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  1. Catering & Design
  2. Event Design & Decor

12 Alternatives to Traditional Seating for Meetings and Events

From stability balls to pallet chairs, check out these creative seating ideas for your next event.

Mitra Sorrells
January 8, 2015

Planners now have many more options than standard chairs when it comes to selecting seating for events. Consider these 12 ideas that show how seating can be used to accent the decor or tie into an event’s vibe.

TEDxSomerville
TEDxSomerville
Guests reclined on large pillow chairs from Yogibo at TEDxSomerville, held at the Brooklyn Boulders indoor rock climbing facility in the Boston suburb in March 2014.
Photo: Patrick Rogers
EIBTM
EIBTM
For one of the sessions at EIBTM, the Global Meetings and Events Expo, attendees sat on large red stability balls. The event took place in November in Barcelona.
Photo: Courtesy of EIBTM
Sapphire Now
Sapphire Now

In the new networking area at Sapphire Now in June in Orlando, guests could choose from seating options such as wooden pallets, leather cubes, and cadrboard cubes, which were strong enough to sit on but light and easy to move.
 

Photo: Eventrix AG/SAP
Social Media Week London
Social Media Week London

At Social Media Week London in September, shipping crates became “Skypepods.” Each unit was equipped with Microsoft products and enabled with Skype so attendees could get work done or chat with colleagues online.

Photo: Dave Bird
Web Summmit
Web Summmit

Pallet chairs from Dublin company This Is What We Do were one of the seating options in the Media Village at Web Summit in November 2014.

Photo: Naoise Culhane/Sportsfile/Web Summit
Web Summit
Web Summit

On Web Summit’s Pitch stages—site of the event’s start-up competitions—organizers used upcycled chairs made from chipboard.

Photo: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile/Web Summit
Sibos
Sibos
Inflatable chairs, beanbags, and traditional tables gave attendees seating choices at Sibos in Boston in September. The options reflected the theme of innovation for all the sessions that took place in the room.
Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
C2 Montréal
C2 Montréal

At C2 Montréal in May, organizers used custom furniture pieces that were designed to facilitate conversations. Overall there were fewer chairs than people to encourage mingling.

Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash
C2 Montréal
C2 Montréal
The outdoor sponsor lounges at C2 Montréal were set up in shipping containers and decorated with soft, colorful seating.
Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash
TEDxKalamata
TEDxKalamata

TEDxKalamata hosted its event in Greece’s ancient Theatre of Messini, taking advantage of the amphitheater’s unique atmosphere and seating.

Photo: Courtesy of TEDxKalamata
Cisco Live
Cisco Live

At Cisco Live in San Francisco in May, attendees reclined on beanbag gaming chairs in the halls of the Moscone Center to watch keynotes, do work, and take breaks. Organizers said they chose this style chair as an "edgier but still functional" alternative to traditional beanbags.

Photo: Steve Maller Photography
Cisco Live
Cisco Live

Guests had two options for lunch at Cisco Live: they could sit outside in the Yerba Buena Gardens on Cisco-branded blankets or at round tables, or they could eat inside the Moscone Center where organizers used picnic tables and Astroturf to create a park-like feel.

Photo: Mitra Sorrells/BizBash
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