) to red (absolute vigilance), and nine phenomena, including wind, thunderstorms and heatwaves. An orange or red alert for wind or thunderstorms on the day of the event is dealt with together with the hire company, which knows the limits of its structure.