A reflection on the Jacaranda Banquet

Kerry Arbuckle
Bachelor of Arts student
Avondale College

Jacaranda Banquet. Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? Well, that depends on which side of the table you’re sitting. I helped organise the banquet this year, and I have new respect for event managers.

Looking back, I would now describe myself as a little naïve. How hard could it be to organise an event such as the Jacaranda Banquet? Create budget. Brainstorm. Set theme. Book venue. Seek sponsorship. Finalise menu. Update budget. Plan program. Research resources for best price. Update budget. Seek better price. Buy and hire decorations. Finalise design for collateral. Distribute collateral. Sell tickets. Seek money from sponsors. Sell tickets. Hire a DJ. Sell tickets. Decorate tables. This is just a basic outline of the work we completed for our Event Management class.

Learning to work with each other as classmates and with others and not taking rejection to heart: challenging. The things of most concern to the organisers of an event seem to be the things of least concern to those attending, yet without these things the event would have been lacking.

I found organising Jacaranda Banquet stressful. The semester seemed to ebb and flow—stress, relief, stress, relief—but I now have a real sense of achievement. I’ll remember the experience and perhaps even the Jacaranda Banquet itself, because never has an event I’ve attended seemed to end so quickly.