Hosting 4 Rent Blog

First time planners are often stricken with unblemished fear! Even those that plan events over and over again still fear that something will go wrong and they will be the field of ridicule. Hopefully we can allay the fears and quell the butterflies in your stomach by helping you through the entire project.

There are a lot of questions you need to ask. First timers probably don't have the foggiest idea what questions to ask, so, the first thing we'd best do is form these for you.

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Perhaps the easiest way to do that is to fill out a form. (I love forms!)
If you were to phone me and ask me to help you make arrangements for a extra event, the first thing I would do is reach for a blank form, and over the phone we would fill it out. When I had all the information, I would be best prepared to help you.

Before you continue reading, you may want to print the banquet planning worksheet(Pdf) from my website. That way you can corollary along with the worksheet as I retell the planning process. I've also included a pre filled sample planning worksheet that you might help.

Let's begin with fact finding.

Purpose

The first quiz, to ask is, "What is the purpose of the event?" This quiz, should be truly easy, but it's possibly the most important. The purpose of your event will determine your event's agenda.

Date

Break out your calendar to determine a date for your event. Look for potential conflicts. It might be tough to get population out to a Saturday night banquet if it's a three-day holiday. It would be unwise to put on a church public if your local school, where most of your congregation had children attending, were having an open house or play that night.

Pencil in a date and then try to think of potential conflicts. I know of one organization that booked a very favorite and relatively costly Jewish comic into the club house of a predominantly Jewish withdrawal community. Attempts to sell tickets failed miserably, because they had not realized they had scheduled his appearance on a Jewish holiday - a very costly oversight!

Budget

There are many, many determining factors in establishing a budget. First of all, how many are predicted to attend? You might have a pretty good idea for a enterprise party, but in some cases you might just have to make a "guess-timate" until you can get more information. Make the best potential appraisal based on what facts you have, and proceed.

Ticket Price

Another factor to determine before we plump a location is how much your attendees are willing to pay. Sure, we can work the other way: we can pick a location, hire a band, plump the menu, etc., and then add up how much it all costs and thus determine how much every person needs to pay, but doing so will probably leave you hurting in the end.

If you expect 1,000 people, and you determine .00 a man is acceptable, then your entire allocation for food, printing, entertainment, etc., is ,000. If you expect only 20 population and you know they won't come if it's over .00 a person, then you know you're far more limited.

Location

Determine the geographical area where the event is to take place. If you live in the area where the event will take place, you may already know of varied hotels, country clubs, restaurants or catering halls that can adapt your group. If you don't live in the area, be sure to go look at the potential location before you book it. If the event is in a distant city and it's not potential for you to tour there, and the event is a indispensable one, I suggest you hire a expert meeting planner.

I once attended a banquet in a quaint "50's malt-shop-type restaurant. The party planner had not gone there to look at the room where the party was to be. She had just taken the word of a friend. True, it was a great restaurant, but their "room" had about 5 permanent booths on each wall. Guests were facing in all separate directions. This made it practically impossible for the magician they had hired to perform. To further confuse the issue, it was not even a underground room. Bistro customers could not get to the restroom without disturbing the party, and the 50's music continued to blare through the ceiling speakers throughout the evening because it was piped throughout the whole Bistro and could not be isolated from one room. A visit beforehand could have prevented this nightmare.

Many, if not most, facilities do not fee a fee for the use of the room but instead suck in the rental fee into the price of the meal. For instance, in our example of 200 people, a banquet facility would be delighted to provide a underground room in order to sell 200 dinners.

Usually they will have some dinners to pick from - possibly a chicken dinner, unblemished with beverage, salad and dessert, for .00 per person; or prime rib at .00 each; or sirloin steaks at .00 per person. In our example we are charging .00 per person. Let's plump the prime rib at .00.

