How to plan an elegant gala dinner

Every event professional looks forward to the thrill of gala season. It’s an exciting but intense time, demanding creativity and painstaking attention to detail.

We know because we’ve been there. Many members of our Client Relations team were event managers before joining zkipster. Together, they have more than a century of event planning experience. 

Now, we want to share their timeless and expert knowledge with you.

Here’s how to plan a gala dinner to remember, including a pre-gala checklist to ensure you don’t miss a beat.

1. Define the gala dinner’s goals and KPIs

Does the event need to raise funds for a nonprofit or cultivate donors? Are you seeking press coverage or hoping to attract new leads? Are you promoting a product, show, collection, or exhibition? Your answers should guide the event’s theme and style.

Establish a clear direction with stakeholders before you go any further. Define your gala’s key performance indicators (KPIs), which will be the most effective way to measure its success.

2. Outline the budget

With an approved gala budget, allocate funds to all vendors, including the venue. Nonprofit organizations should also work out the figure at which the event will break even and cover its cost. 

You may want to consider increasing ticket prices depending on your fundraising goal.

3. Arrange the event format

In addition to the main gala event, you may need to plan related pre-events, after-parties, or private views. 

From there, create an event timeline. Ask yourself:

• Will the gala have one keynote speaker or several? 
• How much time should you set aside for performances and entertainment, such as live music?
• Will you need to include time for an awards ceremony?
• If it’s a fundraising gala event, should you arrange an ongoing silent auction or only auction items during a dedicated block of time?

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Structure the evening in a way that will leave a lasting impression on every guest.

Related: Event planning checklist: the essential to-do list for event organizers

4. Pick the right date

Always do your research when choosing a date. Select a day that won’t conflict with other major events your guests are likely to attend. It’s called gala “season” for a reason!

Most galas occur in the middle of the week — usually Tuesdays-Thursdays — although New York’s iconic Met Gala famously occurs on “The First Monday in May.” 

5. Reserve the venue

Finding the perfect ballroom or event space for a gala dinner is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. Consider the venue’s location, cost, capacity, look and feel, accessibility, reputation, connectivity, and limitations.

Confirm the venue has all necessary facilities and amenities, such as food prep areas, bathrooms, and green rooms for talent, as well as the allowable lead times for set up and break down.

Once you find the right venue, book it! If it’s perfect for your event, there’s a good chance other event planners have their eyes on it, too.

Use a digital event-planning tool like zkipster to save time and maximize efficiency. As soon as you’ve booked the venue, upload a floor plan to build dynamic seating charts in collaboration with colleagues and vendors.

6. Organize, organize, organize

Start building your gala checklist and run sheets as soon as possible. Include every detail — no matter how trivial or small — and designate someone to oversee each part of the evening. Think of these documents as your “gala bible” that will help you keep track of all the moving parts. 

7. Appoint a gala committee

An effective committee can attract everything from donors and high-profile guests to sponsors and press coverage. Recruit volunteers or designate key event staff and stakeholders to oversee the committee. It’s best to have a mix of motivated, well-connected, diverse, and interesting people who align with the event’s theme and goals. 

The purpose of the event will dictate the nature of the committee. For example, a charity gala might need a committee dedicated to developing fundraising ideas, while a committee for a fashion event may have different goals.

Read about: Time for a breakout session? Why your events should include them, and the best way to manage them

8. Source sponsors

The right sponsors add prestige and bring your gala’s theme to life. Above all else, sponsorships can reduce your financial burden. Approach potential sponsors once you’ve completed the initial planning stage.

Alcohol sponsors are an obvious first port of call, especially for corporate events, such as dinners, and fundraising events. But sometimes it makes more sense to use automotive, tech, fashion, or beauty sponsors, or to be sponsored by private individuals or foundations.

Manage sponsors’ expectations and understand their goals: they may not want to be positioned near other sponsors, or they may expect exclusivity for a certain aspect of the event or want to meet specific KPIs. 

Some may sponsor your event in kind by providing goods or services for a raffle, while others may offer financial support. Either way, emphasize the value they’ll get in return, such as greater brand awareness and press coverage or access to new audiences.  

9. Hire vendors, suppliers, entertainment, and staff

Memorable entertainment, dining, drinks, flowers, gifts, and favors will take your special event to the next level. For many event planners, this is the best part of gala dinner planning. It’s also the time to design a successful gala that looks and feels different from every other seasonal celebration.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to planning these elements:

Food and beverage 

Establish what kind of food and beverage will be offered at your gala and in what format you wish to serve it. Memorable food and drink options will delight your guests and add to the multi-sensory experience of the event. 

For formal events, the norm is to host a drinks reception followed by a sit-down dinner, perhaps with an interactive dessert option. But other dining experiences can also work, such as canapés and hors d’oeuvres, decadent buffets, or food stations. 

