Guide covering what to hire, how to plan quantities and what to check before placing an order. Covers events from 50-person dinners to 2,000-delegate conferences.
The most common approach to planning an event hire order is to start with the guest count and work outwards. The broad categories most events require:
| Event type | Typical core hire requirements |
|---|---|
| Sit-down dinner | Tables, chairs, linen, crockery, glassware, cutlery |
| Drinks reception | High poseur tables, glassware, bar linen, cocktail napkins |
| Conference / seminar | Tables, chairs, registration tables, back-of-house catering equipment |
| Festival / outdoor | Outdoor furniture, catering equipment |
| Wedding | Tables, chairs, linen, crockery, glassware, cutlery, cake equipment, bar equipment |
| Award ceremony | Chairs, staging furniture, linen, glassware, back-of-house catering |
The full hire catalogue is organised by category. Browse furniture, catering equipment, linen, glassware, and outdoor to identify what you need before you start adding to the basket.
Hire enough items to cover your guest count, your service team's requirements, and a contingency for breakages, late additions to the guest list, and replenishment needs during service. The figures below are starting points — adjust based on the specific format of your event.
| Item | Standard per-guest quantity |
|---|---|
| Dinner plates (main) | 1 per guest + 10% contingency |
| Side plates | 1 per guest + 10% |
| Soup bowls | 1 per guest + 10% (if course included) |
| Wine glasses | 2 per guest for a two-course dinner |
| Water glasses | 1.5 per guest (allow for refills) |
| Champagne flutes | 1 per guest for arrival drink + 10% |
| Dinner forks and knives | 1 per guest per course + 10% |
| Dessert spoons/forks | 1 per guest + 10% |
| Tablecloths | 1 per table |
| Napkins | 2 per guest (allow one for service and one for table) |
For large events, build in a working stock for the kitchen team as well as table-set quantities. A kitchen team running 300 covers will need back-of-house bowls, trays, and utensils that do not appear on the guest table count.
Furniture hire requires knowing your table configuration before placing the order. Common round table sizes and seating capacities:
| Table diameter | Seated guests (formal) | Seated guests (informal) |
|---|---|---|
| 3ft (91cm) | 4 guests | 5 guests |
| 4ft (122cm) | 5–6 guests | 6–7 guests |
| 5ft (152cm) | 8 guests | 9–10 guests |
| 5ft 6in (168cm) | 9–10 guests | 10–12 guests |
| 6ft (183cm) | 10–12 guests | 12–14 guests |
Browse round tables, trestle tables, chairs and poseur tables. Each product page shows dimensions, stacking height, weight per item, and packing information — important if access to your venue is restricted.
The standard hire period covers up to 72 hours, not counting transit days. For most events, the practical calculation is:
A Friday afternoon delivery, a Saturday event, a Sunday afternoon collection is a standard hire window at the standard rate. Hire periods longer than 72 hours are available at extended rates shown on each product page — 4-to-7-day and 7-to-14-day rates apply automatically when you select dates outside the standard window.
Add all items to the basket, set your delivery dates and windows, and enter your venue postcode at checkout. The system calculates carriage from the nearest depot automatically. Payment options at checkout include card, bank transfer, 30-day trade account, and the 25% advance deposit scheme for orders over £1,000 ex-VAT.
After checkout, a confirmation email is sent to the address provided. Order tracking becomes available from the account page or via the link in the confirmation email.
For more detail on the checkout process, read the how to order guide.
Outdoor events require additional planning considerations. Ground conditions affect furniture stability — chairs and trestle tables on uneven ground may need ground-level adjustment. Marquee events sometimes use narrower tables than banqueting rounds — check access dimensions for marquee entrances before ordering larger items.
Weather protection for catering equipment outdoors is the responsibility of the hirer. Expo Hire equipment is designed for indoor use unless specified otherwise on the product page.
Browse outdoor furniture for ranges specifically suitable for outdoor and marquee use.
For summer weekends and bank holiday weekends, popular items and routes fill quickly. Booking 4 to 6 weeks ahead for busy dates is the safe approach. For midweek events and off-peak dates, a week or two ahead is usually sufficient. The checkout stock checker shows live availability for your selected dates on every product page.
Contact Expo Hire as soon as the addition is identified. Adding to an existing order depends on stock availability and whether the route for your delivery date still has capacity. The sooner you contact the team, the more options are available.
Return all items on collection day. The hire fee covers the equipment during the hire period — returning unused items does not affect the invoice amount. Hire the number of items you need plus a reasonable contingency; it is always better to return items surplus than to run short during service.
The minimum order value is £50 ex-VAT, excluding carriage. This is applied automatically at checkout.