Reserve your Graduation Ball Tickets Now!

The recent survey served as guide for the MSPTA to make a shortlist of candidate venues for the Graduation Ball, approximate per head budget, and candidate dates.

With the Graduation Ball still many months away, most of the preferred venues are fully booked. At this time, there are only three remaining feasible venues, within budget.

1. Eastwood Richmonde Hotel beside the Eastwood Mall is feasible for a MINIMUM of 200 (minimum consumable requirement) and MAXIMUM of 300 attendees (space limitations) on March 25 (also waitlisted for March 18, 2011). Cost P 2,000/head. Includes a dinner buffet with unlimited iced tea.
2. Crowne Plaza beside Robinsons Galleria at Ortigas Center is feasible for a MINIMUM of 320 attendees (minimum consumable requirements) and MAXIMUM of 500 attendees (space limitations), on March 18 and March 25. Cost P 2,000/head. Includes dinner buffet with single drink.
3. Glass Garden, a large air-conditioned indoor garden venue near SM City Marikina, is feasible for 150 to 700 attendees , on March 15, 16, or 17, 2011. Cost P 1,600/head. Includes dinner buffet with unlimited drinks.

The budget covers venue, food for attendees and guests (Year 10 teachers), mobile disco and photo-booth. Due to reservation requirements, we need to collect the graduation ball ticket fees early, both to pay reservation fees and to accurately confirm headcounts. With 320 to 500 confirmed attendees, we can book Crowne Plaza (subject to availability). With 200 to 319 confirmed attendees, we can book Richmonde Hotel(subject to availability). With 150-199, or more than 500 we can book Glass Garden (and return excess fees). With less than 150 we have to revise plans.

Hence, we are requesting you to pay for your son and partner the graduation ball tickets as follows:

• P 1,800 by October 8, 2010 ( P200 discount! ) per attendee, or
• P 1,000 by October 8, 2010 and P900 by January 15, 2011 ( P100 discount! ) per attendee, or
• P 500 by October 8, 2010 and P1,450 by January 15, 2011 ( P50 discount! ) per attendee

The ticket fees are non-refundable, but transferable. After October 8, 2010, tickets may be sold for the full price of P2,000 per attendee DEPENDING ON SPACE LIMITATION of the final venue.

If for example, we reserve Richmonde Hotel which can accommodate 300 guests, we can only issue up to 300 tickets. If we have already issued 300 tickets, we can no longer sell more tickets even if we wanted to, so RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW! First come, first served!

You can pay for the tickets

• Pay by cash/check at the MSPTA office near grade school faculty room ( Sept 30 to Oct 8, 3pm to 4:30pm). If paying by check, make check in the name of Susana Clemente and Agnes Doria.
• Pay by bank deposit to to Banco De Oro bank, Concepcion branch, account number 330426435 account name Susana Clemente and Agnes Doria. After depositing, please submit a copy of the deposit slip at the MSPTA office (see above schedule), or scan deposit slip then email image to maryann@marist-community.com.

Optional expenses (such as additional souvenir items) should be covered by fund from fund-raising activities such as the cake/cookie raffle and math tutorials. We would also like to solicit your help/ donation for these activities, whether in the form of cash, cakes or time/effort.

Crowne Plaza Galleria

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is a strong candidate venue for the Marist 2011 Graduation Ball. Located beside Robinson's Galleria Mall in Ortigas Center, it can be conveniently reached from Marikina, Quezon City and Makati.

The Crowne Plaza has several possible function rooms, with capacity ranging from 100 to 800 ( Grand Ballroom). However, each function room has its assigned minimum consumable rate, which would probably translate to high per head rates if fewer people decide to attend. For example, the Grand Ballroom, with capacity for 800 has a P1,000,000 minimum consumable rate (before VAT and service charges), which translates to about P1,250 per head(before VAT and service charges), ASSUMING 800 people. But if fewer attend, e.g. 500, that would translate to P2,000 per head. Plus VAT, service charges and local taxes, this may reach P2,800 per head. Crowne Plaza is good if you can reserve and exactly fill the correct sized function room.


Crowne Plaza's beautiful ballrooms with sparkling chandeliers and high ceilings, make any event especially picturesque

Being beside a mall ( actually a part of the mall ) has its conveniences: it is very accessible, shares parking with the mall, has lots of activities for waiting parents, and numerous dining choices ( up to 10pm ).

Features

• FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED
• Capacity 100 – 800 ( Grandballroom )
• Mall parking
• High quality mobile sound system
• Handicap-friendly facilities
• Standby generator
• Air-conditioned restrooms
• Danceable flooring

The proposed menus are positively mouth watering, but include only one round of either iced tea, softdrinks, chilled juices or local beers per guest. Additional drinks cost extra, to the tune of probably P200 (plus VAT and service charge ) per drink.

Crowne Plaza will cost us about P2,000 per head, inclusive of hotel costs ( food, venue, photo booth

One of the Proposed Menus for the Graduation Ball.

