Event Seating Chart Generator

Bring your guest list, lay out tables and print an event seating chart. Start with the labelled awards dinner or a blank room. Free, no sign-up.

  • 80-guest editable example
  • CSV / Excel import
  • Letter / A4 PDF
  • Names processed in your browser
Example
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Get started

  1. Choose how to start
  2. Add your guests
  3. Set up your tables
  4. Seat everyone
  5. Print or share

Step 1 of 5: Choose how to start. What you see is an example. Click the others below to see what you can make, then keep a layout for your own names or start with an empty room.You’re looking at an example. Try the others, then pick one or start blank.

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Every rule is met

How to make an event seating chart

  1. Choose your starting layout. Open the awards dinner, garden party or dinner example. Use this layout removes fictional guests while keeping the room. Start blank gives you an empty room for your own setup.
  2. Bring your attendee list. Choose Add guests and paste names or import CSV/XLSX. Check the name, household, tags and notes columns in the preview. Keep one row per attendee and review duplicate names before adding everyone.
  3. Add and name tables. At the table step, choose Tables for your guests… and enter Guests, Seats per table and the shape. This adds a complete new set and keeps existing tables. Choose Looks good to retain a layout that already fits your needs.
  4. Set rules and arrange. Add Must or Prefer rules in Arrange, and lock deliberate assignments or reserved empty seats. Run Smart arrange, then review unseated guests and unmet rules. Adjust the plan and check the actual placement.
  5. Save and print useful views. Open Export on a phone or Print & export on a larger screen. Choose Letter or A4 and the Floor plan and guest lists you need. Download a plan file as an editable backup.

An awards dinner you can edit

The example seats 80 fictional guests at ten round tables of eight. Stage, Podium, Bar and Main entrance mark the room. Its Must rule places the VIP tag near Stage; a Prefer rule balances Sponsors across tables. These illustrate explicit instructions, rather than decisions inferred from a name or meal choice.

Use this layout removes the fictional people and their associated rules. Add your own requirements for the real list. The other examples offer a garden party with 92 people and 100 positions, or dinner for 12 at one long table. For more starting ideas, see the seating chart ideas guide.

Check the list before assigning seats

Try the fictional 17-guest CSV roster, or import your own spreadsheet. Use Name, or separate First and Last columns, with optional Household, Tags and Notes. Same-name guests remain separate people; use notes to distinguish them. Map a Table column deliberately: unmatched labels can create extra tables. Reimporting adds people, so review an updated file before appending it.

Add tables without replacing your work

Tables for your guests… adds a new set for the count you enter. For 17 guests at eight seats, it adds three tables with 24 positions. Existing tables, room items, assignments and locks stay; existing capacity is not subtracted. Use Looks good when the retained layout is sufficient. Undo restores the previous plan after an addition.

Select tables to change their names or seats, and add room markers from Add. The builder may enlarge the schematic room; confirm actual furniture, dimensions and placement with the venue. A diagram is not an access or clearance assessment. The table planner also offers named-table examples.

Turn requirements into rules and locks

Use Must rules for required grouping, separation or placement, and Prefer rules for flexible wishes. Keeping households together is a preference; add a Must rule when sharing a table is required. Tags and private notes describe guests without automatically imposing restrictions. Lock a chosen occupant or an empty position in List view, then review every remaining issue after Smart arrange.

Bring an Eventbrite list manually

Follow Eventbrite’s attendee-report instructions to download a CSV for your event. Here, choose Use this layout, then Add guests → Import a file, and check the name columns in the preview. This creates a separate browser-local seating plan; changes here do not update Eventbrite tickets, orders or its seating map.

Give each team the useful view

Download the awards dinner on Letter or A4, or use the empty layout on Letter or A4. In Export, choose Floor plan for setup, the alphabetical list for finding guests, and per-table lists for table teams. PDFs fit the selected paper; preview every page before printing. They are not drawings at an architectural scale.

SVG/PNG gives you an image; CSV/XLSX gives you roster and assignment data, including notes and tags. Check copies before distributing them. For entrance displays or individual cards, use the sign designer and seating card maker. Keep an editable backup too; the seating chart app guide explains local saving and plan-file transfer.

Frequently asked questions

Is this event seating chart software free?

Yes. Editing, rules, Smart arrange and PDF, image, spreadsheet and plan-file exports are free, with no sign-up or watermark. The editor runs in your browser.

How many tables will it add for my guests?

It divides Guests by Seats per table and rounds up: 17 guests at eight seats gives three new tables and 24 positions. Existing capacity is not subtracted. The builder adds tables and may enlarge the schematic room.

Can I keep households together and separate particular guests?

Yes. Import household or group names and use the household preference. For required co-seating or separation, add an explicit Must rule in Arrange. A meal or VIP tag alone does not create a seating rule.

What happens when there are more guests than available seats?

Guests stay in the list as unseated. Add usable seats or correct the roster, then arrange again. Empty locked positions remain reserved, so they reduce available capacity. A failed arrangement attempt does not prove that no valid arrangement exists.

Can I bring an Eventbrite attendee list?

Use Eventbrite’s attendee-report instructions to download a CSV, then import it here and review the column mapping. This is a separate seating plan; edits here do not update Eventbrite tickets, orders or its seating map. Eventbrite’s attendee-report instructions

How do I assign a guest on a phone?

Open People, tap the guest and choose a table in the picker. For a particular position, choose Pick a seat on the floor plan, then tap the seat. More → List view offers each position with its full label and lock control.

Which file should I give the venue, and which is my backup?

Give the team the PDF views or spreadsheet they need. A plan file (.json) keeps the editable room, roster, rules, settings and locks for reopening. CSV/XLSX contains roster and assignment data; it is not the complete editable project.

Where is my event seating plan saved?

Autosave and My plans store work in this browser on this device. Keep a plan-file backup before changing browsers or devices. A read-only share link contains a snapshot; make a new link after edits and share it only with the intended recipients.