Furniture is one of those event requirements that can quickly become complicated. You need enough tables and chairs for the expected number of guests, the furniture needs to suit the venue and event, and everything has to arrive at the right place at the right time.
Buying furniture can appear to be the straightforward solution, particularly for venues and organisations that run events regularly. However, ownership also brings storage, transport, handling and maintenance requirements. You may also end up owning furniture that works perfectly for one type of event but is unsuitable for another.
Hiring gives organisers much more freedom. You can select furniture for the particular event, hire the quantity required and arrange delivery and collection around your schedule. This can work equally well for a private celebration requiring a handful of extra chairs or a festival, exhibition or conference requiring thousands of matching items.
For many organisers, the advantages of event furniture hire go far beyond the initial cost.
Avoid The Cost Of Buying Furniture
Purchasing hundreds or thousands of tables and chairs requires considerable capital, particularly if the furniture is only going to be used occasionally.
Hiring turns that requirement into an event-specific expense. You hire the furniture needed for the required period rather than investing in stock that may spend much of the year sitting unused.
This can be particularly useful for businesses, venues, councils, universities, event organisers and exhibition companies dealing with changing requirements throughout the year.
Even smaller events can benefit. Buying 50 chairs for a one-off celebration makes little sense if there is nowhere to store them afterwards.
The comparison can change for furniture that will be used constantly over several years, so buying certainly has its place. For temporary, seasonal or changing event requirements, however, hiring can provide a much more practical option.
Remove the Storage Problem
Furniture takes up a surprising amount of space.
A venue may have room for the tables and chairs used for its normal capacity, but problems can arise when additional furniture is purchased for occasional events. Back of house space that could be used for catering equipment, event supplies or operational requirements gradually becomes permanent furniture storage.
The issue becomes even greater for organisations running events at different locations. Furniture needs secure storage between events before being loaded, transported, unloaded and eventually returned to storage.
Hiring removes the need to find permanent space for furniture required only occasionally. Once the event finishes, the hired stock is collected or returned.
This can be particularly useful for temporary event sites, marquees, exhibition venues and historic properties where permanent storage space may be limited.
Match Furniture To Each Event
Owning furniture tends to mean using the same tables and chairs repeatedly, regardless of whether they are ideally suited to the occasion.
Hiring provides far more choice.
A formal dinner may need round banqueting tables and upholstered chairs, while a festival food court could be better served by picnic benches. An exhibition may need poseur tables and stools, while a wedding could call for rustic tables with Crossback or wooden folding chairs.
You are not restricted by the furniture already sitting in your storeroom.
This is particularly valuable for venues hosting different types of events. A conference, wedding, examination, awards dinner and exhibition may all take place in the same building, yet each can require a very different furniture arrangement.
Increase Capacity For Busy Events
Many venues maintain enough furniture for their normal day to day requirements rather than their maximum possible capacity.
Hiring additional stock allows a venue to increase seating or table capacity for particularly busy dates without buying furniture purely for occasional use.
The same principle applies to annual and seasonal events. Festivals, Christmas events, university events, county shows, conferences and sporting fixtures can require substantial quantities of furniture for a relatively short period.
Hiring allows the quantity to follow demand.
BE Event Hire stocks more than 10,000 tables for hire and 30,000 chairs for hire, making it possible to source substantial quantities of matching furniture from a single supplier.
For event organisers, this can be considerably easier than trying to piece together the required quantity from several different sources.
Adapt To Changing Guest Numbers
Final attendance figures are not always available months before an event.
Ticket sales can rise, invitations may be declined, and exhibition or hospitality requirements can change as planning progresses. Furniture hire gives organisers greater flexibility to respond to these changes.
Rather than purchasing furniture based on an early estimate, quantities can be planned around more realistic attendance figures as the event approaches.
It is still sensible to book early for busy periods, particularly if you require a particular furniture style or substantial quantities. However, working with a hire company gives you considerably more flexibility than owning a fixed amount of furniture.
Simplify Event Logistics
The purchase price of furniture is only part of the cost of ownership. Somebody still has to transport it.
For substantial events, this means suitable vehicles, loading equipment, drivers and people available to unload furniture at the venue. Once the event is finished, the entire process happens again in reverse.
Using an experienced event furniture company brings the furniture and transport requirements together.
BE Event Hire provides furniture hire across the UK, supplying events ranging from small private functions to festivals, exhibitions, conferences and major public events. Delivery and collection can be arranged around the requirements of the venue and event.
Smaller orders can also be collected directly from our Leicestershire depot where appropriate.
For organisers managing venues, caterers, production companies and numerous other suppliers, having furniture and transport handled by the same company removes another logistical job from the event plan.
Create Consistent Event Spaces
Quantity matters, but consistency matters too.
An event requiring 1,000 chairs does not simply need 1,000 places for people to sit. Ideally, those chairs should match so that conference halls, ceremonies, dining spaces and audience areas have a consistent appearance.
The same applies to tables. Matching dimensions and heights make layouts easier to plan and provide a neater finish once everything is positioned.
This becomes increasingly important as events grow. Sourcing furniture from several smaller suppliers can result in different chair styles, table dimensions, finishes and delivery schedules.
Hiring substantial quantities from one supplier can simplify both the appearance of the event and the logistics behind it.
Choose Furniture Around The Layout
The furniture arrangement affects capacity, guest movement and the way a space feels.
