Meeting Rooms and Ballroom
Meeting Room Capacities and Setup Styles
Our meeting room dimensions and maximum capacities have been verified for standard setups using industry standards. Our standard setups have been approved by the DC fire marshal. We base our maximum capacities on a minimum of additional support equipment in the space. Such elements as lighting or sound towers, camera risers, runways, production control areas, or buffet lines will reduce the seating capacity of the room. See meeting room capacity chart in the appendix for details about specific rooms. Meeting rooms are generally set in one of four basic styles:
Theater
- Theater seating is a seating arrangement where chairs are arranged in rows facing the head table, stage or speaker.
- Chairs are set on 36-inch centers, back-to-back, and are 19 inches wide.
- Fire code allows a maximum 14 chairs across per row and up to 24 rows deep before a cross aisle is required.
- Center aisles are a minimum of four (4) feet.
- All rows of chairs in a theater set must be “ganged” or locked together.
Classroom
- Classroom or schoolroom seating is a seating arrangement in which rows of tables with chairs face the front of the room and each person has a space for writing.
-
- Capacities are calculated at seating three people at an eight-foot table and two people at a six-foot table.
- You may choose to seat four people at eight- foot tables and three people at six-foot tables if maximum capacity is required.
Banquet
- Banquet seating is a seating arrangement where round tables with seating are set for catered functions or meetings.
-
- Our banquet tables are 72 inches in diameter and we seat 10 people around each table.
-
- Our standard is to set round tables on 11 foot centers (11 feet from table center to table center).
Conference, Hollow Square, or U-shape
- These styles are usually for committee and board-type meetings, with chairs around the sides and ends of tables. We use 30 inch wide tables, in eight or six-foot lengths for these sets to provide comfortable work space.
Initial Meeting Room Setup
The first standard set for each meeting room is included in your rent. The room set includes the seating style selected as well as lectern and head table, standard speakers’ riser (if appropriate for the size of the room), registration and hand-out tables and easels, if requested. We set meeting rooms on the first day of your license period for meeting rooms.
Changeovers
We charge to reset meeting rooms. Your event manager will offer suggestions for room set styles and the best use of your rooms to minimize charges.
Audiovisual and Presentation
The Fire Marshal does not allow stages and screens to block exit doors. Your event manager and the Center’s production manager will work with you and your AV contractor to address any issues before the rooms are set. You may be asked to change the orientation of the room set in order to accommodate large screens and stages, or in some cases, to reduce the number of seats requested, in order to comply with safety guidelines.
Inform your event manager if you require specific lights turned off over screens for your meetings, or if you would like to change the pre-sets on the lighting panel. Our staff will work with you to set lighting patterns for your needs and will check all meeting rooms to make sure the overhead lights are “ganged” or “unganged” to match the portable walls configurations. There is a fee for reprogramming lighting presets or removing overhead lighting.
Events that will attract media transmissions or require satellite dish installations must follow our procedures for news outlet, video production, or other media transmission vehicles and satellite dish utilization, which is available from your event manager and the Center’s audio visual production manager.
Maximum Occupancy in Meeting Rooms and Ballroom
Maximum capacities for standard room set-up styles are in meeting room capacities in the appendix. The maximum weight capacity in all meeting rooms is 100 lbs per square foot.
Water Service
We provide water service to lecterns and head tables at no charge. We use bottled water and plastic cups. For your guests’ convenience, we provide water fountains on the concourses near the meeting rooms.
Room Refreshes
Meeting rooms are refreshed throughout the day based on your meeting schedule. The refresh includes straightening of chairs and tables, trash disposal and replacement of water for the lectern and head table. Please advise your event manager if certain materials should not be discarded when room(s) are being refreshed.
Linens
Our standard meeting room tables have finished surfaces. There is an additional charge if you require linen on these tables. We cover round tables used in show offices and small non-food and beverage setups at no charge. Our food and beverage staff place linens on all round tables used for catered meal functions. Please discuss special linen requirements with your event manager.
Equipment Inventory
Our equipment inventory is usually sufficient to accommodate standard set-up requirements for several simultaneous events. See the equipment inventory in the appendix. When our inventory is exhausted, it may be necessary for you to rent additional equipment and labor from an outside vendor at your expense.
HVAC
Meeting rooms are maintained at seasonably comfortable temperatures on days they are in use.