Welcome to Gala Season! 4 tips for planning a super successful gala

The end of October and the official start of Fall, marks the beginning of Gala season in South Florida. 

For many local organizations across the region, Galas are their main source of revenue for the year, and an important opportunity to celebrate and engage their biggest donors.  A full scale gala requires a lot of intricate planning, logistics, organization, knowledge of vendors and imagination. Partnering with a team of experts is key to the success of the event. 

Here are 4 tips to ensure your gala goes off without a hitch:

1) What is the purpose? 

It is easy to lose yourself in the excitement of flower choices, venue, and party fun, but for a successful gala it is always important to remember the purpose. What are you trying to achieve? Is it a yearly gathering for your donors and a donor appreciation opportunity? Is it a major revenue generating opportunity? Is it a chance to introduce new donors to your cause? Understanding the main objective for your gala will help shape the day and the priorities. Always keeping the end goal in mind will ensure your gala is a success. 

2) Start planning early. 

Like with any event, one of the keys to a successful gala is to get started early! With a busy gala season and many non-profits vying for the most coveted spaces securing your space a year or even two years in advance is imperative. Venues across Miami that are high quality and have the capacity to host large scale galas are limited, so ensuring you secure your spot is the first step. 

In addition, for fundraising purposes, many corporations plan their yearly fundraising around their fiscal year and have allot their money to organizations as part of their budgeting process, so making sure you get in front of them early is imperative. 

You want important speakers or acts? They also get scooped up early so making sure you book everything well in advance is key. 

3) Make it interesting

How will your gala stand out from the other parties happening around town? Its time to get creative! Make sure you incorporate some creative, and unique aspects into your gala to make it memorable. From the theme to the drinks, to the table décor, entertainment, and dancing there are many ways you can ensure your gala as an experience your guests won’t forget. 

4) Be organized and thorough 

For your gala to be successful it is important you think about every detail. By thinking through the gala, from the entrance to the end, it will be easier to work through any unforeseen problems and ensure your guests experiences are flawless from beginning to end. To do so you must plan exactly what will happen every minute of every hour with detailed expectations and outcomes for each hour.