A school ball organised privately by Wellington students has been forced to move to a secret venue after police raised issues about their original venue's licensing.

Organiser Hugh Soper is determined to prove the ball, which will have about 600 attendees, can be run smoothly.

The "Humball" was set to run in the James Smith Corner Basement on Saturday, but police alcohol harm reduction officer Sergeant Damian Rapira-Davies said the venue pulled out after being reminded its licence conditions meant students under 18 would need parents accompanying them, Fairfax reported.

Soper, a former Wellington College student, told the Herald there were "a few options" for a new venue, and they were rescheduling the ball to October 15.

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"We're just working with [the venues] to see which one we're most happy with."

He said he would inform police as soon as they had finalised the new venue.

"We'll continue to work with them to get this done safely, just to show that an event like this can be done well," he said.

Last year a privately organised ball for Wellington College students ended in disaster, with almost 50 students requiring medical attention.

The event saw two students hospitalised and almost 40 treated for intoxication after students "pre-loaded" and smuggled alcohol.

Soper said he had "absolutely" no involvement with last year's ball, and the event he was organising would be alcohol free.

"It's just showing you can have fun without turning up wasted," he said.

This year's ball will have a large amount of security, good catering, and good entertainment. It is not associated with any one school, but is for all college students in Wellington.

No intoxicated people would be allowed in.

"It's a very robust plan that we have."

Soper, who is in his 20s, said he hopes to get into event organising for work, and has been involved in organising other events in the past.

He was "a little bit disappointed" that the ball had to postponed, "but this stuff happens, you need to be expecting the worst".

They would be offering refunds to anybody who had bought a $75 ticket and couldn't make it to the new date.

He and the other organisers wanted the ball to be "as professional of an event as possible".

Wellington College's headmaster, Roger Moses, told Fairfax he did not know anything about this year's planned ball. He is currently overseas on sabbatical.

"After the unfortunate events of the privately organised function that was held last year, Wellington College does not hold a school ball and has not done so for about 25 years - certainly well before my time as headmaster," he said.

"It completely dissociates itself from any private function organised by any individuals, whether they be parents or students."

Associate principal David Ashby said the school had no comment on the ball as it was nothing to do with them.