Update: Dealing with the following assertion:
"Theater style seats are not preferable, but if required they should not be touching or in any way interlocked together"
is in direct violation of the 2012 edition of National Fire Protection Association 101®, Life Safety Code® (when in assembly settings accommodating 200 or more persons).
From Ron Coté, Principal Life Safety Engineer:Important Notice: This correspondence is not a Formal Interpretation issued pursuant to NFPA Regulations. Any opinion expressed is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the official position of the NFPA or its Technical Committees. In addition, this correspondence is neither intended, nor should it be relied upon, to provide professional consultation or services.
Some of the meeting room / ball room / restaurant chair interlocks permit an adequate gap between seating surfaces to accommodate some degree of body spread. I expect chair manufacturers, who are aware both of the code requirements to secure chairs together in groups and of the increasing obesity problem, to make available interlocks that will provide even more space between chairs. The manufacturers will need to balance the new need presented by the obesity epidemic against the danger of having the interlocks protrude from the side of a chair when it is not locked to another chair.
In the 2012 edition of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, the subject is addressed in 12.7.9.1 and 12.7.9.2 for new assembly occupancies (also in 13.7.9.1 and 13.7.9.2 for existing assembly occupancies – using the same text but different paragraph numbers). The text follows:
12.7.9.1 Secured Seating.
12.7.9.1.1 Seats in assembly occupancies accommodating more than 200 persons shall be securely fastened to the floor, except where fastened together in groups of not less than three and as permitted by 12.7.9.1.2 and 12.7.9.2.
12.7.9.1.2 Balcony and box seating areas that are separated from other areas by rails, guards, partial-height walls, or other physical barriers and have a maximum of 14 seats shall be exempt from the requirement of 12.7.9.1.1.
12.7.9.2 Unsecured Seating.
12.7.9.2.1 Seats not secured to the floor shall be permitted in restaurants, night clubs, and other occupancies where fastening seats to the floor might be impracticable.
12.7.9.2.2 Unsecured seats shall be permitted, provided that, in the area used for seating, excluding such areas as dance floors and stages, there is not more than one seat for each 15 ft2 (1.4 m2) of net floor area, and adequate aisles to reach exits are maintained at all times.
12.7.9.2.3 Seating diagrams shall be submitted for approval by the authority having jurisdiction to permit an increase in occupant load per 7.3.1.3.
Typically when meeting planners talk about accommodating attendees, they are speaking about providing accessibility for participants with a disability. But recently, I was tasked with coming up with a comfort plan to accommodate larger attendees, in terms of both girth and height. Instinctively, the first things that came to mind were to provide larger chairs and to account for less participants per table to allow for more elbow room. However, the intricacies and implications of providing a comfort plan are far greater.
First let us take a look at the reasoning behind establishing and incorporating a comfort plan for all of your attendees, not exclusively for the larger participants. Although body size is not considered a protected status under anti-discrimination law, creating an atmosphere of comfort is about more than just obliging your attendees; it is about maximizing the return on investment (ROI) by creating an environment that is conducive for participants to be attentive and engaged.
If your participants are uncomfortable, watching the clock and waiting for the session to end just so that they may stretch their legs - they are not engaged. Conversely, it is distracting to all in attendance when others are visibly uncomfortable. Attendees that are in a physically comfortable environment will be more likely to actively participate, retain the presented information, rate the meeting more enjoyable when completing post event surveys and be more apt to attend reoccurring meetings in the future. This translates into a win-win situation with increased ROI for your client as well as increased participant satisfaction.
If developing a comfort plan for your attendees appears daunting and expensive, take heart; with proactive and pragmatic planning, a comfort plan can be prepared and incorporated without increasing your workload or exceeding your budget. In some instances, it may be sufficient to incorporate both height and weight questions within your special needs requirements during the registration process but bear in mind that individuals that may need additional consideration due to weight may be too embarrassed to be forthright on the questionnaire. However, this can be done by tactfully adding the option for registrants to specify they need accommodations prior to arrival so you can provide the proper provisions.
If you would like to delve deeper and incorporate a full comfort plan while alleviating potentially awkward moments for your participants at registration, while also eliminating surprise inclusions in your budget; start by including a comfort plan in the beginning of the planning process. As each meeting and event is unique, the recommendations set forth below are by no means meant to be an inclusive list of considerations, but rather provided to be utilized as a base for initial planning preparation.
When preparing your RFP for venue site selection, ensure that you denote requirements for table set-up, seating, and location with the indication that you will require suitable space to allot for:
- Two participants per each six foot table
- Three participants per each eight foot table
- Five participants per twelve foot table
- A maximum of six per sixty inch round table
- Seating without arm rests
- Seating that supports the lumbar
- Seating that is sufficient in both length and width to avoid circulation discomfort
- Seating that can adequately support weight for extended periods of time
- Alignment of the presentation area that allows for ease of viewing so that taller individuals do not need to be displaced and to allow for unobstructed views for other participants
- Frequent aisles with ample space to access without hindrance
- Theater style seats are not preferable, but if required they should not be touching or in any way interlocked together
- Accessibility via an elevator, escalator or located on the ground floor without steps required for access
- Ensure all pass-through doors and restrooms adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines with a minimum of 32 inches in width
- Confirm that hinged restroom doors do not swing into the clear floor space required to use any fixture as to not impede the use of sinks or toilets.
- Individual room thermostat control, not centrally controlled
When conducting a venue site inspection, be mindful. Thoroughly walk through the venue with a measuring device as a visual or pictorial inspection will not suffice. Venues that were built after 1990 are required to be ADA compliant; however, establishments that are older or designated historic may be excluded from this law and therefore may not adhere to ADA accessibility guidelines.
Be sure to ask if the venue must adhere to union regulations in regards to the service staff. If so, you may be required to compensate the service staff with additional gratuities for servicing less participants per table than their contract provides. If necessary, prepare to offset this expense elsewhere in your budget.
When preparing to submit an RFP for lodging, consider establishments with abundant king beds available. Joining two double beds is not an acceptable option for those with issues of higher girth and certainly not appropriate for someone tall whose legs will dangle over the edge. Again, having well rested participants allows for a more productive environment. Also ensure that the king rooms are located within a reasonable distance to an elevator, escalator, or on the ground floor. Additionally, be sure to ask about ADA compliance for the en suite restrooms as well.
You will find that with a little foresight and proper planning, you will be able to accommodate all of your participants while maintaining your intended budget. As an added value, be sure that you let your attendees know you have taken them into consideration so they know they will experience your meeting or event with intentional comfort by providing your comfort plan to potential participants via your website or in promotional materials.
Rachael Alford is a solutions strategist and an independent meeting and event planner. Her aim is to utilize her knowledge and experience to create, promote, and increase holistic, intuitive, and integrated solutions for success within all facets of business. Contact her at Rachael@RachaelAlford.com or by visiting www.RachaelAlford.com.
Rachael Alford is a solutions strategist and an independent meeting and event planner. Her aim is to utilize her knowledge and experience to create, promote, and increase holistic, intuitive, and integrated solutions for success within all facets of business. Contact her at Rachael@RachaelAlford.com or by visiting www.RachaelAlford.com.
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