More Summer Ball plans outlined

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s scaled-down Summer Ball, to be held on 23 June. Promising a “transformed South Kensington campus” and marking the return of a black tie formal dinner option, the Union has sought to firmly overview the financial risk of the event in order to avoid a substantial loss such as that sustained at the 2011 Summer Ball.

While in previous years the College has provided a subsidy of approximately £22,000 in order to help with the organisation of the event it emerged in February that the College do not intend to provide funding for the organisation of this year’s Ball.

£13,000 has been set aside for DJs and Band Fees, based on one smaller headline act. Deputy President (Finance & Services) Michael Foster told Felix that organisers are “not yet at the stage” at which acts can be confirmed, following similar timetabling in previous years.

The budgeted figure of £5,500 for the returning funfair – one of the most popular aspects of last year’s event following a Felix survey late last year – is currently based on the hire of two rides and one inflatable.

Following student feedback, the formal dinner option returns after its absence last year. 178 formal dinner ticket purchases at £40 each are required by the beginning of May for the black tie event to go ahead alongside the Ball itself. If the dinner does not go ahead, a full refund will be provided to dinner ticket holders.

The ticket for the Ball itself has been reduced from £45 to £30. With a third removed from last year’s price, potential attendees will no doubt been keen for further details as to whether the scaled-down event will be worth the value.