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How to
organise
a formalMELBOURNE
2010
highschoolormals.com.auAustralia’s premier resource or those
organising and attending ormals.
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EDITOR
Mandy Stevens
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contents
2010 how to organise a formal
Editorial
Your essential ormal event checklist
Getting your ormal organised
The rst meeting
Organising an organising committee!
Choosing a date and a venue
Budget
Themes
We must not orget…
1. Permission Forms
2. Security
3. Ocial guests
4. Photography
5. Student liaison
6. Thank youHave we thought about…?
1. Linen and chair covers
2. Balloons
3. Flowers
4. Menus and place cards
5. Props
6. Lighting7. Sound
8. Favours
Handling the guest list
Sponsorship
Fundraising
Post-ormal activities
Search or ormal suppliers
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editorial
A night to remember How to organise your ormalIn America they are called ‘proms’. In the UK, they’re the ‘gradballs’. Here in Australia, the ‘ormal’ is a word on the mind o mosthigh school seniors. It’s a lavish celebration o the end o 12 years’
schooling.
But magical nights like this – ull o great hopes and expectations–don’t just happen. It is an important night and we at
HighSchoolFormals.com.au want it to be just right: ater all, this isa once-in-a-lietime night to remember!
There’s a lot o organising involved. That’s where this guide comes
in. A night to remember – how to organise your ormal providesthe essential checklist that will ensure you have every aspectcovered of and can relax and get on with enjoying your abulousevent.
Enjoy!
Direct Digital
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Your essential formalevent checklistOrganising a ormal is not a one-person job. This is a major event.
It requires a dedicated, motivatedgroup o people to pull it of becauseit’s not just about nding a place,
going there and having a good
time.
Look at this list o things to
organise!
• Venue
• Music
• Food
• Theme
• Invitations
• Menu/placecards
• Seatingplan
• Entertainment
• Sponsorship
• Fundraising
• Security
• Permissionforms
• Guestlist
• Ocialguests
• Afterpartyactivities
• Thank-you
• Studentliaison
Getting your formalorganisedSome schools have a protocol inplace regarding who is involved
in the organisation. It may be theresponsibility o the preects, orsenior leadership team; you may
elect a committee; or the school may
appoint a committee.
Volunteer if you can! Chances
are you’ll learn heaps o useul
organisational skills, have un andmake lielong riends along the way.
The first meetingYou need to know who’s doingwhat. Now is the time to appoint
your key committee members and
sub-committees. Read on or moredetails about these roles.
You need a venue and you need
a date. Perhaps that’s already
determined. Some schools havecreated a tradition o having their
ormal on a particular Friday or
Saturday o a particular month,at the same venue, booked a year
(at least) in advance. Your school
representative will be able to adviseyou.
You need a budget too. Work out
roughly how many people are
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going to attend. How much are you
willing to pay or a ticket? Multiplythat and you have a rough budget
within which to organise the whole
event. And remember – that’s not
just the venue. That’s ood, drinks,entertainment, decorations… Read
more about how to set your budget.
Drat up a timeline, workingbackwards rom the date o your
event, listing everything that needs
to be organised, by when. Our
checklist will help you.
Organising anorganising committee!A committee usually has a mixture
o student and staf representatives.
Decide straight up who makes whatdecisions: what the committee candecide and what is up to the school.
Appoint a chairperson, secretary and
treasurer. You’ll also need a school
representative (a staf member).
Your chairperson is the chie •
coordinator. This person needs
to be mature and responsible,
willing to take on a lot o work. The chairperson is ultimately
responsible or the nal decisions
and has to keep everyone ontrack.
Your secretary needs to be•
extremely organised. The secretaryhandles all correspondence, takes
minutes o meetings, keeps all
inormation led and in a older
or handover to next year’scommittee. Preerably a whiz with
Excel.
Job#1 Compile a list of all
committee members with:
• homephonenumber
• mobilephonenumber• emailaddress.
