1. Organising a Successful Ball

2. Pre-Planning: Key Questions
Location, Location, Location!
What is a realistic number? (Under promise, over deliver)
Can you afford it?
You can ask us questions at any stage of the process – we are here to help!!

3. Location
Location is key to your ball being the best it can be. We work with dozens of venues.
You can ask us for a list of venues & we can recommend the best venue suited to your needs.
Key Questions
Size of your ball?
Can you afford transport to a distant venue?
What are their drinks prices?
Can they offer you a low minimum number?

4. Contracts & Minimum Numbers
This is the minimum number of people your Society is expected to pay for. Even if you only sell 1 ticket, you are expected to pay for this minimum
The lower the number, the better for you = Risk
Remember, this is a minimum. You can of course sell more if you need to.
Always plan conservatively, then over-deliver!
Can add extras as you go along. If you make a profit, we are happy to allow you to add extras such as Photobooths, or chocolate fountains.
Very Important – DO NOT SIGN CONTRACTS
Only the SU can sign contracts. If there are any problems, we need to be liable for the costs, not you as individuals.

5. Affordability
We will base your ability to afford a ball on a number of factors. 3 main:
Membership Numbers: Expected attendance needs to be realistic compared to this number.
Society balance: If you’re planning a ball for 500 people, but have £500 in your Society account, this is a good example of unrealistic planning. If things go wrong, you can’t afford to pay for the losses.
Previous Years: A good gauge of potential ticket sales will be your past ticket sales. We consider this when deciding whether to authorise your ball or suggest tweaks.

6. Sponsorship and Society Subsidies
Sponsorship from external companies or departments is a great way to help prop up the costs of a ball, or to pay for extra items.
Please note, any sponsor agreements, need to state you can use their funds towards your ball.
Additionally you can subsidise your ball if you have enough funds to do so. There’s no set amount, but the amount needs to be:
Reasonable
Not put your Society at financial risk
Proportionate to the size of the ball and the total expenditure.

7. Your Costs
You will need to know how much things costs. So we advise obtaining quotes, and nailing down exact prices of things.
Typical costs:
Meal costs: E.g. £32 p/head. Does that include a welcome drink on arrival / is that 3 courses /
Venue costs: If applicable. Some venues charge a one-off hire charge. Advised to avoid it. Unnecssary.
Transport: Do you need coaches? Contact the SU. We can book cheap coaches and get quotes. Easier than external.
Security: Mandatory (Explained later)
Entertainments: Can you afford extras, such as a Photobooth, chocolate fountain, or bands etc

8. You’ve planned it. You know what you want!
What Next……..?

9. We need your planning pack at least 3 months before your ball:
Event Planning Packs
We need your planning pack at least 3 months before your ball:
SU website > Societies > Activities & Planning > Events > Event Planning Packs
This includes your Event Planning sheet, Risk Assessment, and Financial Planner
Send your completed pack to

10. Deadlines and Timelines
As stated, we need your completed pack at least 3 months before your ball.
If the total expenditure exceeds £5,000 the event must be approved by the SU's Finance & HR Committee - this committee meets approximately every four weeks throughout term-time, hence why we need your pack so far in advance.
But also, this allows us time to make tweaks, approve your event, market your event, and sell tickets! Bear in mind venues want final numbers a fortnight before the ball.

11. Event Ticketing
Once your ball is approved, you can then get tickets on sale via the online ticketing form on the SU Website.
Please provide at least one weeks notice for tickets to go live on the website.
If you have any additional requirements such as meal choices, or coach pick-ups, you can contact Claire Bullivant who will be go through these with you.

12. Security Security for all balls is mandatory.
Costs £32 p/hour for 2 guards, plus travel expenses.
Minimum is 2 guards. Larger balls may require additional guards, so costs likely to be higher.
You don’t need to do anything except give us date & time of your ball, and we book it in for you.
We then charge your Society account when we receive the invoice.

13. Paying External Vendors
Can be tricky. In order to pay photographers, performers or bands etc. they need to either be:
VAT registered / Have their own company
Have a UTR number (code they obtain from HMRC)
We cannot pay people unless they have the above, so check before booking anybody.
Please don’t pay them yourself and expect to be reimbursed. Unfortunately finance will not reimburse you!!!
They will need to provide an invoice to you with one of the above codes, and you submit that to us with an MRF

14. Reminder: Some Guidelines
Please don’t sign any contracts to protect yourself.
Max 3 bottles of wine p/table.
Security is mandatory.
We will authorise payments for things we’ve agreed to in accordance with your planning pack. If you need extras or need to change costs as we go along, that’s fine income dependent.

15. Any Questions?
Contact Us: