How to Plan an Awards Banquet
It is hard to believe that the Holiday season is almost upon us! Where has the time gone this year? Now is the time that planning begins for many companies and corporations on how to put together, host and prepare for holiday parties. Many times, at these holiday parties, employees are recognized for their achievements during the year, awards are presented, and a small presentation is given to include past and future goals.
Following are some tips on how to host an awards banquet that will stay on track and be enjoyed by all.
First of all, don’t go overboard. Don’t try to be more elaborate that it needs to be and make sure that the award recipients’ comments are kept short to keep the focus from your audience.
Remember that timing is everything. It is recommended that you practice a dry run before the event. (If the award winners are anonymous, then use stand ins for the practice session). Nerves can get the best of people when presenting to an audience. Make sure you are not rushing your speech and/or comments because of nerves but also make sure that your script is short enough to keep your audience’s attention. Practicing can help you to realize if you have prepared something that is too short or too lengthy and potentially boring.
Make sure that your equipment is in working order, so that presentations can be accessed by your equipment (computers, screens and other equipment) Also make sure that your microphones work – that they provide enough output for your guests to hear but that do not provide feedback, screeches, etc… Either of these difficulties could cause your audience to lose interest and patience.
It is a good idea to use more than one presenter – much time is wasted when only one person is delivering the speeches and handing out the awards. This can also cause your audience to lose interest. Use another person or two to hand out the awards while they are being presented.
If your stage area has steps or other elevated areas that have to be accessed in order to get up to the microphone, it would be helpful to have someone assisting the award winners to get up and down from the stage. This ensures safety and can also save some time. Remember, if you have someone with a disability, you will also need to make sure that ramps or other appropriate adjustments are available.
Limit the number of speakers. If there are too many awards or too many speakers and the presentations go on for a lengthy amount of time, your audience will lose focus and interest in your event. If needed, give out some awards prior to the event.
Make sure you capture professional pictures. Hurried pictures can cause bad shots with people’s eyes closed, too much in the background that distracts from your focal point and so many other issues.
We hope this information is useful for you if you are in the process of planning a corporate event and/or party. Gala Events Facility has a lot to offer companies that are searching for a place to host their event. We offer a la carte services and we are flexible to work with regarding decorations and other services. Give us a call and see how we can assist you with your event!
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