Does that contain tax and tip? Oh, Oh! Find out if it does, or you may get a surprise at the end of the night. Let's say it does not. 15% tip and 8% (or whatever) tax makes the evening meal a total of .14 per person. Our sample allocation calls for 200 population at .00 each for a total of ,000. If all 200 population attend, evening meal will cost ,428. That leaves ,572 for all other costs.

By the way, the facility may ask you for a deposit and guarantee. If you warrant 200 people, you will have to pay for 200 dinners even if only 175 show up. Generally, a facility is prepared to serve about 10% more population than you guarantee. So it makes sense to warrant a lesser estimate than you expect. Even some of those who told you truly they would be there, maybe even gave you a deposit, don't show for one speculate or another.

Just to be on the safe side, in our example of 200 people, I would warrant the Bistro 185. If you're pre selling tickets, which I recommend, you can always adjust your appraisal upwards with the Bistro a day or two ahead of time if needed. Ask the facility about their requirements in regard to a convert in the guarantee.

Agenda

The evening program is largely determined by the event's purpose. A typical event might go like this:

6:00 - 7:00 - public or cocktail hour

7:00 - 8:00 - Dinner

8:00 - 8:15 - Meeting/Awards/Business

8:15 - 9:00 - Entertainment/Speaker

9:00 - 9:10 - Raffle/Door Prizes

9:10 - 1:00 - Dancing

Having an hour to "gather" is always good. You and the facility both will want every person gift when you truly sit down to eat. It's been my sense that practically all things starts late, so plan for it and don't be disappointed when it happens.

Will you be having a cocktail hour? A "Hosted" bar means that drinks are free to the party-goers. If you pick to host the cocktail hour, be prepared to spend about 00 for our sample group of 200 people. Most organization-sponsored events have a 'No-Host' bar, in which guests buy their own drinks. It's approved to announce 'Hosted', or 'No-Host' in the invitation.

Some form of entertainment while the cocktail hour is truly a plus. The facility may have music piped in through its sound system, which is truly the most economical; however, for nearby 0 you could have live music. Most banquet facilities have a piano, sometimes on wheels, and will let you whether rent the piano or use it for free. Fee for the piano rental should be nearby to 0 and a piano player everywhere from 0 to 0.

Other cocktail hour entertainment could contain a accommodation group, a jazz or "society" trio, harpist, or a strolling accordionist. A strolling "close-up" magician, performing from group to group or table to table, is always fun. Other forms of entertainment for the cocktail hour could contain celebrity look-alikes, mechanical or conventional mimes, a balloon animal sculptor, caricaturist, graphologist, palm reader, tarot card reader, stilt walker, or just about anyone else you can think of! Again, your allocation is your gauge.

Dinner

This is pretty easy. When the Maitre'd says evening meal is ready, have your party sit down!

The vast majority of banquets have positive population assigned to sit at the head table while every person else may sit where they wish. If you pick to have a head table, you should make small place markers for those assigned to sit at the head table, and don't forget to discuss table arrangements with the facility.

Opening

Someone, possibly you, should step to the microphone and announce that evening meal is ready and ask every person to take a seat. When this has been ended your President, or whoever is presiding, should welcome everyone.

It is approved at most banquets to have man lead the flag salute, followed by a blessing on the food. population should not be called upon for these jobs extemporaneously, but should be asked in strengthen and their names and responsibilities should be listed on the printed program if there is one. Following the flag salute and prayer, your expert of Ceremonies (or who ever is conducting) should introduce the population sitting at the head table, introducing himself last.

The Program

If enterprise of any sort needs to be conducted, begin when dessert is finished, or at least served. Make sure that the facility knows that you do not want any bussing (clearing of tables) or coffee served after the program starts, as it can become an irritating distraction and take away from the enjoyment of the program.

Entertainment

Following chance remarks, and/or other business, you could whether introduce the main speaker, or gift some form of entertainment.

This could be the highlight of the evening! There are many outstanding after-dinner performers and speakers. If you truly want to have a prosperous event, hire a professional. At this writing 0 to ,000 can buy you some pretty top-notch entertainment.

