Hints for a Successful Banquet:

Choose a quiet, private venue – never a restaurant
Consider the size of the room carefully – not too big as an empty venue is discouraging and not too small as you don’t want to feel claustrophobic. Also allow plenty of room for staging and round tables (where available)
Place tables and the stage so that there are few obstructions and so that people are close to the speaker – this allows the speaker to connect with the audience more personally
Nice semi-formal set up – use tablecloths, candles and dress the room attractively
Create a great atmosphere from the start – be welcoming and have soft, worshipful instrumental music playing in the background
Help people focus on God with a short time of worship so they are ready to hear from Him
The video/tech team/worship team setup needs to be completed no later than one hour prior to the start of the banquet. This is to allow for adequate sound check, queuing of the tapes, other problem solving
Set up the room to serve people as quickly as possible

Request (or provide) desserts such as cakes and squares that can be cut and put on plates for ease of service and presentation. This makes serving and clean up easier for all those that are helping.
The dessert buffet should be self-service and set up so that no one is waiting to get them – have portions on plates already or have different stations around the room
Don’t place buffet tables against a wall, allow easy access from both sides
Desserts and drinks should be ready 30 minutes beforehand, guests are invited to help themselves as they arrive
Provides beverages on tables or also at several points, so no one is waiting. Water glasses and jugs and milk and sugar can be on tables
No one should be moving around the room once the speaker has begun (i.e., no clearing of the tables – until after the evening is finished)

Ask for “two songs”, not ten minutes. Make sure the worship leader understands when to hand over the mic to avoid going over the allotted worship time.
When not on stage, they should be a part of the banquet audience, not hanging out.

Choose a local M.C. for the evening who is positive, lively and a champion for IWT

Inform the M.C. of the mechanics of the program before the day of the banquet, and brief him/her again the night of the banquet.
Make sure the M.C. has a bio of the speaker a (carry an extra copy) so they don’t flounder during the introduction.
Have the M.C. share the budget amount and coach them to be reassuring that it’s an achievable amount and to exhort the crowd that they can do it
Prompt the M.C. to avoid terminology such as:

Don’t place brochures on tables.
Direct guests to the front and middle tables first.
Start on time and after a brief welcome, open the dessert table and give specific instructions as to how to serve themselves.
Keep to the time table – a long-running evening affects giving
A rule of thumb: Do not ask people to be doing two things at once
Don’t let the room get too warm
There should be no movement or distraction during any part of the appeal
When the speaker calls for the pledge cards, ushers should pass them out one by one, not a stack to each table
Attendee’s full focus should be on the pledge cards as the speaker walks them through step by step how to fill them out
Instruct your ushers to follow the cues given from the front about how and when to collect the offering – otherwise, they should remain at the ready at the back of the room
The people at the banquet are all potential table hosts for future fundraising events – the speaker should build this expectation from the front. Be sure to collect their details in some way (the volunteer sign-up or pledge card) but don’t make them fill out form after form