How to Put Together a Sports Banquet

A sports banquet can be held by school officials, community organizers and special event planners. These events are usually planned to honor contributions made by athletes and their mentors. Sports banquets can take place at the end of a season or follow the player roster announcement for athletic teams. Learn how to put together a sports banquet that includes a variety of activities based on one theme. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Outline the central purpose for hosting a sports banquet before you start to plan it. Banquets can be setup as fancy award ceremonies, holiday parties, fundraisers or other special celebrations. Decide why you want to put together a sports banquet and then compare themes that fit around this objective. Informal sports banquet themes may consist of basic decorations such as balloons and take place in a gymnasium or park. The dress code for an informal sports banquet is usually casual for guests, allowing athletes to also wear their uniforms if they desire.

Formal sports banquet themes may be held at other locations including hotels and restaurants. Create a guest list that reflects your purpose for putting the sports banquet together. Some banquets include athletic teams from one or multiple sports along with their coaching department, family and friends. Determine all needs for a stage, lighting and sound system in advance. Some locations provide equipment when you rent their space, while others do not offer any extra items.

2

Schedule all activities that will take place during the sports banquet in their order of appearance using one sheet of paper. Sports banquet activities can include award presentations, entertainment, guest speakers and video displays. Purchase trophies for award recipients if you plan to honor specific athletes, coaches or support staff as one of the activities. Confirm topics in advance with any guest speakers you invite to the banquet. Create an event program that lists your chosen activities using desktop publishing software and the sheet of paper as a reference.

Designate a specific amount of time in your event program for each activity, including guest speakers. Reserve enough time for your guests to dine and socialize in the program. You can schedule this to occur before any activities and then take photos before the closing speech is made. Print the finished event program on the cardstock or brochure paper. Print enough copies of the program to match the number of guests invited to your sports banquet.

3

Contact a catering company to provide lunch or dinner during the sports banquet. Select a menu that includes a variety of entrees, side dishes and dessert. Request food donations from restaurants or culinary students if catering prices exceed your spending budget. Determine whether food will be distributed at tables by servers or made available to guests in a buffet setting. Additional staff members will be required if you choose to serve food to guests at each table.