Gala dinners are popular options for business celebrations, awards nights, conferences and fundraisers.
The key components of any gala dinner are fabulous food, eye-popping décor, a fun theme and first-class entertainment. If it is a fundraising gala dinner, it will usually include raffles offering desirable, high-value prizes and auctions offering unique or money-can’t-buy items.
With so much to organise, it is usually recommended that a committee be formed to organise the event. If this isn’t an option, consider selecting a venue that offers gala dinner packages to make the whole event easier to manage.
5 tips to help with planning your gala dinner
1.Start early
Start planning as early as possible to ensure your favourite venue is available on your preferred night.
2.Know your budget
Be clear on your budget. As the name suggests, a gala dinner is a very special occasion so you’ll need the decorations, entertainment and food to reflect this. Know your costs before you have a budget blow-out so people will remember the night for all the right reasons.
3.Technical support
Multimedia presentations, staging and lighting are popular inclusions – especially for awards nights, conferences and business celebrations. Make sure your venue can accommodate all of your specifications.
4.Don’t forget the entertainment
Think about the type of entertainment you want at your gala. While it’s nice to allow attendees time to talk to each other, you should also consider how you will maintain the energy and their interest throughout the night. Providing a dance floor with DJ or live band will get people out of their seats and onto the dance floor. Photo booths and roaming entertainers are also popular choices.
5.Ensure every seat is filled
Make sure the invitations are sent out in plenty of time with information on the dress code for the evening. The current trend is to send “save the date” notices in advance of the invitations to ensure you have every seat filled on the night.
WatervieW in Bicentennial Park has become one of Sydney’s favourite destinations for all types of business events. It offers inclusive packages and an in-house event manager to make it easy for you to organise your business event. In particular, their Gala Dinner packages offer sumptuous food, a comprehensive beverage package, table centre pieces and entertainment.
“We held a gala dinner as part of our Company’s conference event. We chose WatervieW in Bicentennial Park because of their all-inclusive packages and the in-house assistance they provided. The whole night was spectacular. I can’t wait to come back.” - Shelley, a recent client.
For more information on WatervieW’s all-inclusive Gala Dinner packages or to enquire online, visit our Business Events page Or speak to one of our experienced business event managers on 02 9764 9900.
