If you’ve hosted a holiday party for your office, you know that it requires a lot of effort and planning. You have to consider the amount of employees that will be in attendance, create and stick to a budget, timing, formation, venues, food and beverages, as well as gifts to reward your employees for a job well done. The following is a quick how-to guide will assist you in planning a fun holiday party for your co-workers that is sure to be one for the books…
#1: Setting Your Date
Setting the date and time of the party is a good place to start. Many people travel around the holidays, so we advise having the date out there a couple months ahead of time, if feasible. In addition, avoid having your holiday party a week before or after Christmas to avoid a schedule conflict. Many companies have found that hosting their holiday party in early December is the most ideal time and has proven to have the best attendance. You also need to determine whether or not your holiday party will occur during working hours, after work, or during the weekend. There are pros and cons to each time frame. We will talk more about the next step.
#2: Determine What Type of Holiday Party Will Work Best
There are several ways that you can go about hosting your company’s holiday party. How you choose to structure the party will impact every other aspect of the party including budgeting, transportation, attendance, and more, so be sure to pick which option will suit your business the best. Here are a few popular holiday party types you might consider based on your needs.
- At-Work Holiday Party – To host an at-work holiday party, your co-workers will have to get a longer break from work or finish the day earlier so that they have plenty of time to gather as a whole unit at the office to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. Typically at-work parties include food, drinks, and for some, a small gift exchange to really feel celebrated.
- Pros: Higher attendance, more affordable, and you do not have to worry about covering transportation.
- Cons: Employees do not feel as valued, you will have to supply your own food or have it catered, you will also need more entertainment.
- Gathering After Work – Treat your employees to a local spot such as a restaurant or bar in close proximity to enjoy happy hour and/or dinner. Many companies rent out a room at the bar or restaurants making this option convenient for your employees.
- Pros: Less planning needed, food and beverages available at the location, easy to create a format that allows time for employee recognition and/or a gift exchange.
- Cons: Reduced attendance due conflicts with schedules, can be costly as you should plan to cover the bill for all your attendees.
- A Holiday Group Event – Employees enjoy engaging in group events. Consider treating your team to a night out at the bowling alley, attempting an escape room, a dinner cruise on the river, ice skating, trip to an amusement park, TopGolf, maybe an ugly sweater contest to get everyone in the holiday spirit. There are plenty of options to choose from, however you will have to take into consideration the weather in December. While this may limit your choices, there is still fun to be had. Be mindful that the activity you choose is inclusive to ensure all of your employees can enjoy the activity.
- Pros: You can expect high attendance, great for team building, offers more flexibility as far as scheduling, you won’t have to cover the expense of alcohol.
- Cons: It can be harder to coordinate and make time for employee recognition or gift exchanges, bigger expenses, limited options due to weather conditions, not all activities are inclusive.
- Formal Holiday Gala – Typically, companies host this type of event on a Friday after work or the following Saturday. It is important to not host these on a weeknight as libations can present a challenge. Formal holiday parties or galas are often hosted at a rented venue with a dress code that can be anything from casual work attire to black tie. This will take quite a bit of planning to pull together.
- Pros: Employees view these as the most valuable, increased attendance, ideal for employee recognition, promotes internal networking, employees enjoy this format the most.
- Cons: Most costly, more planning necessary, may present alcohol related issues, must emphasize the importance of planned transportation.
- Holiday Party Packages – Step back and let the professionals plan your holiday work event. This kind of party is already formatted to suit the needs of the venue and often comes with a party planning service included in the package with minimal help from your crew.
- Pros: Minimal planning needed on your behalf, entertainment as well as food and beverages are often provided, opportunity for employee recognition and gift exchanges.
- Cons: More expensive, less attendance but close to average, less personalized to match your business.
#3: Establish a Budget
In a perfect world, money would not be a factor and you could pay the best party planner to plan an elaborate holiday party for your crew. Unfortunately, this is not the case and you have a lot to take into consideration when it comes to establishing a budget for your company’s holiday party. If you have a tight budget, it is probably best to host an at-work celebration. But if you have a little more money budgeted for your holiday gathering, investing in a fun holiday party that will be one your employees never forget is well worth it. Below are some things to take into consideration as you set your budget for an annual holiday party.
- Location/Venue -Where you will host your event is going to be the first thing you should think about as you establish a budget. Whether you are having it in the backroom at a local restaurant or renting out an entire amusement park, this is an expense that has to be considered immediately. Most companies allow their employees to bring one guest, this is something to keep in mind as you determine how big of space you will need to accommodate all your guests.
- Transportation – If you intend to have alcohol, this is very important. We suggest providing on-site transportation.
- Food & Beverages – You can’t have a holiday party without some yummy food. If you want to save money, consider hosting the event as a potluck in which all guests are expected to bring a dish. If not, hire a caterer, offer venue-provided meals, or a buffet– all of these are great choices that are sure to go off without a hitch. For most, holiday parties are a chance to get together with your coworkers and celebrate a year’s worth of hard work. Being able to let loose a little and have a few drinks will take the edge off. Offering a cash bar or giving each employee a bar credit is a good way to allow them to enjoy themselves in moderation so that things do not get out of hand. These are good ways to save money while avoiding overconsumption.
- Entertainment – If you are not going somewhere that offers a team activity as the main event, then you should plan for some form of entertainment after your dinner. There are several options to choose from including: games, inflatable rentals, a band, or DJ.
