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Prom Fayre

Albrighton Hall Hotel and Spa, in Shrewsbury held their first Prom Fayre on October 20th. The evening was a great success with over 50 local girls modeling an amazing array of prom dresses from Jessica’s Bridal in Frankwell and Shropshire Designer Grace Barby of Grace and Glory.

Viv Kelly Dance school also performed 2 routines one in amazing funky tights from Thighs the Limit based in Mardol, Shrewsbury. There were lots of exhibitors with a great choice of accessories and jewellery from Masque Boutique, MeMe Mode and Solo Jewellery all local independent companies.

The boys weren’t left out as 2 local boys modeled suits from Skopes a new menswear concession located in House of Fraser.Local hairdresser Claire Greenhow was on hand not only to do all the models hair but also continued to show the audience lots of great prom hairstyles.

Brian Fisher Photography and Malcolm Whittall local cartoonist,amused us all.The atmosphere was extremely party-like with one of the suites dressed as an actual prom night,complete with helium balloons supplied by the Giant Party shop,disco, fantastic lighting, a lifesize James Bond model and even giant Oscars, supplied by Solid Gold entertainment.

Get me to the Prom on time!

 The theme didn’t just stop inside the hotel, there were vehicles from 2XL Limousines and a Vintage bus from Bolton's, and even a Red London double decker. 

 The raffle raised over £170 for the Breast Cancer Campaign, first prize was a Prom dress,which was won by a lady who booked her Summer ball at the Albrighton Hall Hotel on the evening,she was absolutely delighted.

Fiona Clarke, Business Development Co-Ordinator for the hotel said “ We really wanted to showcase all the local talent we have and give the teenagers some inspiration, the girls had a fabulous time and looked fantastic,the feedback has been so positive, I was even asked if I would do another one this year, we will definitely be making it an annual event, so date for your diary 19th October 2012.”

For more information contact Fiona 01939 291732

Hello,
I organised my 6th form leavers prom last June and used your website for advice. It was very helpful so thought I'd mention some things I think you could add as a sort of thank you
Personally, I'd love to see a "6th form/ college prom" section. There are just as many of these as there are proms for after GCSEs, in my area at least, but the main difference is that most people are over 18. The biggest problem I had was that there was a mix, with 2 months worth being under 18. Obviously everyone wanted a bar but many venues rejected us straight out as they refused to have a mix. One club accepted us and I told them around 16% would be minors. On the night it turned out many guys had brought girls in the year below as +1s. This led to around 30% being under 18 and the club stopped letting them in. This led to a huge fiasco outside and I had to get the owner there as the manager was no help. The owner showed up in a land rover with what looked like personal security… a bit mafia esq! After a while of shouting from both sides and pretty intense bargaining, he offered to hire in extra bouncers and split the club into two areas, one of which under 18s couldn't go.

This happened because I failed to get a written contract of all their terms and conditions. I had written confirmation of our booking but nothing about their policy on what happened. I understood that under 18s were a problem but his verbal agreement that it would be workable and us paying extra for more bouncers (which he didn't actually provide until it all went to hell) convinced me it would be fine.   Check out venue tips here

Anyway, this is a long winded story of how my prom went wrong and I think it would be great if you had a page stressing the importance of drinking laws and the rules and tips on how to play it safe.

My advice would be:
1) When taking tickets, calculate exactly how many under 18s there are going to be.
2) Make it perfectly clear how many there will be and keep the venue informed throughout the ticket sales process.
3) If the club give strict numbers of minors, don't sell under 18 +1 tickets until everyone else has had a chance to buy them. That way, under 18s in the leaving year have priority.
4) Get a written signed contract stating the venues backup plans, i.e., what has to happen for everyone to be kicked out/stop letting people in?

That was my main issue and one that I think other 6th form prom teams would find very useful.

Another small issue I had was with photographers. The school IT guy also runs a photography company and he quoted us £350 to show up and take set shots with a screen where students would have to pay around £10 online for prints  and an extra £700 for someone to take roaming photos and give them to us on a disk to put on the Facebook group.
I thought that was way too much so I paid them for the set shots but hired a friend with my mums SLR camera for £100 to take the roaming photos and give them to me. This was fine until the professional guy found out and got angry at me threatening to take me to court over it… clearly not a very nice guy if he was willing to take money from students. Anyway, perhaps making it clear that photographers don't like to have other companies there as well would be helpful.

