Regarding the Banquet

The GSB team is not providing a Banquet this year; however, we are providing a framework for you to use and we highly encourage you to arrange your own formal dining prior to the Ball. We suggest that you start planning now and begin budgeting for the additional expense of your own Banquet experience.

If you choose to operate within our framework, you may take on one of three roles:


Guest

You will pay your host to reserve your place at a Banquet they will prepare (prices will vary by host). You can check out our list of committed hosts here and contact them to request an invitation.


Your responsibilities:
Find a Banquet to attend
Arrive on time to your Banquet
Arrive on time to the Ball that follows
Follow any requirements specified by your host 


Host/Hostess

You will coordinate a Banquet experience for at least 6 attendees (including yourself). This must be at least your third year at the GSB. You can work with another attendee, an outside caterer, or make reservations at a restaurant. You cannot prepare the meal yourself. Please
e-mail yvscearts@gmail.com with updates on your experience and your guest list as they arise.

Your responsibilities:
Invite/Accept other attendees into your Banquet
Plan all logistics (price per plate, caterer, venue, etc.)                                   
Communicate early and often with attendees and with the GSB team
Facilitate an atmosphere and conversation congruent to the spirit of the GSB
Keep Time – Enable your group to enjoy the Banquet and get to the Ball on time


Caterer

You will prepare food for a Banquet experience. You cannot host the event and must find a host to work with. You may only join the table as a guest if you do not need to oversee the kitchen during the Banquet (see FAQs).


Your responsibilities:
Find a host to work with
Follow any requirements they specify
Prepare the Banquet on time
Prepare yourself to attend the Ball on time


FAQs


What if there are not enough hosts?

Then become one or convince someone else to be a host! We are serious about personal responsibility, and we mean it when we say that you are responsible for your own experience. If you miss out on a Banquet experience this year, that is on you.


Can I host jointly with another attendee such as my spouse or friend?

Yes!


Do hosts need to have equal numbers of men and women attend their Banquet?

We hope you’ll strive to maintain a balanced ratio, however, the final decision on the guest list lies with the Banquet Host.


Can I host AND cater a Banquet experience?

No. Both roles will require a lot of attention to detail and will eat into the amount of time you have to prepare yourself the day of the Ball. In order to maintain the elevation of everyone’s experiences, we ask that you pick one role, and that you do it well.


If I want to cater a meal but don’t have a host, how do I find one?

Ask another attendee to be your host and work with them to execute your vision. Hosts and caterers cannot be the same person, but we hope you’ll work closely together to create an amazing experience for your guests.


Can I assist in the kitchen and also be a guest at the table?

All kitchen staff may enjoy the meal they have prepared, but can only sit at the table with other guests under certain circumstances. Any GSB attendee or volunteer working in the kitchen during the Banquet cannot sit at the table with other attendees. Any GSB attendee assisting in the kitchen prior to the Banquet may participate as a guest at the Banquet table, provided that they can arrive at the Banquet on time and their role as kitchen staff completely ceases at that point. Non-attendees may not sit at the Banquet table.


I am not attending this year but would like to help out. Can I?

Yes. You may not be a guest or a host (you may not sit at a Banquet table), but you may offer your services to a host, which they may or may not accept. You might offer yourself as a caterer, server, venue coordinator, etc. We ask that you keep your interactions with guests at the Banquet itself to a limited, professional role. Please remember that, though you may have attended in the past, you have not spent the weekend cultivating the mindset that the guests at the table all share, and that you, especially, hold power to break the experience for them.


So what is the role of the GSB Team in all of this?

We are organizing a framework that will make it easier for you to create your own experience. We are not providing any financial or physical aid in this sphere, and we hold each attendee responsible for the Banquet that he or she has. However, we still want you to reach out if you need help– we are completely willing and eager to answer questions, connect attendees with each other, and brainstorm solutions with you! We care deeply about the experience you will have and are so excited to see what you will create.



More questions? E-mail us at yvsceball@gmail.com