How about a comedian-magician who uses a member or two of your group and does some hilarious bits of enterprise and audience participation magic tricks - 30 or 40 minutes of non-stop laughs!

Or picture this...the dessert has just been served and in walks "Lt. Columbo," unblemished with overcoat and cigar..."Oh, excuse me," he says, "I was seeing for somebody else." All eyes are riveted on this familiar form as he turns and starts to walk out. "Oh, one more thing, is this the Walker party?' Then for the next 30 minutes or so he does a comedy disposition in the style and delivery of Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo, using names of population in your group.

That will rock your population out of their seats with laughter. These are just a couple of suggestions. every person loves to laugh, and a good expert entertainer can make you a hero.

How do you find that kind of entertainment? Again, watch out for the well-meaning friend. Sometimes hiring a friend of a friend who tells jokes or plays the banjo can put a wet blanket on the evening if they don't live up to your expectations.

Probably the best way to obtain talent is to work with a expert talent agent that specializes in extra events. Commonly there is no fee for his services. He can make recommendations and suggestions based on what your needs are, and work within your allocation limitations.

Some entertainers may have extra requirements, like a stage, spotlight, two mics or something else, and these items need to be arranged with the facility. There may be a rental fee involved.

Raffle/Door Prizes

Giving away door prizes or raffle prizes should not be held until after the entertainment or main speaker. possibly it's an inducement for your guests to stay until the end.

If you're selling raffle tickets, again you need to make out a budget. How many tickets do you expect to sell and for how much money? Do you want to make a profit? Let's say you expect to sell 100 tickets to those 200 population predicted to come, and we sell them at the banquet for .00 each. That'll give you 0 to buy prizes with. You can put this in your general allocation or assign man to take care of the whole raffle, along with purchasing the prizes and selling the tickets.

Dancing

Following the raffle, the formal part of the program is truly over. Your population can now go home. If you've elected to have a deejay or band, they may stay for dancing.

The facility might fee to set up a dance floor. Sometimes this is a transported dance floor they build right on top of the carpet. A band will cost everywhere from 0 per band member to 0 per band member for four hours. A small trio of keyboard, drum and guitar could be everywhere from 0 to ,500.

An ,800 to ,500 five-piece band, along with a vocalist, is average. If you hire a band, you may be able to use one or more of those same musicians to provide cocktail hour and/or evening meal music for a small further fee. You regularly need to make a deposit at the time you hire the band. anyone over four hours' playing time is determined overtime, and you should talk with the band or agent about the cost of overtime when you make the first arrangements. Bands also need to take a 10-15 minute break each hour. Ask if the band will provide recorded music while their breaks.

Mobile Deejay

Sometimes you might prefer a DeeJay playing recorded music instead of hiring a band. This gives you the benefit of hearing the primary recording artist instead of a dance band's rendition.

Another benefit is that most movable DeeJay units will set up before evening meal and offer to play evening meal music at no further cost, and of course, a DeeJay does not take a break while the evening, so you have non stop music for your event.

Cost-wise, there is not a lot of divergence in the middle of a 3-piece band and a DeeJay. Some DeeJays offer a full light-show that few bands do, and even with an further charge, this could be a real plus. I think it's just a matter of taste. Some population insist on a live band and others are just as adamant about a DeeJay.

Photographer Or Videographer

Video taping an event, except for historical purposes, is unnecessary. Seldom will the video tape or Dvd be watched more than once after the event. Yes, maybe a Bar or Bat Mitzvah will watch his or her recording years later when they grow older, and maybe even a bride and groom would watch a well-edited and condensed recording. A enterprise or organization's banquet, however, will be seldom if ever watched.

I would suggest that you hire, allocation permitting, a expert photographer rather than leaving it up to one of your guests or a friend of a friend who only takes photos twice a year. You can have the photographer deliver prints or a Cd of digital photographs in which case you could print just the photos you want.

