How to Make an Event Floor Plan

The eight steps

A plan can start on paper. What matters is that every item is placed to scale.

1. 1

   Get the venue's drawing and measure

   Ask the venue for its floor plan with dimensions. Note fixed items such as pillars, doors, loading docks, power points and low ceilings, and check the measurements on site.

2. 2

   List what has to fit

   Stage, screens, registration, tables or booths, food, bars, coat check, signage, restrooms and any storage. Write the size of each item next to it.

3. 3

   Divide the space into zones

   Arrival, main program, food, networking and any quiet area. Put noisy zones away from sessions and registration near the entrance.

4. 4

   Plan how people will move

   Trace the path from the door to the main areas. Keep main aisles clear and avoid placing a popular item where it will block the way in.

5. 5

   Mark exits and accessible routes

   Keep exits visible and unblocked, and keep a step-free route to each zone. Check the final layout against the venue's own safety rules.

6. 6

   Place tables, seats or booths

   Choose the seating layout or the booth grid, then number every table or booth so that guests and staff can refer to it.

   Event seating arrangements
7. 7

   Add the support items

   Power, internet, signs, AV positions, deliveries and staff stations. These are the items most often forgotten.

8. 8

   Review with the venue, then share

   Walk the plan through with the venue, caterer, AV team and exhibitors. Date each version and send everyone the latest.

Event floor plan checklist

Check each point before you send the plan to anyone.

• Scale and dimensions

  Is the drawing to scale, with the room size and fixed items shown?

• Entrances and exits

  Are all doors marked, with clear space in front of every exit?

• Registration

  Is there room for a queue that does not block the entrance?

• Aisles

  Are main aisles wide enough for two groups to pass, and are the routes step-free?

• Numbering

  Does every table, booth or section have a number that matches your list?

• Power and internet

  Are outlets, cables and Wi-Fi coverage shown for anything that needs them?

• Staff and storage

  Are staff points, storage and deliveries placed out of guest view?

• Version and date

  Is there one current version, with a date, that everyone has?

Typical zones and what each needs

Use this table as a prompt. Delete rows that do not apply to your event.

Tools to draw an event floor plan

You can draw a floor plan with several kinds of tool. Choose by how many people need to see it and whether you need to sell or assign spaces on it.

• Paper and a scale ruler

  Fine for a small room. Hard to update and share.

• General drawing or spreadsheet software

  Simple shapes on a grid. Works for one-off layouts, but you maintain it by hand.

• Dedicated floor plan software

  Built for events, with booth or table objects, numbering and sharing. Useful when exhibitors need to pick a booth or attendees need to find a space.

  Event floor plan software

Where Eventdex fits

Eventdex's floor plan page describes 2D interactive expo floor plans that show booths, aisles, kiosks and open areas, where exhibitors choose and book a booth online. It mentions drag-and-drop booth customization and color-coded booth availability.

The free interactive floor plan page says you can upload an image of your layout and place booths on it, with snap-to-grid, for one event at no cost. It says publishing the map, sharing it with exhibitors and selling booths through it are part of a paid plan. Eventdex's pages do not describe a tool for drawing a room from nothing without a backdrop image.

• Free interactive floor plan

  What the free build covers and what a paid plan adds.

  Free interactive floor plan

• Event floor plan software

  How booths, aisles and booking are described.

  Event floor plan software