TY Ball Planning Checklist and Timeline for Student Committees

A TY ball can quickly become difficult to organise when venue enquiries, guest numbers and supplier decisions are spread across several group chats. A committee may think everything is progressing, only to discover that nobody confirmed the date, checked the meal arrangements or gave parents the final transport information.

Use this TY ball planning checklist to assign responsibilities, track deadlines and confirm the details that matter before your event. Keep one shared planning record with a task owner, due date and status for each item.

Quick answer: the TY ball planning checklist

Work backwards from your preferred event month and complete these steps in order:

1. Appoint committee roles and agree how decisions will be approved.
2. Check school and parent requirements before making commitments.
3. Estimate guest numbers and choose two or three possible dates.
4. Request suitable venue options and written quotations.
5. Confirm food, entertainment and every included service.
6. Set up guest information, payments and dietary requests.
7. Agree transport, supervision, security and emergency arrangements.
8. Reconfirm final numbers and prepare a written event-day schedule.

Do not wait until every guest has committed before starting venue enquiries. Begin with a realistic estimate, state clearly that it is provisional, and update it at agreed checkpoints.

Build your TY ball planning timeline around the event date

Most committees work more effectively when every task has an owner, a due date and a clear output. “Sort entertainment” is too vague. “Our entertainment lead will obtain written details before the next committee meeting” can be checked and followed up.

The timeline below assumes that planning starts roughly six months before the preferred month. If you have less time, keep the same order but shorten the intervals. Do not skip confirmation stages simply because the schedule is tight.

This is a working schedule rather than a promise that every venue or supplier will use the same deadlines. Ask each provider for its own cut-off dates, deposit conditions and final-number requirements.

Six months before: start the TY ball checklist with clear roles

Choose a small working committee rather than putting every decision to a large year-group chat. Students can lead research and communication, but the school and parents should know who is involved and how commitments will be approved.

Assign responsibility for the venue, finances, guest information, entertainment, transport and meeting notes. One person may hold more than one role, but every task needs a named owner. Appoint an adult contact who can clarify the school’s position and help students identify decisions that need formal approval.

Agree the committee’s voting method at the first meeting. For example, routine choices might need a simple majority, while a venue commitment or non-refundable payment may require approval from the designated adults. Record decisions in one shared document rather than relying on messages that disappear up the chat.

At this stage, read the fuller guide on how to organise a TY ball in Ireland. It covers the wider committee structure and responsibilities, while this article remains focused on the planning timeline.

Five months before: confirm requirements, dates and guest numbers

Before contacting venues, ask the school what involvement it will have and what conditions may apply. Do not describe an event as school-approved until the appropriate person has confirmed that position. Committees should also clarify adult involvement, communication with parents and any school-specific expectations.

Choose two or three possible dates. One fixed date can leave the committee with very few suitable options. Check school exams, tours, mid-term breaks, public holidays and other major year-group activities before creating the shortlist.

Estimate attendance using named categories. Separate TY students, invited guests, participating adults and any other agreed attendees. Avoid multiplying the full year-group size by two unless every student is definitely allowed to bring a guest and likely to attend.

Now create a short event brief containing the county, preferred dates, estimated attendance and broad event format. Include questions about capacity, access times, food and any restrictions that could affect entertainment. Committees approaching TYBalls.ie can review how the enquiry process works before sending these details.

Four months before: compare TY ball venues and written quotations

A venue should suit the expected attendance and event format. Capacity alone does not answer whether the room layout, meal service, access arrangements or finish time will work for your group.

Request written information rather than making decisions from a phone call alone. Ask what spaces are proposed, what dates are currently available and how long availability can be held. Check payment stages, cancellation terms and the deadline for final numbers before anyone authorises a payment.

Compare like with like. One response may cover the room and meal, while another may refer to a wider set of services. A lower headline figure can become difficult to assess if important items remain undecided. For more detail on the questions that affect the overall budget, use the TY ball cost guide and the practical article on how much a TY ball costs in Ireland.

Ask who is responsible for each service. If entertainment, room decoration or another element is mentioned, establish whether it is confirmed, optional or merely being discussed. Phrases such as “entertainment available” are not detailed enough for a committee to plan around.

You can review the type of information needed for a venue enquiry on the TY ball venues page. Suitability and availability still have to be confirmed for each date and group.

