Being asked to plan your corporate holiday party is not only an honor, but a chance for you to showcase your creativity! It shows that your boss trusts you to get the job done, AND your colleagues get to see some of your imaginative flare.
However, when you begin planning the party you might feel overwhelmed with the pressures to make it better than last years, without raising the expenses. So we would like to share some tips to help you along with your planning process and have an awesome corporate holiday party!
1) Who’s Invited?
Make sure to decide off-the-bat if this is going to be a family-friendly event, or coworkers only. Do you want to allow kids, spouses, clients, and/or partners? Having an idea of how many people will be at your corporate holiday party is critical in order to move on with the planning. This leads us to our second tip of the goals for the event and the culture you want to encourage.
2) Establish Goals For The Event
Is the goal to increase morale, strengthen your brand, or make your customers feel appreciated? This, of course, depends on who will be attending your corporate holiday party. Towards the end of the year the office atmosphere can get a bit chaotic and have some of your coworkers feeling less jolly and more like Ebenezer Scrooge. The holiday party comes at a most welcome time to not only bring cheer but celebrate the business successes of the year. If clients will also be attending, make sure you do something special for them.
3) Mix It Up With A Unique Venue
If the budget allows, it is always a great idea to get everyone out of the office and in a celebratory mood by reserving space at a unique venue. If leaving the office is not an option, you can always create the same excitement of going to a venue by going all-out with decorations to create an ambiance of being someplace else. Besides decorations, keep in mind that lighting and music go a long way in creating a fun holiday atmosphere.
4) Establish A Theme & Color Pallet
While it is easy to go with the usual red and green holiday colors, you can also explore with colors like blue and white, or silver and white to add a level of luxury to your party.
5) Offer Childcare In A Different Room Within The Venue
If your corporate holiday party is child-friendly and a lot of your employees have children, then it is nice to be thoughtful by giving them a break and providing entertainment for their kids as well. Local Bay Area companies, such Collage Sitters (https://www.collegenanniesandtutors.com/specialty-care) can help you set up all of the games and activities to keep the little ones save and entertained.
6) Portion Control
Buffets are the most affordable option. The best way to go about it is to set up the buffet and have staff control the portion sizes. This proves especially helpful if you will be hosting children at your party. Little hands have a way of piling their plates with cookies! You will run out of food prematurely if you do not at least have one staff person standing next to the catering.
7) Setup A Company Trivia Station At The Holiday Party
Whatever theme you end up choosing for your corporate holiday party, you can always work your company culture into the event. Find little places to include the company values; such as on the door, in your prizes, and weaved into speeches.
8) Have A “Wow Factor” That Guests Will Remember
Your “wow factor” could be the venue or entertainment, but try to have one secret “wow factor” that the guests will remember for years to come. Let your imagination run wild for this one.
9) Create Signature Cocktails
There are so many instagram-worthy holiday cocktails to choose from. Welcome drinks add a level of fun and excitement to the event. And remember, they do not have to have alcohol to leave a lasting impression.
10) Still Overwhelmed? Hire a Professional Planner
Last, but certainly not least, you could always hire a professional planner. We understand that planning an event can be a huge task to take on. We can always step in and help! Use our free event planner matching service to find your best fit now (https://eventplannermatchmaker.com). If you are still on the fence whether you need the help or not, check out our blog post on Why You Should Always Consider An Event Planner.
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