Ah, this explains a lot. While I also say, just be really grateful that people actually brought FOOD, not just 10 dessert or worse, cheap, generic storebrand cookies.
I can now understand your frustration at having to get everything out at once.
You wanted tips & suggestions: I've worked for major party planners. I say, if the potluck is at your place, you should feel free to alter plans to FIT your home & space. You may even start a new, more relaxed trend in potlucks.
I suggest bringing out the food in shifts onto your display area. Also, as Mystery Machine suugested, allow places for people to sit, stand, mingle, move about & freely rotate in the sitting areas. Pemember the venue. This is a potluck, not a formal sit-down for the Queen.
Place out the appetizers first, leave them out for a while, while the food in the oven is heating.
Then, when the entree type food comes out, you can get rid of the huge fondue display.
AND put in the oven the food that needs a higher temp to cook - now that the oven is free. When these are done, switch out whatever platters have been eaten with new hot dishes. This way, instead of the same food for seconds, there is something new to look forward too.
Lastly, clear SOME space for desserts. Leaving the send round of entrees out. This gives some people the choice to still eat or start on desserts. Again, put only SOME of them out first. wait till they are empty & replace with a fresh, new selection.
As for the display itself, you might have seen this on Oprah & Martha Stewart: Use stacks of books, small overturned cardboard boxes, etc. to create multilevels & pedestals to place some of the platters on. This creates sooooo much more space.
Take that fondue. If the platter was that huge, raising it up enough on books would have left an area underneath the "balcony" created by the platter to tuck another level of food - 2-3 smaller plates that would be halfway under the platter. OR, you could have tucked all the skewers, napkins, condiments, etc., underneath.
I also think your friend put a lot of thought into creating the fondue. It was probably something she always wanted to do, but didn't have the space herself, as you said but thought you'd have more space. It's funny how other people's kitchens can seem bigger than our own, even when they are not.
Lastly, I would suggest that since this is some church or group event, maybe have the next potluck in the church's meeting room. They often have a community room with long (buffet-sized) tables, & chairs. Then it's not onto one person to do all the planning.
