Working With An Event Planner

An event planner can be an enormous benefit and can ultimately contribute to the success of the entire event. When a new committee is elected each and every year they need to remember the many elements that must come together on the big night: entertainment, food, location, security, décor, and overall making this grad night unforgettable. The task of coordinating all of these elements may seem daunting and the help of an event professional can be a cost effective, one stop shop option for the Grad Night committee to consider.

It’s important to find an event planner with years of experience in Grad Night. One of the first questions you should ask when talking to event planners is “Have you ever done a grad night?” and don’t hesitate to ask for references and sample proposals from previous successful events or for the current list of school names and contacts. Your planner should get a vision of what you expect and want your Grad Night to be. Remember event professionals come in different shapes and sizes. There are full service event planners that will handle every detail of your event. Others will consult with the committee and will provide assistance in only those areas where the committee needs help, while others only deal with two elements, for example entertainment and catering.

Once you have narrowed your search down it is important to determine what projects can be done effectively by parents, and what elements are best left to a pro. Do you have a group of artistic volunteers who like building props and painting sets? Are there some parents who enjoy cooking and can bring and serve food all night long? Do you have some dads who are police officers and can provide security? If so, great! You can focus your budget elsewhere. If the answer to any of these questions is “NO“, then an event professional can help. When looking for an event professional, it is important to find one that specializes in the areas where your Grad Night needs help.

Venue: The majority of schools are now holding offsite events. When working with your planner to find a site, approach venues with an open mind. Look at what each venue can become with all the attractions, games, vendors, lighting, décor and attendees in place. Does the facility have the space needed to bring your vision to life and fit all the great things you want to have for the Grads? Look for not only the ascetics details but also the necessary things like restrooms, rest areas or quite rooms, bus assess and parking, sound restrictions, chaperone space and food prep and service spaces. On or off campus all these details need to be provided in order to have a successful night.

Caterers: While snacks and drinks are relatively easy for the committee to provide, prepared foods, especially hot food for several hundred graduates is often beyond the capability of the parents.

• A professional caterer has the facilities to prepare the necessary quantities of food and the right equipment to serve it in a safe manner at the proper temperatures.
• The caterer can offer many creative suggestions for food stations, finger foods and healthy options.
• A caterer typically has resources for tables, chairs, linens and thematic décor that will help to make the food area more interesting and inviting.
• A caterer will clean everything up at the end of the night, further reducing the need for volunteer help in the early hours of the morning.

Entertainment: Another area where an event professional can be invaluable is entertainment. Grad night attendees need to be kept involved in activities all night long and a wide variety of entertainment is needed to satisfy the tastes of this diverse group of young adults. An event professional that specializes in entertainment can save a grad night committee weeks of research, lots of paperwork and help the grad night stay within their budget.

• A quality event professional has already done the research for you, auditioned the acts and has seen most if not all of the acts in front of an audience to see if their material is appropriate for a grad night. The entertainment specialist is often an excellent resource to supplement activities that are provided at an “all inclusive” venue.
• The event professional should be able to provide a clear description of each act, including approximately how many grads will be entertained in a given period of time. This information is invaluable. An experienced performer, while appearing more expensive initially, may actually be able to cover more graduates in a shorter amount of time, thus saving the committee money for other activities or additional entertainment.
• The event professional should also provide a listing of any performance requirements each act needs to do his or her job. Performance requirements can include power needs, tables and chairs, lighting, prize or give away needs, spatial requirements and much more. Knowing performance requirements up front will help the grad night prepare for the performances, saving the grad night from surprises and headaches the night of the event.
• The experienced event professional can make helpful suggestions regarding optimal placement of performers. This is important in order to avoid sound conflicts and other logistical challenges. This also assists in placing acts in areas where their performances will reach the largest number of attendees.
• Insurance coverage has become an important issue for grad night committees. While some excellent individual acts may be great for a grad night, many individuals do not carry the required liability insurance due to the increasing costs of policies. An event professional often carries a policy to cover the acts they provide, particularly those who are not insured themselves. The grad night committee should check with the event professional to make sure they carry insurance and can provide any required additionally insured certificates.
• Ease in contracting is an important benefit when working with an event professional. The grad night can sign one contract and write two checks (a deposit and final payment), and all of their entertainment is taken care of. The event professional will handle the contracting and payment of each individual act, the scheduling, and the communication of any grad night requests or requirements to each performer. Remember a good event planner should actually save you money!

Producing a grad night is the culmination of many months of hard work and the seamless integration of many elements. After careful assessment of a Grad Night committee members’ skills, there will be areas that the committee can handle themselves and other elements where help may be needed. The use of an experienced event professional can be an invaluable resource to fill in the gaps and provide your grads with the memorable event they deserve. Just keep in mind, your grad night will reflect the planner you choose.