Charity fundraisers come in three main formats, each with different furniture and equipment needs: the gala dinner, the auction evening, and the quiz night.
Charity fundraisers come in three main formats, each with different furniture and equipment needs: the gala dinner, the auction evening, and the quiz night.
Charity fundraisers come in three main formats, each with different furniture and equipment needs. A gala dinner needs round tables and full dinnerware. An auction evening can run as a standing reception. A quiz night needs rectangular tables and basic crockery for food. Getting the format right first saves money and avoids hiring equipment you do not actually need.
\n\nGala dinners are the most equipment-intensive format. Guests sit at round tables for a three-course dinner, often with a live auction or awards presentation after the meal. The setup is close to a corporate awards ceremony: round tables, full linen, crockery, and glassware, with a stage or lectern at one end of the room.
\n\nRound tables seat 8 to 10 per table. For 100 guests, plan for 10 tables at 10 per table. For 150 guests, 15 tables. Add a top table or a small stage table for auctioneers or presenters.
\n\nChairs should match the formality of the venue. Banqueting chairs are the standard choice at most gala dinners held in hotel function rooms or civic halls. For more contemporary venues, Chiavari chairs give a cleaner look but cost more per unit.
\n\nA three-course gala dinner needs a starter plate or bowl, a dinner plate, and a dessert plate per guest. For 100 guests, that is 300 pieces of crockery plus a 5% breakage buffer. Many venues supply crockery as part of the room hire; confirm this before placing a hire order.
\n\nIf the venue uses an outside caterer, confirm crockery requirements with the caterer. Some caterers supply it; others expect the event organiser to arrange hire.
\n\nPer head at a gala dinner: one wine glass for dinner, one champagne flute for the toast, one water goblet per place setting. For a 100-guest dinner, that is 300 pieces of glassware for the table, plus additional glasses for the arrival drinks reception if there is one. For a 60-minute reception before the dinner, add 200 champagne flutes or wine glasses to the order.
\n\nAn auction evening can be structured as a standing reception with a live auction, or as a seated dinner with a live auction during or after the meal. The standing reception format needs less furniture but more glassware per head, as guests circulate and go through more drinks.
\n\nFor a standing auction reception, poseur tables throughout the space give guests somewhere to set down a glass. For 80 standing guests, 10 to 12 poseur tables spread around the room is a reasonable provision. Position clusters of poseur tables near the auction display tables where guests will gather to inspect lots.
\n\nFor auction lot display, rectangular trestle tables work well. A 6ft trestle displays a good number of silent auction items, and multiple tables in a row create a clear walkthrough route for guests. Clothe the tables in white linen to keep the display surface clean and give the lots a better presentation context.
\n\nQuiz nights are the most budget-friendly fundraiser format, and the hire requirements reflect that. Teams sit at rectangular tables rather than round, which reduces the cost of both tables and linen. A standard 6ft rectangular table seats 6 to 8 people and allows team members to sit together in a line facing the quiz host.
\n\nFor 80 guests in teams of 8, you need 10 tables and 80 chairs. Folding chairs are appropriate for quiz nights; there is no need for banqueting chairs at an informal fundraiser. Tables do not need full-length linen cloths, though a simple runner or no cloth at all is common at quiz nights.
\n\nIf the quiz night includes a supper or a fish and chip service, add a buffet table at one end of the room. One 6ft trestle and two chafing dishes is enough for a simple hot supper service for 80 guests.
\n\nLinen spend at charity events often splits by format. Gala dinners justify full-length tablecloths and napkins; quiz nights do not. For auction evenings, poseur table linen and a cloth on the auction display tables is a sensible compromise.
\n\nThe linen range includes cloths for poseur tables, round tables, and rectangular trestle tables. White is the most versatile choice for charity events; it works at all levels of formality and looks clean in fundraiser photographs.
\n\nCharities often operate on tighter budgets than corporate event buyers. The most effective cost reduction is choosing the right format for the audience: a quiz night costs a fraction of a gala dinner to set up but can raise comparable amounts depending on ticketing.
\n\nFor larger gala dinners or auction events, Expo Hire offers a 25% deposit scheme that allows charities to confirm an order well in advance without paying in full upfront. The minor damage waiver scheme is worth adding for events where glassware and crockery losses might otherwise create an unexpected post-event invoice.
\n\nCharity gala season peaks in October through December and again in March and April. These months see high demand for round table configurations and quality linen. Confirm your hire order at least six weeks in advance for events in these windows. Expo Hire delivers across England and Wales; use the delivery calculator to check costs to your venue postcode.
See also: quiz night hire guide and gala dinner hire guide.
Choose from our vast range of catering hire, furniture hire and exhibition hire products. Select from the categories listed below or use our great search function above.
