Graduation Ideas for Limited Capacity Venues

Graduation is a big deal, but what if you’re stuck hosting the event in a small venue? With a limited seating arrangement, not every school can accommodate all the family and friends that hope to attend the ceremony. However, you can take proactive measures to make sure the event goes as smoothly as possible. In this practical guide, we’ve shared 4 graduation ideas for limited capacity venues.

Once you’ve set up an online ticketing system, it’s easy to link individual tickets to a seat at the graduation venue. Many auditoriums and stadiums already have numbered seats, which are incredibly useful. Some online ticketing platforms will even allow guests to reserve seats from a visual layout. Just stick to the “one ticket, one seat” policy, and you’ll never run out of room.

Of course, there’s a strong possibility that graduation tickets will sell out. Demand for tickets may outstrip supply, so how are you going to keep all the other people happy? For one, you can set up a separate seating area with televisions streaming the ceremony live. Perhaps this seating area can be outside the main venue so that attendees can congratulate the graduates at the reception. As long as guests feel like they’re part of the event, most will be okay with sitting in a nearby location.  

Finally, if you have the resources to set it up, you should offer a live web stream as well. Family members who live in other states and countries will sincerely appreciate the gesture. If you’re already capturing the ceremony on video, it doesn’t take much effort to add a live feed. Talk to your school’s A/V department at least a few months in advance. You may want to get in touch with some local videographers as well.

At GraduationSource, we believe that thoughtful planning can have a huge impact. Visit our blog for more graduation ideas and teaching tips.