BREADS
Assorted Bread Rolls

COLD APPETIZERS
Fish Terrine with Bell Pepper Coulis
Rosace of Melon and Shavings of Dried Smoked Ham
Platters of Assorted Grilled Vegetables and Confit in Olive Oil scented
with Garlic and Thyme
Seafood Tabouleh

SALAD
Seafood Penne Pasta scented with Dill Dressing
Assorted Green Salad with Selection of Dressings
Native Cheese Salad (Kesong Puti, Mozzarella, Ricotta)
with Marinated Eggplant
Niçoise Salad
Baby Potato Salad with Chorizo-Spiced
Dressing

SOUP
Crecy Soup (Carrot Soup with Bacon Shaving)

HOT DISHES
Chicken Fricassée in Red Wine Sauce with Braised Shallots,
Croutons and Parsley
Sweet and Sour Pork
Braised Flounder Fillet served with Sauce Aurore
Beef Medallion in Creamy Szechuan Pepper
Pilaf Rice with Garden Green Peas
Sautéed Baguio Beans and Carrots in Olive Oil with Rosemary
Gratin Dauphinois

HOT DESSERT
Bread and Butter Pudding

COLD DESSERT
Apple Jalousie
Chocolate Brownie
Fresh Fruit Pavlova and Cream
Raspberry Mousse Cake

SAUCES / COMPOTES / CONDIMENTS
Berry Compote
Chocolate Grissini Sticks

Freshly Brewed Coffee or Tea

Eastwood Richmonde Hotel

The Eastwood Richmonde Hotel is probably the best candidate venues for the Marist 2011 Graduation Ball. Located beside Eastwood Mall in the emerging business district of Eastwood City along C5/Libis, it is a 5 minute drive from SM City Marikina and much nearer to Marikina than Crowne Plaza in Ortigas Center.

The Eastwood Richmonde Hotel grand ballroom (combining ballrooms A, B, and C ) at the third floor can accommodate up to 300 guests ( maybe a little less with a dance floor ). It is a beautiful venue for medium to large events such as wedding receptions, debuts, birthdays and graduation balls, with sparkling chandeliers and high ceilings.

Since it is beside Eastwood Mall, parents and family can just watch the dancing fountain at the Eastwood Open Park, shop till 11pm, enjoy fine dining at the mall or City Walk 2 till 1am, or take a quick break at 24 hour restaurants ( e.g. Something Fishy ) or fastfood ( Dell's ).

Features

• FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED
• Capacity 100 – 300 ( Grandballroom )
• beautiful hotel lobby
• Mall parking
• High quality basic sound system
• Handicap-friendly facilities
• Standby generator
• Air-conditioned restrooms
• Danceable flooring
• FREE standard ceiling drapes

The proposed dinner buffet includes bottomless iced tea, something the other hotel candidate venues do not offer

The proposed buffet menus are like nirvana for the food-lovers among us. Here is a sample menu.

Cold Entrée
Smoked Salmon Platter with Dill Mustard Sauce
Cold Grilled Scallop in Sesame Soya Sauce
Fresh Cold Prawns in Cocktail Sauce
Thinly Sliced Parma Ham with Seasonal Melon Pearls
Egg Mimosa on Russian Salad
Country Style Chicken Terrine with Cranberry Sauce
Young Corn with Diced Red and Green Pimientos
Mixed Green Salad with Assorted Dressings
(Thousand Island, Caesar, Hoisin Vinaigrette, Creamy French)

Soup
Quail Consommé with Vegetables and Angel’s Hair

Main Course
Roast Beef Tenderloin and Spaetzle with Morel Sauce
Lamb Chops on Ratatouille Vegetables
Chicken Escalope Saltimbocca
Grilled Salmon Fillet with Herb Butter
Spiced Pork and Mushroom Roulades
Vegetable and Mushroom Lasagna
Buttered Broccoli with Almonds
Steamed Rice

Carving
Roast Australian Prime Rib

Dessert
Assorted Fresh Fruit Platter
Crème Brulee
White Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Praline Tart
Bavarian Cream with Strawberry Sauce
Crepe Samurai

Hot Drinks
Coffee or Tea

Graduation Ball Survey Results

We tallied the questionnaire responses of the Graduation Ball Survey. Out of the 302 parents/guardians of Year 10 students, a total of 184 voted, all in favor of having a graduation ball. Of the 184 parents, 118 said their sons will bring partners. Voting multiple times for all acceptable budget, the most preferred budget per head is P2,000 per head (hotels such as Crowne Plaza).

In Favor	184
Not in favor	0

My son will bring a partner	118
My son will NOT bring a partner	66

Budget	Votes
P 900	52
P 1,600	47
P 2,000	59
P 2,500	54

Preferred Date	Votes
March 18, 2011	68
March 25, 2011	58
March 26, 2011	54
None	6

This early, many candidate venues are already booked for March 18, 25, and 26, 2011, so we should decide and make reservations as early as possible.

At this time, there are only three remaining feasible venues, within budget.

1. Eastwood Richmonde Hotel beside the Eastwood Mall is feasible for a MINIMUM of 200 (minimum consumable requirement) and MAXIMUM of 300 attendees (space limitations) on March 25 (also waitlisted for March 18, 2011). Cost P 2,000/head. Includes a dinner buffet with unlimited iced tea.
2. Crowne Plaza beside Robinsons Galleria at Ortigas Center is feasible for a MINIMUM of 320 attendees (minimum consumable requirements) and MAXIMUM of 500 attendees (space limitations), on March 18 and March 25. Cost P 2,000/head. Includes dinner buffet with single drink.
3. Glass Garden, a large air-conditioned indoor garden venue near SM City Marikina, is feasible for 150 to 700 attendees , on March 15, 16, or 17, 2011. Cost P 1,600/head. Includes dinner buffet with unlimited drinks.

Due to reservation requirements, we need to collect the graduation ball ticket fees early, both to pay reservation fees and to accurately confirm headcounts. With 320 to 500 confirmed attendees, we can book Crowne Plaza (subject to availability). With 200 to 319 confirmed attendees, we can book Eastwood Richmonde Hotel(subject to availability). With 150-199, or more than 500 we can book Glass Garden (and return excess fees). With less than 150 we have to revise plans.