One year after cancellation, Black Tie Affair returns to Salem Convention Center

Bearcats enjoy the 2023 edition of the Black Tie Affair. Photo by Anushka Srivastav.

One year after its cancellation due to problems with event logistics and a resulting lack of ticket sales following the event’s move to PNCA, the Willamette Events Board’s (WEB) historically popular Black Tie Affair is set for March 7 from 8-11:30 p.m. at the Salem Convention Center downtown. The theme for this year's event is "Royal Ball."

Jodi Santillie, assistant director for Student Engagement and Leadership and advisor to WEB, said that the cancellation of the decades-old annual dance last year was not due to a lack of student interest, but rather a conflict with booking the Convention Center. 

Without their normal venue, WEB tried to see if the PNCA campus would be a better fit for the event. However, there were logistical issues with the location, and the individual ticket price for the event significantly increased, making it no longer reasonable to host the event, Santillie said. 

The theme of the Black Tie Affair is different every year. Santillie explained that there is an extensive process that goes into the decision. 

“[WEB goes] through a process where we do a huge brainstorming session to choose a theme,” Santillie said. “The Royal Ball theme kind of stemmed from a twofold thing where we knew we had a lot of things in our storage that would fit the theme, and also the team enjoys things like Bridgerton.”

WEB will also provide appetizers and desserts for attendees. Additionally, there will be a 21+ lounge for attendees of age to enjoy drinks at an appropriate pace, Santillie said. For first-time attendees, Santillie recommended that students dress to the theme, wear comfortable shoes and bring what they can carry. 

“The Convention Center is very particular about [certain] things. You need to check in coats and purses,” she said. “The least amount [of items] that you can bring with you, the better just because the coat check gets a little hectic.”

The last time Black Tie Affair was hosted, in the spring semester of 2024, WEB estimated that there were over 680 people in attendance.  

“[The Black Tie Affair] is [WEB’s] largest event outside of Midnight Breakfast,” Santillie said.   

Students can buy tickets online for $17 up until Feb. 28 or pay $20 on the day of the event. The Salem Convention Center will allow no entry into the event after 10 p.m. Any accommodation requests should be directed to the Willamette Events Board.