9 Things To Do When Planning An Awards Night

Are you planning to host an awards night for your dance studio? It’s one of the best ways to celebrate your students, encourage their progress, and showcase the unique culture of your studio. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to generate additional revenue. 

But how do you organize a dance studio awards night that’s smooth, fun, and memorable? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you pull it off flawlessly:

1. Choose The Perfect Date

Start by picking a date that works well for your studio. 

We recommend planning at least six months in advance to give everyone—students, parents, teachers, and volunteers—plenty of time to save the date. Once you’ve locked the date in, send out communications and invitations to everyone who may want to attend, letting them know you will be in touch with ticketing information, so no one misses out.

2. Set Your Budget

Before you get carried away with booking and committing to spending money on your event, it’s important to set yourself a budget. How? Calculate your budget. Include costs for the venue, catering, decorations, awards, and the hours you and your team will spend organizing.

This will help you set a sensible ticketing price and stay within budget. Don’t forget the aim, as always, is to make a slight profit from hosting these events, and yes, that does mean budgeting and charging for your time too. 

A great way to manage ticket sales is Stage Stubs, a free ticketing platform for studios. With Stage Stubs, you can:

• Sell tickets online at a pre-set date and time
  
• Link food packages to specific tickets (using the merchandise options)
  
• Create seating plans and tiered pricing
  
• Track sales with money deposited in your account within three days (often the same day!)
  

3. Book Your Venue

Find a venue that fits your guest list and ideally handles catering; you’ll be grateful for this when you’re not needing to source and organize catering on top of everything else.

If you’re hosting at your studio, you’ll need to arrange your own caterers. When booking, consider accessibility, parking, and ambiance to make the night feel extra special.

4. Awards

With an awards night, it’s important that you have, well, awards… 

Ahead of your event, you will want to plan both your awards and how you choose your winners. Outline your award categories and shortlist candidates. Decide how winners will be chosen: public vote, teacher selection, or your decision. Communicate this clearly to avoid complaints later—it keeps the event fair and transparent!

5. Plan Menu & Catering

Once the venue is booked, finalize the menu. Include food packages as part of ticket sales if possible. Stage Stubs allows you to link these packages directly to tickets, making it simple for guests to select their meal in advance.

Giving options and plenty of time for any dietary requirements. 

6. Arrange Decorations & Atmosphere

Now that the logistics and big aspects of the night are in place, you can plan the look and feel of the awards night. Think table decorations, lighting, music, and photo backdrops. These touches create a memorable experience for everyone and give your event a polished, celebratory vibe.

Top Tip: Make sure your logo is prominently displayed so when people take photos and post them on social media, you’re being promoted. 

7.  Finalize Program & Extra Touches

Plan performances, speeches, and award presentations. Consider adding a red carpet, photo wall, or interactive elements like a raffle or silent auction. These extras make your awards night more engaging and fun.

And after the food and awards? It’s time to let your hair down and party the night away, so having a DJ, dance floor, or even a band for after is always a good idea.

8.  Run Event Logistics & Rehearsal

Test sound, lighting, seating arrangements, and award presentations before the big night. This ensures a smooth flow and prevents last-minute surprises.

9. Host the Event & Capture Memories

On the night, enjoy the show! Take plenty of photos and videos, share live updates on social media, and celebrate your students’ achievements. 

After all, it’s all for them at the end of the day! 

How Can Stage Stubs Help?

Planning an awards night can feel overwhelming, but Stage Stubs takes the stress out of ticketing and event management—for free.

With Stage Stubs, you can:

• Sell tickets online at a pre-set time and date 
• Add food packages as merchandise and link them to specific tickets
• Create seating plans so families and friends can sit together
• Set tiered pricing to maximize revenue and cover your costs
• Track sales in real-time, so you always know how your event is performing
• Receive ticket revenue quickly, with money deposited into your account within three days, often the same day
  

Stage Stubs makes it simple and professional to manage your event, letting you focus on creating an unforgettable awards night for your students and community.