First published October 2026

How much space does a VR stand need? Layouts, throughput and staffing

It is the first question every organiser asks and the answer is shorter than you expect: about 2.5 m × 1.5 m per headset. A corner of most stands does the job. The rest of this article is that answer unpacked - what fits where, how many visitors an hour to plan for, and who does the work on the day.

The footprint, precisely

Each headset needs roughly 2.5 m × 1.5 m of floor - the station itself, not a walled-off room. Add elbow room for the operator and a standing spot or two for the queue, and a single-headset setup is comfortable in about 6 m² of your stand. Two headsets sit side by side when the room allows, doubling capacity on the same footprint per headset.

Power is one standard 220V socket per setup. Extension leads, screens and everything else come with us. The headsets are wireless, so there is no cable run across your carpet for visitors to trip over.

Three layouts that work

The corner wrap

The common choice: the station tucks into a back corner of the stand, the queue forms along the edge, and the middle of the stand stays open for your real conversations. Best for stands under about 20 m².

The back wall line

Two or three headsets in a row along the back wall, all facing the aisle. Every player faces outward, so the audience sees their faces and their flailing, which is half the attraction. Best for rectangular stands with a long back wall.

The island

For large stands: headsets on an island in the middle, playable from two sides, queue wrapping around. Highest capacity, but it costs the most floor. This is the layout for the shows where a crowd is the whole point.

Throughput: the planning numbers

Rounds run three to seven minutes. Add strapping in and handing back, and one headset sends a fresh visitor through every five to ten minutes - call it six to twelve players an hour per headset, depending on the game mix and the queue's enthusiasm. Two headsets double that. These are planning numbers from our own sessions, not vendor-brochure figures; we will happily time it at your show and see how close we land.

One operational note the brochures skip: a visible queue is not a problem. It is advertisement. The tricky part is giving the queue something to do - that is what an audience is for, and, if you have added the optional leaderboard, a score to argue about. Either way, brief your booth staff to work the waiting line, not ignore it.

Who does the work

An experienced operator comes with every headset. They run the tech, help visitors in and out, keep players inside the play area and handle the headset between guests. Your people do what only your people can do - talk to the prospects watching. The split is clean: we run the attraction, you run the conversation it creates.

If you are still deciding whether VR belongs on your stand at all, start with the exhibitor's guide; the long view is in the history of virtual reality.

Want the layout checked against your actual stand plan? Check your date or call 083 733 5133.

This site stays on the expo floor. For the private side of VR - birthdays, graduations and celebrations at home - the guides on vrrental.co.za carry on where these stop.