Planning for the Party: The Micro Event

The micro event is an emerging trend among party planners and party goers. A social and economical demand for small, intimate gatherings is leading people to forgo the large, lavish engagement and anniversary parties and opt to have a few friends and family together for a dinner or cocktail party. Restaurants have become a main venue for these parties, especially restaurants with private rooms that can be rented for an evening.

Planning the furniture layout for a micro event can be complex, and even aggravating, depending on the event organizers you are working with. One way of dealing with these types of parties is to completely hire out the furniture, linens, and tableware and make it the party planners responsibility. However, if you are planning to host many parties in the future, you can simplify the process by having several options available for the client.

Having several large banquet tables on hand at all times provides a simple seating solution. They seat many people at the same table and are great for large crowds. However, some people do not like the aesthetic of banquet tables and would rather have more of a typical restaurant setting for their party. For this approach, smaller tables that seat 6 to 8 guests are ideal. Tables do not have to be matching if they are covered by linens and, to mix things up, try a combination of round and square tables. As far as chairs go, you will want to keep them as minimal as possible. Curved legs and arm rests only get in the way when crowded around a table. A chair such as the Diamond Back Chair from Hazelwoods pictured here is an example of a great chair for micro events.