The protocol and use of space

The staging or the balance of the physical elements present in a ceremony are matters that are included within the protocol. Some of them have their spatial location determined by regulations, as is the case of precedents. But others don’t.

However, the event organization professional must find their appropriate site, one in which there is no doubt of their suitability. It is the rhetoric of the protocol, to give each component the place that corresponds to it in the space of the act in such a way that there is not the slightest possibility of another location according to the reason for the event.

This use of space is what is known by the term proxemics, that is, the study of spatial organization through the relationships of, for example, proximity or distance, between people and objects.

When it comes to organizing events, when we speak of proxemics we are referring to the placement of seats, the spatial arrangement of the elements of a stage, the ordering of symbols or the precedence of people. Consequently, you work with concepts such as right and left, up and down, side and center, or inside and outside.

In the case of the use that people make of space in their relationships with others, it can be set taking into account various criteria such as leadership or task. For example, the position of a person marks his position in space, like that of a mayor occupying the place of honor in the plenary hall of his council.

Material elements also occupy their place in space. In the plenary hall example above, the flags will be located to the mayor’s right. And the ordering between them will be justified according to regulations.

In short, every component of an act has its unmistakable location and, as a whole, the spatial relationships that are established communicate the objective and message of the ceremony.