- Gifts – You can’t celebrate the holiday without gifts. Gifts for your holiday can even be a package that all attendees receive or you could also choose to give individual gifts that recognize your hardest working employees. You have plenty of options to choose from that will be much appreciated. Holiday bonuses and gift cards are well received as many employees are juggling tighter than usual budgets in the holiday season.
#4: Get Your Invitations Out Early
You can choose to send out your invitations via email, mail, or by handing them out at work. No matter how you decide to get the word out, it is important to send your invitations out a couple months in advance. This will allow you to get a good head count so that you can choose a venue to accommodate your guests. For more detailed feedback, you can also include a plus one and dinner options at the bottom. Having all this information in the early stages of planning is beneficial and will make things easier moving forward.
#5: Choosing a Venue
A lot goes into deciding which venue will be best for your company holiday party. This includes your budget, number of guests, entertainment, location, date and time, as well as the availability. Choosing a venue that is easy to find and within thirty minutes of your business if feasible. At this point, you should have an idea of how many people are going to be in attendance so that you can choose a venue that is able to accommodate all of your guests including plus ones (or more if you decided to allow additional guests). Once you have the number of guests you can tour venues and assess the functionality of the space and how it will work, or if it will, for the plans you have. Many companies choose locations like bars, restaurants, event centers, dinner cruises, or even homes. When you find the right venue, do not hesitate, book it. Venues for holiday events book up fast so make it an appoint to have your venue secured a few months ahead of time.
#6 Planning Transportation
It is important to make sure you have a transportation plan in place that offers employees rides both to and from your event, especially if you intend to offer alcoholic beverages. However, this does mean that you have to pick each employee up from their home and transport them to the venue. Instead, if the venue is not in close proximity to where you live and work, consider having buses or limos transport your guests from your business to the venue and back at the end of the night. Providing transportation is very important to help reduce the chance employees drive under the influence. Whatever you decide, it is always great to make sure your employees have a safe ride home. This part of party planning cannot be dismissed.
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#7: Create an Alcohol Policy
Determining your alcohol for the event can be slightly challenging. Alcohol can be a hefty expense and it also can lead to unexpected chaos if employees are making rash decisions as the night goes on. To help avoid such issues, nearly half of all companies hosting holiday parties choose to limit alcohol consumption at their events. How? By offering drink tickets. In most cases, companies give their attendees two free drink tickets. Once they have used those, they are required to purchase their own beverages. Some suggest only serving wine or beer, others limit alcohol consumption to meal time. But all of these decisions only account for about half of companies so it really is up to you.
#8: Decide on Your Holiday Menu
Food is what everyone will be talking about. Deciding on your menu is rather easy if you are having your party at a restaurant but if not, you will more than likely need to hire a caterer. Listed below are a few ways you can go about planning the menu for your event.
- Restaurant Options – Have your guests order off of the restaurant’s menu or from a special menu you created with the restaurant specifically for your holiday event. Simple and easy.
- Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres – Offer small plates during cocktail hour before your main course to get the party started. For holiday events, popular hors d’oeuvres include Swedish meatballs, shrimp cocktails, oysters, flatbreads, and fondue. The choice is yours!
- Buffet Style – Set up a buffet that offers several selections including a delicious dessert. You can decide on buffet options on your own or allow your caterer to make the choices. A benefit to a buffet is that you won’t have to hire any servers which is an easy way to save money while offering a full meal.
- Potluck – If your party is at a venue that offers its own food, they more than likely will not allow you to do this. However, it is a great way to save money and get your team involved in the event planning. If you choose to host a potluck dinner, place a food sign up sheet in the break room so everyone has the opportunity to volunteer– and you do not end up with 5 things of buffalo chicken dip.
- Create Your Own Menu – Decide on your own menu and allow guests to choose the meal they would like from that menu when they RSVP. We often see this format at weddings and upscale corporate galas. How does it work? You provide your employees with a few different meal options with at least three courses each. This option will require servers to deliver plates to tables and keep glasses filled.
Whichever option you choose, make sure that you have options for those with common food allergies, as well as those who are vegan or vegetarian. We suggest getting a caterer lined up early in the party planning process so that they are not booked when the time comes.
#9: Entertainment is a Must
The best way to throw a memorable holiday party is to keep your guests entertained. A group activity is by far the easiest way to tackle entertainment. But if you are thinking of a more traditional party with cocktail hour, dinner, then you will need to plan for entertainment. .You can keep this as simple as renting bar games like darts, pool, cornhole, foosball, etc. Or maybe you were thinking of having some good music whether it be a live band, a DJ, or karaoke. This will be the best time during the event for employee recognition, gift exchanges, and speeches from those in charge commending your team for a job well done.
#10: Celebrating a Good Year and Great Employees
Celebrating and sharing your success with your employees is the best way to show them they are valued and appreciated. Take the time at your holiday party to recognize your employees for their hard work. There are a few ways this can be done: having leadership make speeches during or immediately following dinner thanking the team in its entirety, while also highlighting individuals for their growth and achievements. Some even take this time to present their employees with awards. You can also celebrate your employees by giving them corporate gifts. This holiday season is the time to give your employees something extra. Popular gifts you can put your logo on include blankets, jackets, electronics, drinkware, houseware, luggage, stationary and more. Candy and gift baskets, as well as gift cards are also sure to be a hit. We are sure you will find the right gift for your team to enjoy.
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