Theatre seating works well for presentations and ceremonies, while cabaret layouts provide guests with table space and a clear view towards a stage or presentation area. Banquet layouts suit dining and celebrations, while poseur tables can create informal networking areas where guests are expected to move around.
Hiring allows the furniture to suit the planned layout rather than forcing the layout to work around furniture already owned.
For organisers still deciding on their seating arrangements, our guide to organising chairs for an event covers different approaches to event seating and layout planning.
It is also worth thinking about the amount of space required around furniture. Filling every available part of a room with tables and chairs can reduce circulation space and make service, accessibility and guest movement more difficult.
Use Different Furniture Across One Event
Not every area of an event needs the same furniture.
A festival might require picnic benches for public food areas, trestle tables behind the scenes, folding chairs for crew spaces and poseur tables within hospitality areas. A conference could combine theatre seating, registration tables, exhibition furniture and informal breakout areas.
Hiring allows each part of the site to be furnished according to its purpose.
It also means appearance can be prioritised in guest facing spaces while robust, practical furniture is used in operational and production areas. This can help organisers allocate their furniture budget more effectively rather than choosing one type of furniture for the entire site.
Reduce Furniture Requirements After The Event
The end of an event can be just as demanding as the setup.
Venues may need to turn spaces around quickly, temporary sites need clearing, and exhibition halls frequently operate to strict breakdown schedules.
With hired furniture, there is no need to decide where hundreds or thousands of tables and chairs will go next. The furniture can be prepared for collection, leaving the organiser free to concentrate on the rest of the event breakdown.
This is particularly useful for temporary venues and outdoor events where there is no permanent storage facility available.
For organisations running events at several locations, it also removes the need to transport furniture back to a central warehouse after every event.
Respond to Seasonal Demand
Furniture requirements can change considerably throughout the year.
An outdoor venue may need far more seating during the summer, while hotels and function venues can experience increased demand during the Christmas party season. Universities and educational establishments may require substantial quantities of tables and chairs during examination periods but have little use for the same furniture during the rest of the year.
Festivals and agricultural shows present a similar situation. Thousands of seats, tables or benches may be required for several days before demand disappears until the following year.
Hiring allows organisations to respond to these peaks without maintaining the same quantity of furniture throughout the year.
Hiring Versus Buying Event Furniture
There is no single answer that applies to every organisation.
Buying can make sense for a venue that uses the same furniture continuously and has suitable storage, transport and handling facilities. Hiring becomes particularly attractive where quantities fluctuate, events take place at different locations or furniture requirements change regularly.
A useful way to make the decision is to look beyond the purchase price. Think about frequency of use, storage space, transport, staffing, maintenance and the likelihood that your requirements will change.
For an item needed every week, ownership may make sense. For 2,000 additional chairs required for one weekend each year, hiring is likely to be considerably easier to manage.
Organisers comparing different furniture options can also look at our guide to choosing the right event chair before deciding which seating best suits the venue, audience and style of event.
Event Furniture Hire FAQs
Q: Is Furniture Hire Suitable For Small Events?
Yes. Furniture hire is not restricted to major events.
BE Event Hire supplies furniture for private parties, garden events, weddings and family celebrations as well as festivals, exhibitions, conferences and major public events.
There is no need to buy a set of tables or chairs simply because you need additional seating for a single occasion. Hiring can be just as practical for ten extra guests as it is for an event requiring thousands of seats.
Q: Is There A Standard Hire Period?
Event furniture is generally hired for an agreed period based around the requirements of the event.
Longer hire periods can also be arranged where furniture is needed for extended productions, seasonal venues or events operating across several days or weeks.
If an event has unusual setup or breakdown requirements, these can be discussed when arranging the hire.
Q: Can Furniture Be Delivered?
Yes. BE Event Hire provides nationwide delivery and collection for events throughout the UK.
Delivery requirements depend on the quantity of furniture, venue location, site access and required timings. For major events, planning vehicle access and unloading arrangements can help make delivery considerably smoother.
Smaller orders may also be suitable for self collection from the BE Event Hire depot.
Q: Can Orders Be Changed Before An Event?
Event requirements regularly change during the planning process. BE Event Hire will try to accommodate quantity adjustments where stock and delivery arrangements allow.
It is always better to discuss changes as early as possible, particularly during busy event periods or where an order involves substantial quantities of a particular furniture type.
Q: Is Event Furniture Hire Only Tables And Chairs?
No. Event furniture requirements can extend well beyond standard seating and tables.
Depending on the event, organisers may require picnic benches, stools, sofas, poseur tables, children’s furniture and other specialist event equipment.
Choosing items around the purpose of each area usually produces a more practical event layout than simply ordering the same furniture throughout the venue.
Event Furniture Hire From BE Event Hire
Hiring event furniture gives organisers the freedom to choose the quantity, style and type of furniture needed for each event without taking on the storage, transport and practical responsibilities associated with permanent ownership.
BE Event Hire supplies event furniture for events of all sizes throughout the UK, from additional tables and chairs for private celebrations through to thousands of matching items for festivals, conferences, exhibitions, sporting fixtures and public events.
With more than 10,000 tables and 30,000 chairs available, alongside picnic benches, stools, sofas and other event furniture, we can help organisers put together practical furniture requirements around their venue, expected attendance and event format.
If you are planning an event, send our team your venue, dates, estimated quantities and furniture requirements for a free, no obligation quotation.
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