Other than that, things that worked well:
1) I took £350 cash with me to buy rounds of 50 shots, line them along the bar and get everyone there to take them all at once. Didn't end up doing this annoyingly, due to the under 18 nightmare!
2) Phoning taxi companies and getting lots of discount cards to put on the door and telling them when the prom ended.
3) Buying bottle openers with the school name on it (people loved this)

Anyway, sorry for the long email! Just thought my experiences might be of use!

Kind Regards,

Steve

 If you can think of anything you would like us to include – let us know at the end of this post.

Free entry and 500 free goodgy bags ups for grabs!

If you're looking forward to your school prom, you're in the right place!

In case you're new around here, let me tell you about some of the things we talked about last academic year and what we have lined up for this year.

And I'll also tell you about our juicy monthly prize draw on Facebook.

Before that though, don't forget to download your FREE prom organiser e-book by clicking on the link at the top, or the button over there on the right or just by clicking here. You go ahead, I can wait.

So, what can you read right here, right now to get you up to speed on all things prom-tacular?

Posts for prom committee peeps

From whether you're the right kind of person to be on a prom committee to the nuts and bolts of what the people on a prom committee actually do, this is the section you need to read if you want to be right in the thick of organising your school prom.

See all the prom committee posts

Fundraising and finance for proms

Not the most fun or glamorous part I know, but still important. Find posts on prom budgets, cashflow and how to manage it all in the prom finance section.

Organising the prom

Once you've got the committee and money plans all sorted, it's time to think about your prom theme, key people like your prom photographer and how to entertain your prom guests.

Enjoying your school prom

Let's face it, there are some bits that you might be worried about, such as the whole getting a prom date thing. Well, we've already given ten romantic ways to ask someone to be your prom date, wondered whether you even need a prom date anyway and given some tips on how NOT to get a prom date. No doubt there will be more to come…

See all of the "Enjoying your prom" posts.

Looking fab for your prom

And how could we have a prom blog without advice on how to look your most gorgeous on the night?

One of our most popular posts is about choosing the best prom dress design for your body shape, and there is also one about rather fabulous corsage bracelets too.

That leads me rather neatly onto what's coming soon: the first will be a post about which colour suits you best, and I'll be doing a series on different prom themes to help you with some ideas.

Is there anything you want to know about? If you have a prom related question, simply drop me a line and let me know.

Facebook

We hang out on Facebook too, come and join us and you'll automatically be entered into a monthly prize draw for iTunes vouchers (or vouchers for something else if you don't have an iPod). Find us on Facebook here and click on "like" at the top – we'd love to get to know you.

And don't forget your e-book!

Happy new school year!

Em x

The Prom Organiser wordsmith

Prom fayres are run all over the country, following the same style as wedding fayres that you might have seen advertised in your local area. The idea is that businesses that supply things like prom dresses, prom outfits for the lads, prom catering, prom entertainment etc all come to show off their wares and services in one place so people can get ideas and place orders all in one go. As for why it's spelled 'fayres' well, that's a throwback to days of yore.

Prom fayres are often arranged by either newspapers or venues who have experience in running wedding fayres, but there's nothing to stop you hosting one of your own at your school. It's a great way to raise money for your prom fund and also gives everyone a chance to shop for their prom outfits etc in one place.

But how do we organise a prom fayre?

Keep it simple and informal and you won't go far wrong – you already have a big group of people (i.e. your year group) who will want to attend so as long as you promote well in school, you don't have the same kind of headaches as other organisers have.

1. Get permission to hold the fayre at your school
You will need to find out if it’s alright to hold the event after school or at the weekend. Your dining/assembly hall is going to be one of the best spaces – and you need to provide a large table for each exhibitor.

2. Arrange a good date and time
You need to pick one that doesn't cause problems for other events at your school and doesn't clash with any wedding or prom fayres in your area, otherwise you may not be able to get any exhibitors. You also want to pick a time that is convenient for your year group and most probably their parents too, as they are likely to be the ones actually placing the orders and spending money.

3. Contact local prom companies and ask if they want to take part in return for a small donation to your prom fund
A good place to start looking is in your local Prom Organiser e-book – you've got your free copy, right? Wedding and prom businesses are used to paying a fee for exhibiting at fayres, but you should charge a modest amount as there will be less people at your fayre than one which has hundreds of members of the public visiting.