Distribute this list to all committee
members.
Your treasurer must be responsible•
or preparing and overseeing a
budget or the event, and recording
money received and spent. It’sbest that this role is shared with
the school. The school will usually
handle the money. As a protocol– and a security measure – always
have two committee members
authorise a payment. Your schoolrepresentative will help you with
money matters.
Your school representative is a•
member o the teaching or adminstaf who will ensure the school’s
principles and ethics are complied
with.
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Let’s look at what sub-
committees need to do.
Venue sub-committee – locates a
number o suitable venues, liaiseswith the unctions managers, and
presents a shortlist to the committee.
Your committee may want to inspectthe short listed venues or you may
want your subcommittee to do this
as part o their assessment.
Music sub-committee – sources asuitable DJ, band or jukebox or the
night, and makes a music selection
that’s appropriate or the evening.Entertainment sub-committee –
sources entertainment in addition to
your music (like a roving entertainersor a un sideshow).
Food sub-committee – works withthe chosen venue to select a menu. They will need to pay particular
attention to any special dietary
needs o guests.
Theme sub-committee – choosesa theme and then sources the
decorations or a proessionaltheming company to transorm the
venue. Theming is ultra-popular.
Read about some o the hottestthemes around.
Invitations sub-committee – designs
the invitations, gets printing quotes
and chooses a printer. This committee
alsokeepstrackoftheRSVPs.
Menu and Place Cards sub-committee – designs and produces
the menu and place cards. This group
works closely with the Foodies and
the Invitation sub-committees.
Seating Plan sub-committee –
decides who sits where. It’s not easytrying to ensure everybody sits with
riends or at the table they want!
Student liaison committee – inorms
your Year group about what’splanned (without giving away any
secrets) and whips up enthusiasm so
everyone’s really looking orward tothe event.
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Choosing a date anda venueThe date and venue will run prettymuch hand-in-hand because you
can’t have one without the other.
Review your school calendar or
events. Avoid the beginning o examblock! And the night o the ooty
nals!!
Keep your minds open to alternatives.
Does it have to be an end-o-yearextravaganza?
Date will also be dependent on
what’s available as a venue. Again,
keep your minds open.
Most cities have large hotels andconvention centres that handle these
events all the time, but you may wishto go or something completelydiferent. Our High School Formals
website suggests lots o great
places.
Consider some o these venues:
• cityhotels
• ballrooms
• receptioncentres
• conventioncentres
• themeparks
• cruiseboats
• museums
• artgalleries
• warehouses
• zoo
• aquarium
• historicbuildings• RSLandotherclubs
• marquees
• restaurants
• golfclubs
The ve-star city hotel may be
everybody’s rst choice, but you
may nd the local RSL club can oferthe same acilities at a raction o the
cost.
And don’t rule out your own schoolhall! What you save on hiring a
city ballroom, you can spend on
proessional theming.
Get your committee members
talking: throw around ideas. A
marquee might be nice, but do youhave a suitable place to erect it?
How many people are you likely to
be catering or? Would a river cruisebe practical?
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Your venue sub-committee can draw
up a short-list o possible venues andthen approach them to nd out:
• availabledates
• cost
You might be blown away by the
look o a place but how much will itcost each person? Think about it. Is
it afordable? Everyone – well, mostpeople! – will want to be a part o this
night o nights. Don’t choose a place
that makes it exclusive to a ew, rightrom the start. The ticket price is not
the only cost involved in a ormal!
Tip: Make an initial online enquiry,
requesting information about
availability, pricing and menu.
THEN actually visit the places on
your shortlist. Talk to the functions
manager. As a sub-committee,
narrow your list down to three
venues.
Remember your school is on show.
Your choice o venue will be a
refection o your school. Run your
shortlist past your school liaisoncommittee member (the teacher or
principal).
