How to organize a gala: 6 ways to ace guest management

Welcome back to the third and final part of zkipster’s essential gala checklist. 

After covering gala organizing fundamentals in part one and essential event vendors in part two, in part three of our series on how to organize a gala we’re covering the pièce de résistance: the guests.

Digital tools like zkipster really come into their own when it comes to guest management; adding value and, crucially, saving precious time by digitizing and automating the processes of creating guest lists, managing RSVPs, checking guests in, providing post-event insights, and more:

1. How to organize a gala guest list
Old and newGuest list changesMultiple guest listsGuest profiles
2. Get started on the next step: invitations3. Plan your gala seating with surprises in mind
4. Keep an eye on the RSVPs
5. How to organize a gala check-in process6. Don't forget the post-gala debrief

So without further ado, grab your to-do list and ready, set, gala…

1. How to organize a gala guest list

The guest list is at the heart of every gala and as such it’s a living, breathing thing: constantly growing and evolving…and no doubt causing a few headaches as it does! Using a tool like zkipster to manage your guest list will instantly address several of these headaches, so let’s take a look at their digital solutions.

Old and new

Maybe your gala is the latest edition of a storied annual extravaganza that’s been running for years, and you have a well-established list of long-standing attendees. Maybe it’s a new and exciting gala hoping to create a buzz and welcome an equally new and exciting mix of guests. Either way, creating a digital guest list is quick and easy, with the option to build on an existing event framework or start afresh with imported guest data.

Guest list changes

Guest lists can be subject to change up to and even after the event’s start time, but with a digital version you can easily make changes in real time. Digital guest lists are collaborative by design, so colleagues and clients can work together to finalize them, and different stakeholders can even be given different levels of access.

Multiple guest lists

Getting the right mix for your gala guest list will be a collaborative process, and there will probably be several distinct guest lists within your overall master list. You might have VIPs, VVIPs, talent, press, sponsors, donors and brand ambassadors to factor in, and multiple stakeholders all feeding into the list with their guests. In our experience there’s often a last-minute squeeze to fit extra guests in, and the list is never entirely closed for the right attendee… With a tool like zkipster you can create unlimited guest lists within the same event, categorized exactly as you choose.

Guest profiles

‍Having the right information about your guests will enable you to deliver the best possible gala experience for them. Digital guest profiles can include everything from profile pictures and dietary requirements to biographical details and their relationships to other guests at your event. What’s more, guest profiles and facesheets can be used internally to brief colleagues, making sure gala guests are properly looked after and helping your event achieve its goals.

2. Get started on the next step: invitations

Guest list in a good place? Time to send out your invitations. As we noted in part one of this series, the gala experience starts when your gala guests open the invitation: it’s an opportunity to establish the visual identity and theme, start storytelling, and generate buzz and excitement for your event.

Many high-profile galas choose to send physical invitations, but don’t discount the power of online invites. With a tool like zkipster there’s no additional cost to factor into your budget and invitations are completely customizable and trackable. You can also create accompanying guest response forms for gathering important information over and above a standard RSVP request.

3. Plan your gala seating with surprises in mind

Once your invitations have been sent, it’s time for the next guest challenge: the seating chart, and making sure that there is a seat for every gala attendee (if of course there will be a sit-down element at your gala). Guest placement is an iterative, collaborative, sometimes stressful process: just one guest dropping out can have a domino effect and result in several seating changes.

With zkipster you can upload the floor plans of your venue and drop in tables that can then be easily edited, expanded, labeled and more by you and your colleagues, in real time, via desktop or tablet. Managing your seating chart digitally and dynamically ensures that everyone who needs visibility has it and that there are no surprises on the day of your gala; but even if there are, you can easily make last minute changes.

If your team is putting together the tables at your gala, the intelligence, insights and connections contained within your guest profiles will help you and your committee create a perfectly-balanced seating chart.

However, if tables are being sold at your gala or table hosts will decide where to seat their own guests, zkipster’s Share a Table feature will help you gather names, dietary requirements, and more to build out your guest lists and profiles.

Related: How to Plan Successful Red Carpet Events

4. Keep an eye on the RSVPs

As you gather guest information, you’ll also be chasing RSVPs, and no doubt conducting regular review meetings with key stakeholders to establish who’s coming and who’s not, before feeding this information into the seating chart.

At some point the guest list will close so you can finalize numbers, though there may of course still be last-minute changes to deal with such as guests who decline but show up at the gala anyway, accidental mix ups, no-shows due to bad weather, or guests dropping out at the last minute.

Be sure to have back-up options in place, whether it’s tables of 10 that can be made to seat 11 (or 8!), or extra tables that can be quickly added to the floor plan. As discussed in part two of our series on how to organize a gala, your caterer will also have a contingency plan for any late additions.

Last-minute changes may also be requested by high-profile gala guests with specific security requirements. Guest privacy is something that we at zkipster take very seriously, so our clients can feel confident knowing that we go above and beyond to protect their guest and event data, with the option to hide sensitive guest information from staff at check-in too.

You may also be dealing with famous guests and their representatives: zkipster’s Guest Relationships feature, which allows agents to RSVP on behalf of their clients, could come in very useful here.

5. How to organize a gala check-in process

The final piece of the puzzle will fall into place on the day of your gala, when guests are arriving and being checked in. This was the problem zkipster set out to solve when the business was first established; doing away with unwieldy, often inaccurate paper guest lists in favor of rapid digital check-in.

Our tech has since evolved to encompass always-on QR code scanning for contactless, seamless check-in and slick, quick and painless guest entry. You can even set up text alerts to let guests know their table numbers upon arrival, and to let colleagues know that important guests have arrived.

6. Don't forget the post-gala debrief

After months of intense, incredibly detailed planning and organizing a gala, your event will be over and done in what feels like a heartbeat, and it will be time for you and your colleagues to debrief.

Every stakeholder will have insights and anecdotes to share: which elements of the event were most successful and any that didn’t work quite as well, which guests connected, which donors committed to making new donations, and so on. Make a note of any actions to follow up on, such as sending thank you notes and reaching out to guests.

Measurable insights on guest attendance and behavior gathered from digital event tools like zkipster will also form an integral part of your event reporting. However you plan, manage and report on your special events, here’s hoping this gala season is a huge success.

• Read part one of our series on how to organize a gala, 9 gala planning fundamentals for event professionals.
• Read part two, essential event vendors for exceptional galas.

Our media partners BFA, whose expert photographers captured the stunning images featured here, can serve the visual needs of your events.

Header image: The First Annual “Moonlight Gala” Benefiting CARE – Children With Special Needs at Casa Cipriani. Photo by Darian DiCiannio / BFA.com ⓒ BFA 2022