Event Planner
Turn a guest list into floor space, tables, staff, catering quantities and a costed budget with contingency.
About this tool
Event Planner
Turn a guest list into floor space, tables, staff, catering quantities and a costed budget with contingency.
The Event Planner converts an invite list into the bookable numbers behind an event: expected head count, floor area, table count, serving staff, food and drink quantities, and a costed budget. It applies standard venue capacity allowances — 12 sq ft per guest for seated banquet rounds, 8 for theatre rows, 17 for classroom seating and 6 for a standing reception — together with the catering ratios of 1 server per 10 plated guests, 1 per 25 for buffet, and 1 bartender per 75 guests. Head count uses the two-stage shrink planners rely on: expected = invited x acceptance rate x (1 - no-show rate).
How to use Event Planner
- 1
Open Event Planner on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
- 2
Enter People invited with RSVP acceptance rate (%) and No-show rate among acceptances (%), which together set the expected head count.
- 3
Pick Room layout — banquet at 12 sq ft per guest, theatre at 8, classroom at 17, reception at 6 — then Banquet table size and Service style.
- 4
Read Expected head count with Floor space needed, banquet tables, servers and the costed budget, then press Copy plan.
Why use Event Planner
Real capacity allowances
Space is sized from published per-guest square-footage standards, not a guess.
Attendance, not invitations
Applies RSVP acceptance and no-show rates so you cater for who actually arrives.
Budget with contingency
Adds a named contingency percentage and shows the variance against your ceiling.
Common use cases
- Check whether a 2,000 sq ft banquet hall can seat the 133 guests you expect from 200 invitations before you pay the deposit.
- Work out how many 60-inch rounds and how many servers a plated wedding dinner for 180 needs.
- Price a four-hour corporate reception per head, with a 10% contingency, and see how far it sits above or below the approved budget.
Frequently asked questions
How much space do I need per guest at an event?
Allow 12 sq ft per guest for a seated banquet with round tables, 8 sq ft for theatre-style rows, 17 sq ft for classroom seating with tables, and 6 sq ft for a standing reception. So 133 banquet guests need about 1,596 sq ft of clear floor, before stage, bar and buffet areas.
How many guests fit on a round banquet table?
A 48-inch (4 ft) round seats 6, a 60-inch (5 ft) round seats 8, and a 72-inch (6 ft) round seats 10. For 133 guests on 60-inch rounds you need 17 tables, which gives 136 covers and 3 spare seats.
How many servers and bartenders does a party need?
Plan 1 server per 10 guests for plated service, 1 per 25 for a buffet or canape reception, and 1 bartender per 75 guests. A 200-guest plated dinner with a bar therefore needs about 20 servers and 3 bartenders.
What percentage of invited guests actually attend?
Typical acceptance runs 65-80% for a local event, and roughly 5% of people who accept still do not turn up, so the planner defaults to 70% acceptance and a 5% no-show rate. Adjust both to match your own past events — they are the two figures that move every other number on the page.