FFA banquets are often accompanied by excitement, but also ANXIETY!
So much to plan!
And you want everything to be perfect for the students, parents, administrators and community members in attendance!
Being in a single-teacher program, I felt like the pressure of the event was solely on me!
But this beast of an activity can easily be broken down into a Banquet Checklist to organize the tasks and delegate them to students and willing staff members. Here are some of my tips:
SET THE DATE
Obviously one of the most important items on the checklist is setting the date of the banquet.
In Ohio, State FFA Convention was always the first week in May so I liked to have my banquet the second Sunday of May so I could include highlights from this event.
Other schools may like to have their banquet in March or April to reduce the stress at the end of the year.
CONTACT IMPORTANT INDIVIDUALS
At the same timeframe of setting the date, I would also contact important individuals.
I secured the auditorium with the school secretary. I reached out to my administrators to make sure it was on their calendar, and I sent an email to teachers and coaches to make sure they knew when the banquet was so they did not schedule additional events during that time.
CALL A CATERER
I typically had 250+ individuals at our banquet so I hired a caterer to coordinate the meals. I secured this caterer at the same time I set the date.
Our meal varied slightly but was typically: roast beef, fried chicken, noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, dinner rolls, coleslaw, cake and coffee.
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
At our monthly meeting two months prior to the banquet, we would select our honorary degree recipient.
We liked this individual to be surprised so we would also determine an individual close to this person and contacted them to make sure the recipient was at the banquet.
INVITATIONS
Eight weeks prior to the banquet, we sent out invitations to parents, board of education members, administrators, advisory committee members, the honorary degree recipient, teachers and staff (via email) and any additional guests we thought should be at the banquet.
Download a copy of our Parent Invitation and FFA Supporter Invitation.
AWARDS & DECORATIONS
Six weeks prior to the banquet, we determined awards for the banquet. We usually ordered the bulk of the awards from National FFA but also used a local trophy shop for specialized awards.
At this time, we also ordered decorations. We never went over the top with our decorations. We had navy blue cloth linens and table runners that we used every year, and ordered flower centerpieces to go on each table from a local floral shop; we then gave these flowers to senior FFA members.
SCRIPT
Four weeks prior to the banquet, I updated the script. This was probably the most overwhelming portion of the event because there is so much detail involved.
We had two podiums at the banquet so we alternated left and right podiums in the script. This allowed us to move through the script faster at the event. We also only had officers speak but some schools may decide to use non-officers for speaking parts.
Download a copy of our Banquet Script and my Advisor Script for the surprise awards.
PROGRAM
Two weeks prior to the banquet, we updated the banquet program and printed enough copies to provide each guest with a copy. These were placed at each seat at the banquet.
Download a copy of the Banquet Program Template and preview this Example Banquet Program.
PLACEMAT
Two weeks prior to the banquet, we updated the banquet placemats and printed enough copies for each guest.
I liked these placemat designs because they provided guests with a good snapshot of our year in review. This Banquet Placemat Example was printed on 11x17 paper and was placed at each seat at the banquet. These were created on Publisher but could easily be created in Canva.
CERTIFICATES
Two weeks prior to the banquet, we printed these Greenhand Degree Certificates and Chapter Degree Certificates on cardstock paper. These were created on Publisher but could easily be created in Canva.
Other certificates could be created instead of buying awards if expensive awards are not in the budget.
SLIDESHOW AND TECHNOLOGY
Two weeks prior to the banquet, we finalized the year in review slideshow which was played during dinner. We also met with our technology coordinator to review the sound system, lights and microphones.
I believe this was the easiest way to tackle the banquet without overwhelming myself and my students. There are a lot of different ideas out there if you are looking to expand on your programming, such as silent auctions and other fundraising opportunities. We decided to take this approach to focus on student success and recognition.
Good luck with your banquet preparations this year and reach out at info@owlsnestresources.com with any questions!