Pro tips for organising your grad ball
You’ve finally made it to your final year of university. Despite all the times you thought you couldn’t do it, and despite all the times you considered dropping out and working on the black market, you’re still here. There are only a few more weeks of stress and sleepless nights to endure, which should be no problem because you’ve been doing it for years for already. There’s just one last hurdle to overcome: your graduation ball. Now, if you’re lucky (or unlucky) enough to be at the helm of organising yours, there are some key things you need to keep in mind before you’re public enemy number one.
Ask the people what they want
As is the foundation of all great democracies, it is ultimately the people’s opinions that matter most. So, when you are in the preliminary stages of organising your graduation ball (which you bloody well should be if you aren’t already) find a way to be able to speak to your entire graduating class at once. Facebook groups tend to be the best place to do so as people check that shit routinely. But if you think your university cohort might have a better way of going about doing this, then go for it. You preferably want to use a platform that can give you quantitative results so you can work on a specifically majority rules basis, but be sure to ask things like venue preference, date preference and other fine details like that.
Do your research on venues
This isn’t high school anymore, folks. There are no teachers or year advisers to organise this shit for you – you’re adults now. This means knowing the best venue to host your ball at. Obviously there are heaps of factors that come into this, including the venue’s base cost, its capacity and its bar/kitchen situation. You also have to think of things like distance from the venue to the after-party venue, or even stupid things like how nice the venue is. Essentially, if your choice of venue doesn’t have an #instaworthy ocean view, then you’re going to have to cop the wrath of budding social media influencers everywhere.
Decide whether or not you want an after-party
We exist in a culture of kick-ons and never slowing down, and therefore your graduation ball should be no exception. However, we understand that the time of year you hold it or the possibility of people actually making it to the after-party are crucial factors you need to consider in deciding whether it’s worth to have an after-party. So, again, I implore you to ask your peers for opinions. If they say they want one, then go and bargain with every nightclub and bar in town to see who can spring you the best deal. If they say they don’t want one, that’s heaps of money saved that you can put into other outlets. It’s a win/win situation.
You need to figure out how to distribute tickets
Frankly, having someone sit at a desk somewhere on campus selling tickets is an outdated way of doing things in which no one wants to participate. There are plenty of online outlets that will let you sell tickets with no extra charge, as well as allowing you to set up a set sales period and a cap on ticket sales. Remember, despite the fact that everyone is going to want to go to your grad ball, unless you’re overflowing with cash, sometimes it’s better to cap your ticket numbers at a certain number. You don’t want to get too big for your boots.
Jackson Langford
Jackson is studying a Bachelor of Communication degree at the University of Newcastle and is the rightful heir to the throne.