That’s my seat!

This exercise [seating protocol], can be a very touchy subject, as if the seating plan is not conducted according to some level of precedence, not only will great offence be taken by the persons who may not have been seated correctly, but so too would offense be accorded to the host of the event, whether the host is the State, or a business enterprise.

Seating protocol is also extremely important in the business context, as a similar protocol should be followed when developing seating plans for business/board meetings, corporate visits and other client-to-client interactions. Prior to the development of the seating plan, a few areas to take into consideration include:

Numbers

It is important to have a solid idea of the number of persons attending your meeting as this information will guide the format style for your placement. If the meeting is a smaller, less formal engagement, a round table may be better suited, whereas if the meeting is more formal, with a larger number of guests, a rectangular set up may be more suitable.

Rationale

The reason for hosting the meeting is key, as it adds to development of the seating plan. If the meeting is being held to honor a particular guest, then this automatically means the guest of honor should be seated at the right of the host. Similarly, if the meeting is to engage a new or existing client, said invited client is also seated at the right of the meeting host. This follows the simple principle of the most important guest, or guest of honor being placed to the right of the host. If the meeting is being co-facilitated, then the second most important invited guest should be seated to the right of the co-host. The host is usually seated at the head of the table. If there are meeting co-hosts, they are seated directly opposite, at the other end of the table. The second most important person is seated to the right of the co-host, with the third most important person seated to the left of the host. The placement essentially follows this order.

Style

The style of the meeting is instructive, as a less formal meeting may observe a less stringent seating protocol, than a more formal meeting. If the meeting is one which will like to encourage discussion, then a round table will be more suited, with the host and co-host [or second on team] should be seated on opposite ends of the table. If the meeting is more formal with a sterner tone, then perhaps a rectangular table may present a more focused seating option. The meeting style will also dictate if the host will operate as the lead for the meeting, thus will be the person leading the discussion.

Guests

It is important to have a well-defined understanding of your guests, as this will present you with a clear picture of the placement planning prior to your meeting. In many Corporate Scenarios, the host will wish to view and approve the seating of guests and it is advisable to ensure that they too, are presented with a solid baseline to make the appropriate judgment call. If the engagement is a corporate meeting, the considerations above should be taken into account. Additionally, it would help to note, if per say, your guests may be competing clients, it would be helpful to ensure they are seated where direct eye contact with each other is as limited as possible. If your engagement is a business lunch or dinner, a few areas to note include, guests who are married are usually not seated together. The seating should also be arranged so that no two men or no two women sit next to each other, with the host and hostess usually sitting opposite each other.

Nicole Dyer Griffith is trained and certified with the European School of Protocol, and the International School of Protocol and Diplomacy. Comments or questions can be sent to NDG Communications & Consulting c/o Tishanna Hughes @ ndgccmarketing

@outlook.com.