Seating chart maker vs spreadsheet: when to switch

Why one live plan beats re-exporting

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.

Keep your spreadsheet, and add the plan

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.

BES reads and writes CSV, so the spreadsheet stays your master list if you want it to.

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.