When you have made the naldecision, the venue’s unctions
manager will be the point o contact
for your DJ/band, decorators etc.
Add the unction manager’s contact
details to your master list.
I you are lucky enough to nd an
unusual venue, such as an aquariumor theme park, this can set the theme
or your event.
BudgetRunning a large event will encounter
a lot more expenses than the cost o
thevenuehireandfood/beverages.
These are some o the other items
you need to pay or:
• bandhirewww.fundraisingdirectory.com.au
Save timedoing your
fundraising
research- each supplier
has a full page
of information
on our website
FUNDRAISING FOR YOUR
SCHOOL FORMAL
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• DJhire
• anyotherentertainment
• pre-dinnerdrinkswithparents
• roomdecorations
• tablecentrepieces
• linen
• chocolates
• owers
• specialinvitedguests
• gifts
• printing
Each sub-committee will need tosubmit an estimate o their costs.
These rough estimates totaled
together are then divided by thenumber o anticipated paying
attendees. That’s your ticket price.
It looks too expensive? Look at
ways to ofset the costs. Be creative!Can you undraise? Can you seek
sponsorships? This guide explains
how. Done well, they’ll dramaticallyreduce your costs.
Tip: The school administration
usually handles the money. Its business department will have
suitable accounting software.
ww
w .h i gh
s c h o ol f or m al s . c om . a u
Schoolormal
comingup?
High
SchoolFormalsA to Z
Accessories
Catering
DJs
Dressmakers
Entertainment
Fabrics
Formal dressesHairdressers
Jewellery
Make-up artists
Photography
Suit hire
Venues
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ThemesThedaysofputtingabowlofowers
in the centre o the table are longgone: themed events are increasingly
popular.Theming adds excitement and
colour to your evening. It can be as
conservative or as over-the-top asyou wish.
A group o students can get together
to decorate the venue – or you may
choose a proessional themingcompany. They’re experts in setting
the scene.
What’s hot now?
Winter Wonderland•
Casino•
Hollywood Nights•
Retro•
A themed colour – pink, purple,•
blue, etc.
Jungle Boogie•
Butteries•
We must not forget…1. Permission FormsYour school will probably seek signed
parental permission to attend the
ormal. It provides the school withsome legal protection in case o
accidents.
2. Security
Check that your venue includessecurity staf. You may need some
extras. Don’t want the cost? Think
about asking your school’s Parents
and Citizens (P&C) group to volunteersome adults.
Also check on cloakroom acilities.
Your guests need someone sae toleave handbags, cameras and coats
during the unction.
3. Ocial guestsOcial guests – not paying attendees
– are people like your school
principal. Your committee’s schoolrepresentative needs to provide the
committee with a comprehensive
list to ensure no-one is orgotten.
4. PhotographyYes, there’ll be a lot o happy snaps
taken but your committee really
needs an ocial photographer tocapture this big event. The cost
o photos will be an extra; not
something that’s included in yourticket price.
5. Student liaison
Keep your Year group inormed andinterested. Make sure there’s an early
date claimer. Whip up excitement
and support or ormal and makesurethoseRSVPsrollinontime!
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For all supplier
inormation visit
highschoolormals.com.au
6. Thank you
When the ormal is over, yourcommittee needs to write thank-you
letters to all played a part in making
the event a success.
Have we thoughtabout…?1. Linen and chair coversYou only have to look at a photograph
o a table set without chair covers or
overlays to see the huge diference
this makes to your event. Yes it willadd to your ticket price but there aresome ways to bring the cost down:
Hire the chair covers and sashes•
and get a group o volunteers to t
them. (This may be a job to ask o parents since you may be tied up
at the hairdressers!) Allow at least20 minutes per table o ten. Foran event with 40 tables, that’s 14
hours’ work – or seven volunteersworkingatoutfortwohours.
Disposable chair covers are new•
to the market. They cost around$3 each and are not as time-
consuming to t.
