Event Venue Capacity Calculator

Event Layout swaps in a completely different square-feet-per-person figure -- from 5 for Reception/Standing up to 25 for Conference, a 5x spread. Because Usable Area is divided directly by that figure, switching layouts moves Layout Capacity far more than any realistic change to Total Floor Area, Stage/Platform Area, or Aisles & Circulation.

Fire Code Max uses a fixed, separate assumption of 7 square feet per person for general assembly occupancy -- it's calculated straight from Usable Area and never references Event Layout at all. Layout Capacity is the figure that actually changes with your chosen layout; Fire Code Max stays the same regardless.

Effective Capacity is whichever of the two is smaller. For loose layouts like Conference (25 sq ft/person) or Classroom (18), Layout Capacity is usually the binding constraint. For tight layouts like Reception/Standing (5 sq ft/person) or Theater (7, which happens to match the fire code assumption exactly), Fire Code Max is more likely to be the actual ceiling.

All three are fixed ratios applied to Effective Capacity, not to Total Floor Area directly: 1 exit per 250 people (with a minimum of 2 exits regardless of size), 1 restroom per 75 people, and 1 parking space per 3 people, each rounded up to a whole unit.

Yes -- Total Floor Area increases Usable Area directly, which raises both Layout Capacity and Fire Code Max, and Effective Capacity (the lower of the two) rises along with whichever one is currently binding. Stage/Platform Area and Aisles & Circulation work the opposite way, both subtracting from Usable Area and so lowering Effective Capacity.