Some milestones in life deserve a special celebration, and graduation is definitely one of them. It marks the end of a period of study and the beginning of new horizons, an important transition for students.
The graduation ceremony is a moment that students will always remember, and organising it requires special attention. We'll lead you through the steps of organizing an unforgettable graduation ceremony in this step-by-step manual.
1. Determine Your Budget
First, you must determine your budget, which we all know is often tight for educational programs. However, graduation is not a typical day in school. It's a day that students and their families will remember for the rest of their lives.
Therefore, schools should aim to raise enough money for an appropriate graduation ceremony for the size of their program. This is especially true for substantial graduations, such as high school or college, as opposed to middle or elementary school.
To raise money for graduation, some schools choose to put aside funds from their budgets each year, some may host fundraisers and some may apply for grants.
Regardless of how you choose to raise the money, you need to consider several factors in your budget to avoid blowing it. As soon as you can, consider the cost of:
Hosting venue (and hidden fees), if needed
Logistics (valet services, shuttles, etc.)
Guest speakers or live talent
Services (catering, ushering, photography, etc.)
Special accommodations
Of course, there are also plenty of costs specific to your graduation ceremony. Make sure you plan ahead for these, as it's easy to exceed a budget because of lack of planning. Planning a graduation ceremony checklist can help.
If your funds are limited, there are plenty of school fundraising ideas you can use to raise money to improve your graduation ceremony. You can ask families for donations, sell tickets or host a fundraising event.
2. Set Your Timeline
The first step in planning a successful commencement ceremony is to set a timeline and establish your budget. Since college-level commencement ceremonies are such a huge ordeal, you’ll want to start preparing as soon as summer vacation ends, if not earlier. Consider when you want to hold the ceremony, how long it will last, where it will take place, and estimate how many visitors you should expect. This will help you determine the staff and resources needed for the event.
Additionally, be sure to factor in extra time for any unforeseen delays or complications that may arise during the planning process. Once this is ironed out, you can move on to the next step of gathering your team.
3. Assemble Your Planning Team
The success of a college graduation ceremony largely depends on the people behind it. That’s why it’s essential to assemble your planning team early on in the process. Select staff members from various departments across campus—such as alumni relations or event services—who are familiar with event planning and understand its nuances. They can help bring different perspectives to the table while ensuring everyone works towards a unified goal.
4. Plan for Size
Determining the number of guests is critical for choosing your venue, accommodations, parking and more. Yes, a large venue will have parking available, but many venues in crowded cities will need to outsource parking if they fill up their seats. This is something you will need to discuss with students and families ahead of time.
5. Plan For Enough Seating
First, determine the exact number of seats for graduates, which should be relatively easy. Ensure that the number is accurate and that you have the right seating options for your needs.
From there, you'll need to determine guest seating. If you host the graduation ceremony at your school or at a venue without permanent seating, this responsibility falls on you.
Seating can be expensive if you haven't already made the investment. This is especially true if most of your school's chairs are designed for young students and you're trying to seat hundreds of adults.
If you know you'll host more graduations, it makes financial sense to purchase seats. Once you have them, you can reuse them every year (for different events). Folding chairs make the most sense, as they're easy to store and last the longest.
Otherwise, ensure that the venue can accommodate all your guests. Remember to take seating, occupancy limits and faculty into account.
6. Choose a Venue
Choosing an appropriate venue for your graduation ceremony is one of the most critical steps in planning a successful event. Even if your institution commonly uses a particular space for commencement ceremonies every year, don’t assume you can host your ceremony there without researching well in advance.
As you secure a potential space, consider factors like the anticipated number of guests, whether your equipment is compatible, and if the venue is indoors or outdoors. Once you’ve selected a venue, make all necessary arrangements with any staff (assuming they are not employed by the university), such as ordering chairs and tables, setting up audio/visual equipment, etc.
7. Choose a Theme
Choosing the right theme for your college graduation ceremony is key to ensuring an unforgettable experience for graduates and their families.
While most institutions accentuate their venues with simple variations of their school colors, you can break tradition and find ways to incorporate your colors, mascot, or motto to create a memorable theme that will give the ceremony an extra special touch. Consider also selecting a unique hashtag that your future alumni and friends can use when sharing photos on social media.