Aim to get a good range of different suppliers – one of each type – i.e. a florist who is expert in prom corsages, a prom dress supplier, a prom transport company (who might want to bring a limo to show off so be prepared to answer questions about whether they'll be able to do this somewhere!) etc.

4. Arrange refreshments
You could ask parents and your year group to bake cakes to sell to add more money to the prom fundraising, and also ask your school what they do to provide refreshments at concerts etc. You don't need more than drinks and snacks.

5. Spread the word
Make sure you put up posters in school, have it announced at the school assembly and put notes in the registers for form tutors of your year group to read out to each form. If your school sends a letter out to parents, ask for the details to be put in it. Contact your local newspaper and invite them along to cover it as a story.

6. Tell us and we will provide goody bags!
When your prom fayre is arranged and everyone is booked, let us know through the contact page and we will send goody bags for you to hand out for free when people arrive. These are very popular as exhibitors will have leaflets and brochures to hand out as people go around the stands, and they like having a bag to put it all in!

6. Charge a small entry fee
You could ask for a £1 entry fee if you want to, with all proceeds going into the prom fund. If you want to do that, make sure you tell people in advance.

7. Make sure you help to clean up afterwards
If everyone on the prom committee mucks in it won't take long. The chairperson should take the time to thank the exhibitors and ask for feedback so you can leave advice for the year after yours!

Over to you

Are you planning a prom fayre? Got any questions? Ask in the comments below and we'll help.

I had an email from a lovely lass who has stumbled into being the treasurer on her prom committee, and, unsurprisingly, is feeling a bit overwhelmed. Here is her note (name withheld to protect identity) and my response is below, so the rest of you stressed prom committee treasurers can benefit too.

Dear Em,

I have to look after the money for our prom (no-one else wanted to do it) and I'm freaking out! Don't know where to start, help!

T

The skinny on keeping track of the prom money

Dear T,

Firstly, don't panic

The most important thing about your job on the prom committee is making sure that there is enough money to pay for the prom service providers (e.g. caterers, entertainers, balloon people etc) at the right time.

In order to do this, you need to keep really careful records, and that's where having a book dedicated to the prom accounts is critical (as is the other admin stuff I talked about here). Once you've got your accounting book, here is a list of the things you need to keep track of every week. At the beginning, the records are really simple:

1. Money that has come into the account
e.g. funds from the latest prom fundraising event (There's a whole section on fundraising ideas in your Prom Organiser e-book)

2. Money that has been paid out of the account
e.g. £20.50 – poster printing

You also need to keep hold of the receipts for anything that has been paid, so a box file is a good thing to have too.

Of course, as it gets closer to the prom, you'll also have to keep track of ticket sales and payments to make sure that enough money is coming in.

Once the prom committee knows what kind of prom they want to have, then suppliers will be contacted for quotes. Ask the people gathering these quotes to give a paper copy to you, so they are kept in one place.

A good while before the prom, the committee needs to decide who they are going to use, and that's when those quotes become critical. For example, if you're having a casino, they will have sent a quote detailing:

•    The price for their services
•    How much needs to be paid as a deposit
•    When that deposit needs to be paid by
•    When the balance of payment needs to be paid.

Whoa! What exactly is a deposit and balance of payment?

A deposit is a small proportion of the final bill paid in advance to secure that company for your event. If they cost £500 for the night, they may ask for £100 before the event to confirm the booking.

Remember: Most deposits are non-refundable!

If the committee change their mind after the deposit has been paid, then they've lost that money – the business takes that for the inconvenience of having turned away other customers for that same night.

As for the balance of payment, that's the rest of the final fee, so in this example, it would be £400.

Timings are different from company to company

Some prom companies want deposits at least a month before the event, with final payment on the night. Other companies prefer to take a deposit and then send you an invoice after the prom (a bill detailing the money you need to pay them) which then has to be paid within a certain window, such as 7 days, or a month.

That's why it's really important to write these details down in a special place as soon as the supplier has been chosen.

Why? Because when the prom is over, all accounts will need to be paid. So if you have made that list, you can look up who needs to be paid what and when. Sorted!

Where the prom money can get complicated

Let's say a month before the event you need to pay out over £500 in deposits to different people, but ticket sales aren't picking up yet and you've only got £100 in the account.

Uh-oh.

