09 Feb Planning a Military Ball in FLORIDA
There’s nothing quite like a military ball to bring folks together for a fun evening of fancy dress, delicious food, cocktails, dancing and awards. Because it’s such a big event, there are lots of details that have to be figured out and put in place for everything to run smoothly. Are you the person in charge of the event, the one in charge of making sure it’s a success? If you try to take it on all by yourself, you’ll likely get stressed or forget a small detail here or there. When you’re at the drawing board begin planning your military ball if Florida, consider delegating these different categories to committees so that it doesn’t become overwhelming and each committee can approach their assignment with a fresh perspective.
Getting a speaker. At a big evening event like this, there’s often a keynote speaker during dinner. Not only will you need to find an appropriate candidate to address the group, you’ll also have to figure out all of the accommodations for that person as well: lodging, transportation while they’re there, as well as finding out if they need anything specific set up at the venue for their presentation. Additionally, you’ll want to get a bio about them to have printed in the evening’s program.
Flowers and decorations. Do you need boutonnieres or corsages for the members of the receiving line? If so, you’ll need to get a count of how many you need, and be aware of color themes for the event as well. You may want centerpieces for all of the dinner tables, as well as some large centerpieces for the head tables. Flowers seem to be synonymous with occasions, and this is certainly the case here as well. Additionally, you’ll likely have some decorations to put up as well. From balloons to lighting, table coverings to place settings, streamers to a disco ball, decorations help set the mood for the evening.
Awards. If there are awards or advancements to be given at the military ball, you’ve got specific information to gather. Double check that names are spelled correctly and that the advancements are accurate. Plaques and certificates need to be ordered well in advance so there is time to correct things if there is a mix-up or error.
Invitations and a program. For a formal event like this, you’ll want to have nice invitations printed, including an RSVP insert. Once you’ve created the invitation and have drawn up the evening’s program, go over both of them a few times to make sure there aren’t any grammatical errors and that the address of the event is right on the invite, too (you don’t want everyone going to the wrong place!). It’s never a bad idea to have someone else double check them before you send these off to the printer, too.
Entertainment. After the speaker is finished for the evening, what next? Because it’s a military ball, take care of getting a band for the evening’s entertainment and fun. It’s super fun to dance and spend time together in a more relaxed fashion once the business of the evening is over. This is a crucial one, though, because having good entertainment can make or break the evening. Do your research from word-of-mouth recommendations to utilizing internet reviews to find a group that will bring the kind of feel you are hoping to create that evening. Once you’ve selected a group, you’ll have to see what they need at the venue for their gig and then take care of pinning down those details as well.
Transportation. This is a big one. It’s likely that you’re going to have a large group of people in attendance. Maybe you want to provide complimentary transportation to and from the event, or maybe you’d rather streamline it and just offer valet parking at the venue. Another great idea is to provide shuttle service for those attending. If you opt to go with this option, motorcoaches are a great way to get everyone there in an efficient manner, especially if the event location is more remote or somewhere that doesn’t have as much parking availability. If you decide to shuttle, give us a call and let us customize a quote for your event! Astro’s aim is to give our customers a great rate, as well as friendly, professional service. Check out how we take care of our military here: https://astrotravel.com/destinations/military/
When you’re trying to plan out the evening, it can be a bit daunting to make sure you don’t forget anything. But as each committee takes care of their assignment, you’ll have the satisfaction of watching each piece come together to make the evening a great success. Best of luck, and keep us in mind while you’re planning your next military ball in Florida!