Open days span registration, presentations, refreshments, and outdoor activity. This guide covers the hire equipment needed for each area, with quantity guidance for school, university, and corporate formats.
Open days span registration, presentations, refreshments, and outdoor activity. This guide covers the hire equipment needed for each area, with quantity guidance for school, university, and corporate formats.
Open days bring registration queues, presentations, refreshments, and outdoor activity into a single event. The hire requirements span several categories, and getting the setup right helps the day run well for staff and visitors alike.
\n\nThe first thing visitors encounter at an open day is the registration point. Trestle tables work well here: long enough to hold sign-in sheets, lanyards, and printed materials side by side. Expo Hire stocks trestle and folding tables in a range of sizes for registration setups.
\nAdd chairs behind the desk for staff who are on their feet for several hours. Folding chairs are easy to position and move as the layout changes through the day.
\n\nWhere the open day includes a formal presentation, visitors need somewhere to sit. Stacking chairs or folding chairs are the most common choice for presentation rooms. They can be arranged in rows and cleared fast when the format moves to a less formal walkabout.
\nFor a presentation to 50 people, allow 55 to 60 chairs to cover latecomers and last-minute additions. Row spacing of around 90 centimetres gives enough room for visitors to sit without feeling cramped.
\n\nOpen days with refreshments need catering equipment that can deliver hot drinks at volume. A hot water urn provides continuous hot water for tea and coffee without requiring a full catering team. In most open day formats, one urn per 50 to 70 guests covers the refreshment breaks.
\nAdd a table for cups and saucers alongside the urn, and a second table for cold refreshments or food if a buffet is part of the format. Cups, saucers and side plates hire alongside urns for a complete refreshment setup.
\n\nWhere food is served, trestle tables make a solid buffet surface. A single 6ft trestle table holds platters, serving utensils, plates and napkins for up to 60 guests. For a larger buffet with multiple dishes, run two tables end to end and allow guests to circulate from both sides.
\nBuffet plates are available in sizes for snack portions or full meal portions. Confirm the portion size with the caterer before choosing which size to order.
\n\nCorporate and university open days with outdoor areas benefit from outdoor furniture for visitors who want to sit between sessions. Folding tables and chairs are the most space-efficient option. For open days held on grass, check whether the furniture has appropriate feet to avoid sinking on soft ground.
\nIf the weather is unreliable, a gazebo or small marquee provides covered outdoor space for refreshments or demonstration areas. A 3m x 3m gazebo covers two or three trestle tables and their visitors without taking up a large footprint.
\n\nLarge open days with multiple staff members benefit from a dedicated briefing or rest area. A few folding tables and chairs away from the visitor flow give staff somewhere to take a break and store materials. This area can double as a document and resource point for team members during the event.
\n\nOpen days vary widely in format. As a general starting point:
\nOpen day environments involve constant movement and handling of equipment across a full day. Expo Hire's minor damage waiver covers accidental breakages during the hire period, which is worth considering where equipment passes through multiple hands.
\n\nEquipment for an open day should arrive the day before the event where possible. This allows time for setup and testing, in particular for catering equipment such as urns. Expo Hire delivers across England and Wales; check the carriage guide for delivery charges and minimum order requirements.
\nCollection is arranged after the event ends. If the venue has limited storage, arrange for same-day collection after close. Expo Hire offers morning collection slots to suit venues that need the space cleared quickly.
See also: conference and seminar hire guide and corporate away day hire guide.
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