This is why it's really important to decide upon prom suppliers early and make a note of how much is needed for a deposit and when. If you've done that, then two months before you need to pay them, you can say at the prom committee meeting "Look guys, we need to find £500 in two months, so start selling some tickets already, and by the way, when is the next fundraising event? Capiche?"

Then you still have time to get the money in, and pay them so the prom can actually happen. In doing that, you've saved the prom from financial disaster. That sounds really heroic (and it is!) but don't be surprised if no-one notices that.

Tips for good prom book-keeping

•    Whenever you pay a deposit, make sure you get a receipt
•    Whenever you receive an invoice, make sure you file it after making a note of when it needs to be paid (even better, just pay it straight away)
•    Always get a receipt for the payment of the final invoice.
•    Write it all down in your accounts book!

So there you go, the basics of prom book-keeping. It's a thankless task, but arguably the most important, and blimey, it looks really good on your university / job applications…

If you have any prom treasurer related questions, pop them into the comments and I'll do my best to help!

P.S. Why all the receipts? Well, sometimes people in companies make mistakes, sometimes banks do, and sometimes you do. A paper trail of receipts makes it really easy to wave something solid in the air and prove that you really have paid. It's also important for the school because you may well have left by the time any queries arrive, so you need to leave behind all the evidence of your treasurer genius. Good luck!

We had an excellent question sent in from a rather lovely chap called Jordan:

I would like you ask you the best way of managing finance for the prom, and the best place in the UK to get a Prom Bank Account that I can use, being 16 years of age. I would prefer to keep all funds separate to any of the school accounts, so I feel setting up a brand new account will be good. I understand it will need to be a business account?

This is an excellent question, and the next natural step for our prom finance advice.

A bank account is critical when managing prom finances

Jordan is absolutely right about the need for a bank account. Fundraising activities are likely to result in cash donations – and usually in multiple small amounts. Depending on the activity, you may end up with hundreds of pounds in coins at the end of a day, or trickles of small amounts as sponsorship promises are honoured.
Cash is cash, we all like it, but it simply isn’t practical when it comes to the other side of prom finances: paying out. You can’t go to a local prom photographer or prom venue and put down a deposit in pennies and pound coins. Well, you could, but they won’t be very pleased!

So, yes, get a bank account sorted out. You can pay the cash in, then pay the bills by cheques or electronically and everybody is happy. It also makes it easier to know how much is in the pot at any one time.

What kind of bank accounts suit prom finances?

So, the next question, as Jordan asks, is what kind of bank account do you need, and what do you do about the fact that you are likely to be anywhere between 15 – 18 years of age?

Keeping funds separate from other accounts is an absolute must. It’s so easy for things to get tangled up if you are using the main school account, and it also makes it nigh on impossible for you to be able to access as many details (such as the current balance) as and when you need to.

Your first point of call should be your school treasurer / head administrator / school head to ask about what facilities the school has. Some school bank accounts have the facility to create separate accounts for exactly this kind of activity. It may be that the account could be set up specifically for your current prom, without the need to start from scratch elsewhere. The person responsible for finance in your school will probably also have good advice, and would be a good person to be involved as signatory (we’ll get to that later).
But if your school bank account doesn’t have that facility, what do you do?

Looking for the right bank account for your prom

You need to start looking at the different banks and what they offer. Don’t be intimidated; they want your business.

Here is what you need to look for:

Most banks would classify the kind of account you need as a “clubs, societies and charities" account, which is usually a type of business account. These are generally better suited towards prom finances than a standard small business account, and the staff involved in managing your account will have much more experience with the potential issues you’ll face than those involved in small businesses.

To give you an idea of what these accounts are like, take a look at the one run by the HSBC and the one run by LloydsTSB. We’re not in a position to recommend either of these per se, but they do have useful and informative websites, and are friendly on the phone. Do take the time to hunt about with others, and if you have found out which bank your school already as an account with, that might be a good place to start.

So, once you have identified whether a bank has this sort of account, there are lots of details you need to consider. But first:

DON’T PANIC!

These kinds of questions and details can seem at best dull, at worst scary, but you just need to gather information first and then take it back to the prom committee, or the teacher appointed to help you decide which is best for you if you need support.

