Idea 1: design around the first visible moment
Alphabetical seating boards win when the main job is helping many guests find themselves quickly without crowding a single helper or host. When the plan starts from how people will read, move, or decide, the rest of the design becomes easier to defend.
Idea 2: make one logic instantly readable
The naming convention has to be frozen early enough that sorting, print proofing, and on-site setup all use the same alphabet rule. That removes the usual drift between the planning file, the printed artifact, and the last instructions given to staff.
Idea 3: simplify what the floor team receives
The final board should make the sorting rule obvious, especially for prefixes, compound surnames, and language-specific characters. They create a predictable reading rhythm, shorten queue time, and remove the awkward pause that happens when guests do not know whether to search by person or by table.