8. Provide Invitations
While it’ll largely be on your future graduates to send personalized invitations to their loved ones, ensure the university has done its part by providing ample time for your grads to prepare for the big day. Many institutions require students to apply for graduation months (sometimes a year) before the ceremony. This way, students know exactly what to look forward to and the school can adequately plan.
Additionally, you should offer students the option to order customized invitations with professional letterhead, photos, or other adornments that add a bit of charm and formality. This can easily be ordered on a site dedicated to purchasing graduation regalia, like caps and gowns.
9. Direct Grads to Order Their Regalia
Speaking of regalia, most universities require students to wear a cap and gown during their graduation ceremony. Provide a source for your grads to order these necessities, such as your university’s bookstore or an online retailer. Also, consider smaller regalia items such as tassels, stoles, and cords to commemorate graduating students who have achieved special honors.
10. Secure Your Equipment and Logistics
Preparing for technical difficulties is one of the best ways to reduce the chances of failure. That’s why getting your equipment and logistical elements in order well in advance of the event is important. This includes presentations, live streams, music, photos and videos, and other audio and visual elements.
Managing equipment doesn’t simply involve plugging a few things in, either. As college graduation event planners know, having a resource like our NameCheck Pronunciation Tool is essential for ensuring everyone can hear their name correctly as they walk across the stage. Plus, in the days after the commencement ceremony, using an e-mail or CRM tool is helpful for tasks like keeping up with the names in your school’s alumni registration software.
11. Program Development
Make a thorough program that covers the graduation ceremony's timetable of activities. This should cover the scheduling of musical performances, speeches, and diploma presentations. To keep the audience's interest, keep the program brief and well-structured.
12. Select Speakers
Select speakers who will uplift and encourage the grads. Think of bringing in a renowned guest speaker, a professor, or a student representative to address the crowd. Make sure speakers adhere to the allotted speaking time and are well-prepared.
13. Entertainment and Music
Include entertainment and musical acts to liven up the event. This might involve a special performance by graduates or possibly the school band or choir. Choose music that fits the situation and improves the ambiance.
14. Decorations and Stage Setup
Decorate the space to reflect the importance of the occasion. Use flowers, banners, and school colors to create a welcoming and joyful mood. Make sure the stage is appropriately positioned, and that all tools, including the microphones, have been tested and are in good working order.
When the day finally arrives, it's time to execute your plan. Head to the venue hours early to ensure that decorations are in order and that everything else is on time. The setup is entirely up to you and the event planners, but you should work to modernize your ceremony ahead of time.
Most event businesses will send you confirmation emails 24 hours prior to your event. If you're missing any confirmation, begin contacting your caterers, musicians and other services and ensure there are no issues.
This way, if you run into issues, you'll have a few hours to figure out an alternative. Don't wait until the last minute.
From there, review your graduation speech and rehearse it a few times before you have to stand on stage. Once everything is ready and the time has come, initiate the ceremony!
Our Graduation party decoration package is perfect for celebrating graduation which will bring guests a joyful vibes, and make the students unforgettable forever. If you need to customize themed decorations for your child's birthday party, please contact our team info@justjoyevents.co.nz
15. Photography and Videography
Engage qualified photographers and videographers to document the graduation ceremony in its entirety. Graduates and their families will treasure these experiences for a very long time.
16. Security and Crowd Control
Implement security measures to guarantee participants' safety. To handle parking, crowd management, and any potential emergencies, appoint staff or volunteers.
17. Graduation Gifts
Finding the best gifts for college graduates may be challenging, but you should prioritize it anyway. Upon graduation, your students officially become alumni, so delivering a gift on behalf of your alumni association is a great way to congratulate them and encourage them to start thinking about their newfound status. A gift like a free degree frame, blanket, or mug with the university’s logo and alumni-branded slogan can be a fulfilling gesture.
Thank You and Follow
Thank everyone who helped make the graduation ceremony successful, including the volunteers, sponsors, and graduates. Gather suggestions to help future ceremonies be better.
All parties must carefully plan, work together, and participate in order to have a memorable graduation celebration. By carefully following our instructions, you can ensure that graduates and their families celebrate this important life milestone in an unforgettable way.
Commenti