How to organise a school or student union gala

Who does what in the gala team?

A gala is prepared as a team, with clear roles. At the start of the academic year, form a team of five to eight people within the student union, with one lead per area:

• Coordination: keeps the timeline, liaises with the administration and suppliers.
• Treasury: budget, ticketing, payments, tracking deposits.
• Partnerships: finding and following up sponsors.
• Communication: posters, social media, announcing the artists and the theme.
• Logistics and security: venue, transport, cloakroom, prevention, liaison with security.

Think about handover: document what you do (contacts, quotes, financial review) for next year’s team. That is what allows a gala to improve from one year to the next.

What timeline should a gala follow?

How do you build the budget and set the ticket price?

A gala budget rests first and foremost on ticket sales. List every expense (venue, caterer or buffet, drinks, DJ and technical equipment, security, first aid, photography, decoration, transport, insurance, ticketing fees), subtract what sponsors and the school contribute, then divide by the number of tickets you are sure to sell, not the number you hope to sell. This calculation gives you the minimum ticket price.

• Offer tiered prices: a discounted pre-sale, then the standard price. Pre-sales secure your cash flow.
• Separate the options: party-only ticket, ticket with dinner, return shuttle.
• Keep a margin of 10% for the unexpected: breakages, extra hours, reinforced security.
• Plan for deposits: venues often ask for 30 to 60% on booking, well before the first sales.

How do you find sponsors for a student gala?

Companies that recruit from your school are the first targets: the gala gives them direct visibility with future graduates. Banks, local shops and brands aimed at students are interested too. Prepare a one- or two-page partnership pack: a presentation of the gala, the expected number of guests, what sponsors get in return (logo on posters and social media, a stand, a speaking slot, free tickets) and two or three partnership levels.

Which venue should you choose?

The venue must hold your numbers with a dance floor, a cloakroom, enough toilets and a finishing time that suits a gala, often 3am or 4am. Ask straight away whether the venue imposes its own security staff, bar or caterer, and what time the music has to stop. A venue served by public transport or an organised shuttle limits journeys home by car. For a Marseille atmosphere, a boat party takes 35 to 250 people depending on the vessel.

Security, prevention, SACEM, insurance: what do you need to plan?

This is the least festive part, and the most important. As the organiser, the student union is responsible for its guests’ safety.

1. Security: enough security staff for your numbers, ticket and bag checks, managing the exit.
2. First aid: a first-aid post run by an approved association for large numbers.
3. Prevention: free self-service water, food until late, a quiet area, a prevention stand, designated “party captains” who look out for others.
4. Getting home: shuttles, a partnership with a taxi company, public transport times reminded.
5. Music: playing music at an event must be declared to SACEM (the French music royalties body).
6. Insurance: organiser’s liability insurance, to be checked with the school and the student union’s insurer.
7. Alcohol: check the regulations and your school’s rules, and involve the administration in the arrangements.

How do you make the gala memorable?

A strong theme (Gatsby, masked ball, Riviera, cinema) gives the edition its identity and makes communication easier. A polished entrance with a photocall, an activity early in the evening, a DJ who builds the energy and a photo keepsake everyone shares the next day do the rest. For atmosphere ideas, see our article on themed parties, most of which adapt very well to a student gala.

What pitfalls should you avoid?

• Opening ticket sales too late: without pre-sales, your cash flow will not cover the deposits.
• Signing a quote without reading the venue’s cancellation terms and extra charges.
• An undersized cloakroom: the queue there is what spoils the end of the night.
• Forgetting to thank the sponsors: they are the ones who will fund next year’s edition.