Hire a top-tier caterer

Food tastings to determine menu items are often the highlight of the planning process, including when planning luxury events! You can rely on expert caterers to assist with everything from menus to costs per head to logistics. They can make exciting, original menu suggestions tailored to your gala’s budget and audience while factoring in food trends and seasonality.

Generally, leading caterers have working relationships with leading venues. That means they understand the ins and outs of preparing and serving food on the ground. 

Some venues may require you to use their in-house catering service or choose vendors and suppliers from an approved list of preferred vendors. 

While this can limit your options, it can also make dinner party planning a little easier.  

About ten days before the event, confirm the number of guests and any dietary requirements so the caterer can finalize order quantities. Don’t worry about not having enough food — professional caterers understand how to slightly “over-cater” in the event of last-minute guests.

Plan your beverage and bar setup 

Choose beverage sponsors who can provide drinks in bespoke cocktails and non-alcoholic options, which have become increasingly popular. Welcome drinks might be pre-poured and served directly to guests, followed by wine when guests are seated for dinner and a bar where they can order drinks. Cash bars are a strong option for fundraising galas.

Flowers 

Breathtaking flower arrangements will add to the visual spectacle of your gala. No matter what type of event you’re throwing, an expert florist is a must-have vendor. Stunning floral displays will bring the event’s theme and identity to life.  

Production 

An experienced, full-service production company is integral for every gala. Event producers have the creative and technical expertise to use staging, installations, special effects, lighting, and audio-visual elements to transform a venue.

Event producers can also oversee the planning and logistics if your gala includes a live auction, performance, or presentation. If desired, they can even source other vendors on your behalf.

Sponsors want to showcase their involvement in your event, and event production companies know how to pull this off while managing their expectations. 

Rentals 

You may need to rent lighting, marquees, glassware, tableware, linens, and other equipment. Your production company can usually handle these matters, but don’t forget to include those costs in your budget. Make a note in your run sheet or master plan about who’s handling what.

If you need hardware to run your event management software on the day of — for example, iPads for check-ins and registrations — our global partner One World Rental offers all-in-one rental packages designed specifically for events.

Entertainment 

Memorable entertainment adds magic to an event, so explore every possible connection. Your gala’s stakeholders and production company may have links to high-profile talent, while sponsors can call upon brand ambassadors.

Establish exactly who and what your event needs: a host or MC, presenters and auctioneers, musicians — the list goes on. Remember to set up a green room where talent can relax when they’re not performing, and accommodate any performance riders.

Staff 

Organizing a successful gala dinner takes a huge team effort, and many event vendors provide staff. Caterers might bring chefs, servers, and mixologists while production companies have in-house designers, producers, and technical experts.

Ensure you’re meeting all personnel needs, including those of your personal team members who will carry out lynchpin roles. Account for all team members’ arrival times, contact info, and responsibilities on your call sheet.

Press and media 

If yours is a high-profile gala with high-profile attendees, one of your KPIs might be to achieve extensive, favorable press coverage. Just think of the media frenzies surrounding the Met Gala in New York and the amfAR Gala in Cannes, for example!

For maximum exposure, work with a specialist PR agency to create press releases and liaise closely with influential press contacts. A media agency like our partner BFA will provide photographers, videographers, and social media experts, then wire the resulting content to the media.

Maximize the media potential of every aspect of your red carpet or step-and-repeat, from the positioning of sponsor logos to the positioning of photographers.

Gifts and favors 

A gala typically begins with an invitation and ends with a gift bag full of party favors. Gala sponsors are likely to be helpful in this respect, and brands will often provide free or discounted products or vouchers in exchange for reaching a new or desirable audience: your event attendees.

Luxurious and specially branded keepsakes will help your event live on long after the guests have gone home, but keep sustainability in mind. The items in your gift bag should be genuinely useful, long-lasting, and reusable or recyclable.

10. Get creative

Branding opportunities will be high on your sponsors’ agendas, so consider them when forming your event’s overall brand identity. Subtly weave logos and brands into the event’s creative direction, color palette, and other design elements, including:

• Invitations
• Step-and-repeat
• Bar materials and menus
• Signage and displays
• Marketing materials to promote the event and boost ticket sales

11. Send invitations

Finalize your guest list and send your invitations. If you want your guests to wear tuxedos and long gowns, include the black-tie dress code on the invite.

The event experience begins the moment your guests open their invitation, so it’s crucial to get it right. zkipster’s email templates and custom build tools make incorporating visual elements into your pre-event comms. It can also help you gather RSVPs, plus ones, dietary requirements, and other vital info securely and efficiently.

Gala season will be here before you know it. For large-scale event planners, it’s one of the busiest, most exciting times of the year. 

You can use zkipster’s tools to improve the RSVP and check-in processes, manage seating charts, cultivate guest relationships, and so much more. Our comprehensive software makes the art of throwing the most successful gala of the season easier than you think.

Up next: Case study: How Team Event uses zkipster to power bespoke events for iconic brands and private clients