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Fundraising banquet timeline for 2,000 guests

A day-of timeline for a 2,000-guest fundraising banquet with a plated dinner, awards and a live auction. Open it in the timeline tool to change anything.

A banquet this size raises the most when dinner runs on time and the live auction starts while energy is high.

What to plan for

  • A plated dinner for 2,000 needs about 100 servers and a firm meal count two weeks ahead.
  • Use paddle numbers or mobile bidding so the auction moves fast in a big room.
  • Open one check-in lane for about every 250 guests, and post table maps at every entrance. Find my seat lets guests look up their table on their phone.
  • Book rentals, staging and AV for the day before, or double the crews. A room this size takes much longer to set.

What the day looks like

A sample day in Houston. Showing what guests and family see; the full version adds every vendor's call times.