The red carpet has been rolled out and the guests
are starting to arrive. The paparazzi are shouting, and flashes go off from all
directions…. Or maybe not. If your organisation is hosting an awards ceremony, it’s
likely to look a little different from the Oscars. But that doesn’t mean that
it can’t be just as enjoyable, if it’s done right.
Budget
Before you get ahead of yourself with
dreams of flashing lights and red carpet, make sure that you know what your
budget is. As it’s an awards ceremony, people will want to be impressed, so you
may end up spending more on nice food and an entertaining keynote speaker that
you first thought. Do your research, crunch the numbers, and come up with a
budget that you have to stick to. Understand what wiggle room you have, as well
as what the absolute bottom line is. Before booking anything, get as many
quotes for the major expenditures as possible, to ensure that you know what you
can splash out on, and what you can’t.
Theme
Before you continue with the other steps, you first need to choose a theme to both set the scene and expectations. Aim for a more intimate setting with some games or quizzes to help people relax and get into the mood. This will not only allow you to keep your budget down, but it’s also a great chance for some tongue-in-cheek fun!
Venue
The venue will set the tone for your evening, and so picking the right one can be the decider as to whether your awards ceremony is a success. What is the capacity that you need? It’s always better to have a little more room, as tables can be spread out a little more, but you don’t want too much empty space, or it will look like you expected more people to turn up. The stage of course, is paramount. Will your guests be able to view it easily? Is it easy for mic and video set-up?
Location
Also consider the location of the venue. There are loads of amazing awards ceremony venues for hire in London, but if it’s too far away, then your guests are going to struggle to attend. The event space will need to have good access to public transport or at least be central to affordable accommodations.
Speakers/Entertainment
If you are having some formal entertainment
or speakers, ensure that they fit in with your theme. There’s noting worse than
a lecture at an event that’s designed as a fun night out! Comedians are always
a good idea, but make sure that they are work-appropriate at the same time.
Many awards ceremonies have one major piece of entertainment, but some have
multiple speakers instead, which can be just as fun. Make sure that they are
fully briefed beforehand, so you don’t get anything unexpected!
Judges and Compere
Knowing who is going to be running the night should be near the top of your list of things to organise. If they are a well-known figure within your company, this is even better as the audience will immediately engage with them. They should also be able to know how to keep the attention of a crowd and have a natural stage presence, whilst also coming from different departments and being figures within the company or the field in which you operate. Guest judges are also completely acceptable.
Dinner
Are you having a formal dinner? If so,
you’ll need to decide exactly how you want to approach this, and what style
fits the best with your theme. A three-course meal is the standard, and
catering companies will be able to easily give you a quote for this. Don’t pick
food that doesn’t mesh with the overall theme of the evening. If it is more
casual, fancy canapes and caviar aren’t going to fit in, just like ribs won’t
work for a black-tie event.
Timing
When will dinner be? How long do the speakers
get to talk? How many awards are there and how long will each one take? These
are all questions that your team should be asking, and they need to be aware of
the answers, so you can come up with a rough timing agenda. For catering
purposes, the time dinner is served won’t be able to be adjusted on the night,
so everyone will need to be aware of this. Apart from that, it’s likely that
the timings will have some leeway, but no one enjoys an event that goes on two
hours later than expected, and a lot of people will leave if you don’t wrap up
on time.
Promoting
Once you have the date and venue set, it’s
time to start promoting your event. Make sure that everyone involved knows
about it well in advance and use the awards to encourage attendance. It should
be an event that guests want to attend, not one that they feel forced to go
along to, so keep this in mind during internal promotion. Are you inviting the
press? If so, do this early. Now is the time for you to put together a press
kit for the media with information about the speakers, judges, and your
company.
An awards ceremony is a big event to organise,
so you’ll need a good task list! Overall, remember that it’s meant to be a fun
night, no matter how formal. Start looking for venues well in advance, and you’re
sure to have an evening to remember.
Search