Promotion

Probably the most traumatic thing that could occur is that you planned the entire event and then no one came. If it's a enterprise party and the food, entertainment, drinks and dancing are all free, I don't think you will have a problem, as long as you let every person know when and where and that it's Free!

But if that's not the situation, you may need to promote the event. Once you have all the facts (What, When, Where, Why, Who, and How Much), you can originate a flyer - a piece of paper with all the facts on it, designed to motivate population to attend.

If you're an artist, great! You can originate the flyer yourself. If not, maybe man in your group is and they can help you. Otherwise, you need to "rough it out" the way you'd want it and take it to a illustrated artist to do the "camera-ready copy" for you, then off to a printer to print however many you're going to need. How many you need will depend on how you're going to distribute them.

The layout, printing, envelopes and postage all need to go into your budget. There are, of course, further ways you can promote the event - word of mouth, bulletin boards, phone committee, club or enterprise newsletter, posters. If your event will be open to population face your organization, you might try using the publicity channels of other linked groups, companies, schools, etc., as well as your own. Have a "brainstorming session" with your committee, if you have one, to think of all the ways you can get the word out.

And remember that if you want population to come to your activity, you can't just tell them. You have to tell them and tell them and tell them! Use all the resources at your disposal, and don't hesitate to repeat yourself. The more times you tell them, the more will come!

Ticket Sales

There are as many ways to deal with this as there are ways to promote the event. If you have to lay out funds ahead of time (which is regularly the case), it is good to get as much money as you can up front. Pre selling your tickets will help you do that. Of course, your publicity must state your requirements and deadlines. This also will help you get a deal with on how many are going to attend. Remember though, that there will still be some last minute cancellations and additions, so stay flexible.

Table Assignments

As mentioned earlier, most organizations assign only the head table, and the rest of the attendees are left to sit where they wish. Some groups insist on drawing pictures of the tables on a sheet of paper, numbering them, and then assigning population to definite tables.

I think it's far more work than necessary, but if you must, then have at it.
Some banquets, especially those honoring individuals or groups, offer entire tables "for sale." 10 population per table at each means that for 0 man could withhold a whole table. Make sure you put a "reserved" sign on that table, showing the name of the host.

The Printed Program

When all the facts are in, if the allocation will permit, a nice printed program could be put at each place setting or handed out as population arrive. It should contain the program for the evening and toll given to all those who contributed to the event.

Many organizations have been prosperous in selling ads in the program to defray the cost of printing or even to raise some extra money. I've put 0 revenue under the revenue column of our example. Don't you think you could convince 10 population to give you their enterprise card and pay to be advertised on the back page of the program? Of course, this idea could be a minute tacky if the event is to celebrate minute Bobbie's 10th birthday. Use your best judgment.

Decorations

This could be a big item or not - strictly up to you. If you picked a beautiful location, and it's not a extra seasonal event like a Christmas or Halloween party, why not just enjoy the facility's decor? If you feel you need decorations and you have a enough budget, call a party decorator who uses balloons. They go a long way towards dressing up a room without spending a lot of money.

Centerpieces on each table look nice. You can ask man to donate these or have man clever make something for each table. Many facilities make such a nice table layout that a centerpiece is not necessary. Don't spend money unnecessarily, but do remember that the nicer the ambience, the best the memories or the event will be in the minds of those who attend, which means that they will want to come to your next event, too!

One note of caution. If you're having entertainment, be right that large
centerpieces, particularly balloons, don't block the view of the performing area or even the population sitting on the opposite side of the table who want to see and talk to each other.

You Did It!

Yes, you will fret and worry until the whole thing is over, but every party planner does. Just relax, do your best and enjoy! (Here's a secret: If you enjoy what you're doing, the population you are doing it for will enjoy it, too!)

How To Plan A Banquet - A Guide To Planning excellent Banquets For firm Or incommunicable Parties