Set the room
Room size, table shape and count. BES lays the tables out, in straight or staggered rows.
How to make a table plan: a step-by-step guide
A practical guide for planners, with a free tool that does the fiddly parts. It's part of the free table plan maker from Business Event Space.
Free with a Business Event Space account. No paid tier.
Before you start
You need the room dimensions (or the venue's capacity chart), a confirmed guest count, the table size the venue supplies, and any must-haves: a stage, a dance floor, an accessible table near the door, and speakers who need to get out quickly.
How it works
Step by step
Add guests
Paste names and press Fill empty seats, or upload a CSV. Then drag to fine-tune.
Share it live
A guest QR link and a display link. Every edit reaches both within about 15 seconds.
Step 1–2: Measure the room and choose tables
Enter the room in metres or feet, pick round, rectangular or square tables and how many you need (up to 80, with up to 20 chairs each). BES lays the tables out in rows to fit the room. Switch to staggered rows so the front row sits in the gaps, then use the Spacing slider to go from tables together to evenly spread, and the Room to stand slider to keep walkways behind the chairs.
Step 3: Seat your guests
Paste your guest list, one name per line, and press Fill empty seats. Names are placed in table-number order and BES tells you how many still need a seat. You can also download the guest list as a CSV, fill it in your spreadsheet and upload it back. Then drag anyone you want to move.
Step 4: Check neighbours and notes
Every chair gets a letter, such as 7C, and can show who sits on either side, so you can check who's next to whom before the night. Private chair notes hold things like access needs or a speaker who has to leave early, and guests never see them.
Step 5: Share it, and keep it live
Turn on sharing to get a guest link with a QR code and an optional password, plus a display link for screens in the room. Both read from the same plan. Change a seat on a laptop or tablet and the screens and guest search catch up within about 15 seconds, with nothing to re-export or reprint.
When BES isn't the right fit
What it doesn't do yet: PDF or image export (use print instead), direct Excel .xlsx import (save as CSV), RSVP or meal tracking, several rooms in one plan, rules such as 'keep these two apart', or offline use. If you need those, a different tool may suit you better.
How the live plan works
Every BES table plan is saved in your account, not in one browser. You set the room in metres or feet, add round, rectangular or square tables, and the maker lays them out in straight or staggered rows. Two sliders control the spacing between tables and the room to stand behind each chair, and you can drag any table by hand, with Snap and Tidy to keep the rows neat.
Names go onto lettered chairs: type them, paste a list and press Fill empty seats (names fill empty chairs in table-number order), or upload a CSV. When you turn on sharing you get two links, protected by an optional password: a guest link with name search and a QR code, and a display link for room screens. Both check for changes about every 15 seconds while they're open, so an edit made on a laptop or tablet reaches the screens and guests' phones without re-exporting or reprinting anything.
More tools for your event
ShowDocLiveFeaturedEvent production software for production managers and crew: one live place for the plan, rundown, show caller, speakers, mics, signal flow, schedule and stage timer.
ImageFlowA free, full-featured Photoshop-class image editor that runs entirely in the browser.
Open CAD StudioFree, open-source CAD for opening and saving DWG and DXF, 2D drafting, and 3D modeling in the browser or on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Countdown Timer 2.0Countdown Timer 2.0 for Windows is a fully featured timer for A/V professionals.
Frequently asked questions
What is a table plan?
A plan showing which table, and often which seat, each guest sits at, usually displayed at the entrance.
How far in advance should I make a table plan?
Draft it when the RSVPs close, then expect to change it until doors. A live plan makes those changes cheap.
What's the easiest way to make a table plan?
Use a tool that lays out the room and seats a pasted list for you, then fine-tune by dragging.
Should table plans be alphabetical or by table?
Both help. An A–Z list or a name search is fastest for guests, and a by-table view helps staff.
How do I display a table plan?
Use a printed board, a screen in display mode, or a QR code for guest search, or all three.
How do I handle last-minute changes?
Keep one live source. With BES you change it once and the screens and guest search update.
Can I make a table plan in Excel?
Yes, but it won't be to scale and goes stale once printed. Upload your CSV to BES to get a visual plan.
Is it really free?
Yes. The table plan maker is included with a free Business Event Space account, and there's no paid tier, export fee or guest-count upgrade.
Keep reading
More table plan guides
Free with a Business Event Space account. No paid tier.
Start a free table planScreenshots show a demo plan with fictional names.