Following the restrictions put in place by the Government, it is with real sadness that we have made the difficult decision to cancel Summer Ball 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Despite our hope that the situation will have improved by the third academic term, it would be practically impossible for us to carry out the necessary prior planning and infrastructure work that is involved with an event of this size.
Delivering an event of this scale takes months of planning and preparation which is not possible at the moment . It's becoming increasingly clear that nationally there is real uncertainty about when we might be through this crisis, with other large-scale events across the country, such as Glastonbury and Wimbledon already cancelled. This also makes setting a new date an impossible task.
SU President Daniel Jervis commented: “This was one of the hardest decisions that we have had to make, so far, as an organisation, but the right one given the current circumstances. I am genuinely sorry that this year we will have to cancel the Summer Ball as I know that a lot of you, especially our final year students, are going to be disappointed, and I am disappointed for all of you. I was looking forward to seeing the Swamp come alive for my final Summer Ball and enjoy celebrating it with you all.
However, we can't look beyond what is happening across the globe right now and the response to coronavirus rightfully takes priority over the Summer Ball. There will also be difficult financial implications as a result of this cancellation for HASU, our student staff and our suppliers. We will be working hard to return to business as usual as soon as the situation allows. In the meantime we will need to consider battening down our financial hatches to see us through this period as best we can.”
For final year students, we understand that Summer Ball and final year dinner are important dates in the calendar, marking the completion of your amazing four years at Harper Adams University. Our commitment to you is that we will be inviting you all to attend the Summer Ball in 2021 not at guest but entitled ticket holders. We are also committed to exploring avenues to include something a little different and new for this year’s graduating cohort, to look to replace the VIP meal which you all will unfortunately miss.
Finally, we are also be rolling out our graduation party, to sit alongside your graduation ceremony. Once more details about graduation are available, we’ll let you know our plans.
SUMMER BALL 2020 FAQS
I purchased a SU Social Membership this year and I’m graduating; will I be able to carry this over for the Summer Ball in 2021?
Yes, all SU Membership ticket holders for 2019-20 will be given access to discounted tickets for the 2021 Summer Ball. We will write to all holders in the near future explaining how this will work.
When will Summer Ball 2021 take place?
We’re currently working towards Saturday 19th 2021 as the date for next year’s event, but won’t be able to announce the date for certain for a while.
Why is the event not just being postponed?
Delivering an event of this scale takes months of planning and preparation which is not possible at the moment. It's becoming increasingly clear that nationally there is real uncertainty about when we might be through this crisis, which makes setting a new date in the next few months an impossible task.