Never Lose the Plot Over Gala Dinner Planning Again

Gala dinner planning has a nasty habit of creeping up on your to do list, especially heading in to the autumn/winter events season. And before you know it, you’re up to your neck and elbows in seating plans for 450 guests, a stage set, live bands, and AV for the awards reel.

To be clear, gala dinner planning isn’t for the faint-hearted.

There’s mountains of work involved to achieve the end results you aspire to and your stakeholders expect, including:

·       Gala dinner venue finding

·       Designing an engaging schedule that works at your corporate awards ceremony venue

·       Matching your company Christmas party venue with your squad

·       Sifting through endless gala dinner ideas for companies

So, let’s take a blow-by-blow stroll through gala dinner planning to help you keep your hair on when everybody else is losing theirs.

What Counts as a Gala Dinner?

A gala dinner is a step up from the standard company dinner. Guests dress up. Your corporate awards ceremony venue gets dressed up too. And there’s usually a purpose behind the party.

The ICC Belfast’s article Planning the Perfect Gala Dinner explains:

“A gala dinner is a large formal or semi-formal gathering, which generally includes a drinks reception, a seated dinner, and entertainment.  Typically, the event includes a presentation, speech, awards ceremony, or announcement, strategically scheduled between the dinner and dancing portions of the evening.”

Who Books Corporate Gala Dinner Venues?

Corporates are prime candidates for gala dinner planning, with milestone celebrations, product launches, and reward and recognition events for star staff.

But you don’t have to look far to also spot the following sorts of gathering:

·        Charities raising funds through ticket sales, auctions and raffles

·        Industry associations bringing peers into the same room

·        Cultural groups and community organisations showcasing their work to patrons

Different event objectives. But there’s at least one thing they all fundamentally have in common.

Pick the Venue for The Night You Want

Booking a venue before deciding what the evening should feel like spins the process sideways.

To avoid this, think about guest experience first, then find the awards dinner venue or Christmas party palace to have the desired impact, without overlooking important ingredients such as:

·        Space for a proper networking window before dinner

·        A layout suited to both the meal and presentations

·        Bedrooms in-house or nearby for guests travelling to be there

But don't rest on your laurels just yet, because there’s plenty more to challenge your sanity than venue selection alone.

Solve the Rest of the Gala Dinner Planning Puzzle

There’s no denying gala dinner planning entails multiple moving parts besides booking the best corporate awards ceremony venue. They include:

·       Sponsorship packages - Sponsorship eases the pressure on your budget. But it’s crucial the brand fits the tone of your event.

·       Dietary requirements - This needs early attention, as allergies and intolerances seem to multiply annually.

·       Audio visual - Sound and lighting matter as much as the food on the plate.

·       After dinner fun - A live band, a comedian, a DJ, and a photo booth are just a few entry level gala dinner ideas for companies. Not to mention a chance to try what you’ve unveiled if it’s a product launch.

·       Continued goodwill - Small gestures like a thank you email, photo gallery, and short survey help keep relationships warm for next year's guest list.

·       Intentional timing - Check the calendar before locking in a date. A clash with another industry event or a bank holiday weekend can decimate your numbers and event ROI. So, ensure there’s nothing else competing for attention.

Consider Your Gala Dinner Venue Finding Officially Cancelled

·       Ringing around a dozen corporate gala dinner venues?

·       Chasing quotes?

·       Comparing floor plans?

·       Scouring menus and wine lists?

All this and more devours time you don't have.

At the Venue Hunters, our FREE venue finding service draws on years of hotel and venue relationships across the UK, Ireland and Europe. So, we know things like:

·       Which hotels have a ballroom big enough for a stage

·       Which venues throw in AV for free

·       Where the bar rates won't demolish your budget

Get in touch when you’re gala dinner planning and hand the venue research and enquiry grunt work to a team who already have the answers.