Three months before: confirm food, entertainment and inclusions

Once the main event arrangement is taking shape, turn every general description into a specific question. What meal format is proposed? When are menu choices required? How will allergies and dietary requirements be collected and passed to the appropriate food provider? Who is supplying the entertainment, and what are its start and finish times?

Do not promise guests a particular menu, performer, theme or extra until it is confirmed in writing. A committee poster can easily become a source of confusion when it presents an early idea as part of the final plan.

Food information deserves careful handling. Ask the venue or food provider how it manages allergen information, then give guests a clear route for submitting relevant requirements. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s allergen guidance explains the allergen information food businesses must provide. Committees should pass information accurately rather than attempting to assess medical needs themselves.

Entertainment should fit the available room, access time and agreed event schedule. Check setup requirements, equipment responsibility, sound restrictions, breaks and finish time. If students want a DJ, photo area or other activity, decide where it belongs in the schedule before confirming it.

This is also the point to agree how event changes will be communicated. Use one official committee channel for confirmed information. Group chats can still be used for discussion, but guests and parents should not have to decide which of several messages is correct.

Two months before: organise guest information and payments

Issue one clear guest notice containing only confirmed details. It should identify the event date, location where confirmed, planned times, who may attend, the response deadline and whom parents or students should contact with questions.

Explain the payment process in plain language. State the due dates, who receives payments, what reference should be used and any relevant conditions that have been approved for circulation. Keep a controlled payment record with restricted access. Do not post lists showing who has or has not paid in a year-group chat.

Collect only information needed to organise the event. A typical response process may require the attendee’s name, an agreed contact route, guest details where applicable, meal choice and relevant dietary information.

Restrict access to guest records. Decide who needs the complete list, where it will be stored and when information that is no longer needed will be deleted. Medical or dietary details should not be copied into broad committee chats.

Late responses are a common source of tension. Set the rule before the deadline arrives. If changes depend on venue or supplier approval, say so instead of promising that every late addition can be accepted.

One month before: confirm transport, supervision and security

Transport, supervision and security should be discussed as separate responsibilities. Booking a bus does not settle who checks attendance, how a missed departure is handled or which adult has the relevant contact details.

Confirm whether group transport is being arranged and who is responsible for it. Record pickup points, departure times, return arrangements, provider details and the procedure for communicating a delay. Tell families clearly if any journey is not part of the organised arrangement.

Ask the appropriate school and adult contacts to confirm the supervision approach. Clarify who is expected to attend, arrival times, areas of responsibility and whom venue staff should contact. Ask the responsible organiser and venue to confirm the staffing arrangements for your event.

Security arrangements also need event-specific confirmation. The venue, organiser and school contacts may each hold different responsibilities. Ask who controls entry, how the guest list will be used, what identification requirements apply and how an incident would be reported. Avoid promising a particular security level before the responsible parties have agreed it.

Prepare a contact sheet containing the authorised contacts for the venue, transport and other confirmed providers. Share the full version only with people who require it. Guests can receive a shorter information sheet without private supplier or personal contact details.

Final week: complete the TY ball planning checklist

The final week is for confirmation, not redesign. Freeze optional additions unless they solve a genuine operational problem and can be approved without disrupting confirmed arrangements.

Send final attendance information by the agreed deadline. Recheck spelling where names are used, meal choices, dietary information, guest status and any agreed seating plan. Ask the recipient to confirm that the updated information was received.

Create a simple run sheet beginning with supplier access and ending with the final departure. Give each item a time, location, responsible person and contact route. Include guest arrival, entry checks, seating, food service, speeches if any, entertainment, transport boarding and venue handover.

Hold a short final briefing. Read the schedule from top to bottom and ask what happens if a bus is late, a guest is missing from the list or a supplier needs access. Assign a contact for each situation. Do not ask the whole committee to solve every issue at once.

On the event day, use the current run sheet rather than an earlier version saved on someone’s phone. Keep changes controlled. One person should record any timing update and tell the people directly affected.

Plan your TY ball with TYBalls.ie

Planning a TY ball? Send your county, estimated guest numbers and preferred dates so TYBalls.ie can discuss suitable options and a tailored quote. Keep this checklist beside your committee record and update it as each detail is confirmed.