What you need to know to choose the best account for your prom finances

Minimum requirements

Okay, the most important thing to look at first is whether there is a minimum monthly amount required. For example, some banks will only offer free banking, or even the option to have this kind of account of you have a minimum of £4,000 pounds a month in the account. Eeep! I doubt many school prom finances run to these sorts of amounts every month.

Transaction fees

If there is no minimum amount requirement, next you need to look at fees applied to transactions. If they say you have “free banking” make sure you list what they include under that. Can you pay in easily, and then pay out with cheque or electronically without being charged?

Some banks charge very small amounts for certain transactions, these can really add up, especially for prom budget management as there will be smaller and more frequent amounts being paid out at certain points. If you can find an account that offers basic transactions for free, then put it on the shortlist.

Internet banking – good or bad?

Internet banking can be very useful, find out if you’ll be able to access the account online to check the balance, and whether you’ll be able to pay electronically. For a prom, having the facility to access the account online and pay bills from it is very convenient, but may in fact not be a good idea due to security and trust issues. We’ll get onto that in a moment when we talk about signatories. The bank may insist that only a teacher has access to online payment facilities.

Is there a local branch?

When you have hundreds of coins to deposit, you want a branch as close to you as possible. Look at the nearest branches to you and prioritise those banks above any others when you are making your choice. It can also be helpful if a problem comes up and you can just go and speak to a real person who’ll know how to help.

Don’t forget to check the opening hours too; not all banks, especially in small towns, open on a Saturday morning, so check they open late enough on weekdays to visit after school.

Then what?

When you have a shortlist, the best thing might be to phone them or go into the branch and talk it through with them. Ask if they have helped other prom treasurers in the past and what they recommend.

Security, trust and convincing the adults you can do this!

Jordan points out that at 16 years old, age may be an issue when dealing with banks. Whilst all of you and I know that you’re organised, responsible and probably more switched on than a lot of people over 18, it may be a barrier.

There is also a security issue, and this is faced by all clubs, societies and charities – but the solution to this may be the thing that can make your age irrelevant. The problem is this: if you have a treasurer with access to the big pot of money, how do you make sure they can’t pay for the odd personal thing here or there with the club account, or even worse, run off with all the money?

Clubs etc deal with this by having two (or sometimes more) signatories on an account. This means that if you want to pay for something by cheque, or withdraw a significant amount of money, you need two people to physically sign for it, instead of just the treasurer.

Yes, it makes things slower and a tad less convenient, but if you do this and one of the signatories is a teacher, or the head of school finances or someone else they’ll rate, then you’re more likely to be able to get the account and help you need, even at age 16.

Whoa. Can you summarise all that please?

Sure, there’s a lot here.
1. You do need a bank account dedicated to prom finances
2. Ask your school finance people about the school bank account and for advice
3. Focus on researching the “Clubs, societies and charities” business accounts offered by banks
4. Check out the minimum requirements, fees, account accessibility and whether there is a local branch
5. Interview the banks on your shortlist!
6. Decide who will be signatories on the account and follow your chosen bank’s instructions.

So there you have it. Advice on bank accounts for prom treasurers. I hope that helps Jordan, and if I have left anything out, or if anyone else has a question, drop us a line here. Who knows, you might get a whole post as an answer too!

Why cash flow can be tricky

The problem is that to have a chocolate fountain on the night, you will probably need to book a few months in advance. When you book, you will need to put down a deposit; a small percentage of the total hire cost that is non-refundable. Tickets won’t go on sale until a couple of months beforehand – so you won’t get any cash from them until well after the deposit money is needed. That is cash flow: making sure you have cash when you need it – sometimes before ticket money has come into the pot.

The solution is obviously to start fundraising as soon as possible. Then you can have ready cash available for deposits on products and services needed months before prom night.

Keep the prom budget flexible

Another thing to bear in mind is that your early budget is only a guide, and needs to stay flexible. You could always have a “would be nice to have” list of things you can afford if the fundraising goes really well. The “must-have” list allows you to prioritise, but it doesn’t have to be all you’re aiming for.

Don’t forget that the full invoice has to be paid at the end – so if you are considering something from the “would be nice to have” list, make sure there’s enough money in the pot to pay for the total cost of the items on the “must-have” list, not just the deposits.

A tiny reminder about prom finance housekeeping

Don't forget to keep every single bit of paper relating to deposits, invoices, receipts etc in one big box file looked after by one person (the prom committee treasurer if you have one) otherwise you'll have a huge headache at the end of it all.