2. Balloons
Balloons are a great way to ll alarge space economically and you
have heaps o creative options: roma simple bunch o balloons on each
table to a scatter o loose balloons
overthedanceoororanetdropto
nish the night.
For more dramatic efects, use giant90cm balloons, exploding balloons
and exploding balloon walls.
Foil balloons provide an exciting wayo theming your event. Foil stars are a
great complement to any Hollywood
theme.3. FlowersFlowers are a classic table decoration.
Aoralcentrepieceissimple,clean
and timeless. For something a littlemoreupbeat,useexoticowersand
cane.
4. Menus and place cards The Menu and Place cards sub-
committee can unleash their creative
skills to make these, continuingwith the night’s theme. Hand-made
cards and scrapbooking takes time
but the results will be memorable
keepsakes.
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Your menu card should also include:
thank-you’s to business sponsors•
space or signatures and well•
wishes
some background inormation on•
the theme.
5. PropsProps can be hired to complement
any theme.
6. Lighting
Your theme may be to die-or buti no one can see it, the efect will
be lost. The right lighting creates
ambience. A proessional themingcompany will be onto this. I you’re
doing your own decorating, ask aproessional lighting company oradvice and help.
7. Sound
Your evening’s entertainmentdetermines your sound needs.
Proessional DJs will provide their
own sound systems, as will bands.
But there are inevitably ocial
moments – like speeches – and youwill need a good PA system or that.
Are you showing a Powerpoint –
like a retrospective o your years at
the school? Have you organised theequipment or that?
8. Favours
A avour is a little git given toeach guest. It may be as simple as
a heart or star shaped chocolate or
as beautiul as a hand-crated glassornament with the school name and
year painted on it.
highschoolormals.com.au
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Handling the guest listYour school will have rules about
partners (e.g. whether they mustcome rom your own school i it’s co-
ed or have to be school-age).RSVP–respondingtotheinvitation
to attend – is a must.
Accurate records need to be kept o who is coming – and who’s not. The
Invitation sub-committee will need a
complete list o who has been invitedand will need to work closely with
the Treasurer to make sure everyone
pays.
The invitation may also include pre-ormal drinks that include amily
members. Keep track o thesenumbers too.
Sponsorship
Local business sponsorships canofset the cost o holding your
ormal.
They can provide:
• nancialassistance• in-kindhelp.
But remember: i there are other
schools in your area, you won’t be
the only one seeking their support. That means you need to know how
to ask and what to ofer in return.
Start by looking within your
school community.
Whose parents run or manage
businesses that may be helpul?
Think oce supplies, caterers, partyhire, even venues.
Could they supply goods or
products at competitive rates or
better still donate in return or reeadvertising?
Looking urther aeld, think o
businesses that your student group– and amilies -- uses a lot locally:
hairdressers, nail salons, gyms, ice
creameries, pizza parlours, ashionboutiques, bike shops, ast ood
outlets, petrol stations; the list goes
on.
You want to ask them in the nicestway to help subsidise your event
with a small cash donation. In return,
their business can be mentioned.You may want to have a tiered level
o sponsorship: printed mention
in the night’s program; mention in
speeches; and signage.
Remember: sponsorships also
reectonyourschool.Workclosely
with the school representative tomake sure sponsors t with the
school’s image and belies.
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FundraisingFundraising is another way to ofset
your costs. Consider a product drive.Visitwww.fundraisingdirectory.com.
au or a huge range o ideas.Some hot tips or teens
• chocolates
• cookiedough
• glowproducts
Post-formal activitiesThis is a contentious issue. Studentswant to party on – but many schoolshave laid down the law and said ‘no’.
The committee’s school
representative will be able to tell
you what the school policy is. Thecommittee is obliged to work closely
with the school to ensure all guests
know what that stand is.
Have a great time!The most important thing to
remember is to have a wonderultime! Feel abulous and enjoy your
event!
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