How To Plan A Company Holiday Party Like A Pro

Company parties are a great way to boost employee morale, especially when the event is planned with care and attention to detail. If you’ve been given the task of planning your company’s party, you know that the job can be daunting. Knowing how to plan a company holiday party or how to plan an office party will save you time and keep your stress to a minimum.

Get Help From The Get Go

Just because you’ve been given the task of creating a special event for your company, don’t go it alone. Recruit your fellow employees to help with everything from decorations to drinks. Encourage participation from co-workers in different departments; it’s a great way to build unity and to network with employees that you’ve never met.

Brainstorm With The Team

Have a party planning meeting as soon as possible. It’s crucial that you come up with party theme ideas and potential dates for the event. Be realistic when you’re in the initial planning stages and consider the following:

• Season

• Budget

• Venue

• Length

It may sound amazing to plan a barbeque for your company, if it’s in the middle of winter it’s not the best idea. Encourage creativity and be receptive to ideas from the team. Try to come up with three different themes and dates to pick from.

Survey Your Fellow Employees

Once you have ideas in place, send an email survey to the workforce. Allowing other employees to help pick the party theme will create a buzz around the office. Don’t forget to include a date and time option to choose from too. Send out invitations by email promptly once the theme and date are agreed upon. It’s important to require that each employee RSVP’s to the invitation; you’ll need an accurate headcount of attendees. Follow up with employees who have been non-responsive.

Assign Tasks To Your Party Planning Team

Make a list of jobs that need to be done such as purchasing decorations, finding a caterer, or hiring entertainment. Allow each member of the party planning team to sign up for one or two jobs and follow up with them regularly to make sure they are on track. Hold regular meetings to discuss any issues and to ensure you are staying on budget.

Create Some Friendly Competition

Planning company holiday parties should be a collaborative event. Games and challenges are perfect activities for bringing your team together and breaking the ice. But, keep in mind when choosing the games or challenges that they should engage and appeal to everyone. Introverts and shy teammates should also feel comfortable playing the games or participating in the challenges. Always start with an icebreaker, so even the most reluctant teammate will play.

Don't forget, most games are more fun if there's some sort of rewards and punishments involved. Rewards and punishments shouldn’t be something too serious. Try to keep it fun. For example, those who lose the games have to take the weirdest and hilarious selfie possible.

Decorate To Impress

Your company party should be a memorable event, and that’s why it’s important to create the mood with stylish decorations. Use special lighting, fresh flowers, or colorful balloons to bring the event together and excite your attendees. Remember to allow plenty of time for setting up and taking down the decorations after the party.

Good Food Makes A Great Event

Having a party theme makes it easy when it comes to deciding on the party menu. Whether your event is a formal dinner or fun finger food, you can incorporate elements of the party’s theme into the food. Hire an established caterer who will help you with the menu planning and will staff the event. Don’t forget to provide vegetarian, gluten-free, and other options for employees with special dietary needs.

Provide Delightful Drinks

Delicious food needs to be accompanied by excellent beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The catering service should assist you with drink options. If your budget allows, having an open bar is a fun opportunity to create themed cocktails to add a special element to your event.

Keep The Party Going With Special Entertainment

Every event needs music or other forms of party entertainers to make it a memorable get-together. There are many types of party entertainment for hire, such as musicians, dancers, and magicians. Entertainment services, like PeachE, can help you find the perfect performers for your company’s event to keep your guests happy.

Now that you know how to plan a company party, the rest is up to you. Don’t forget to acknowledge the party planning committee for making it a special event. Take photos to post later on the company’s internal website and encourage guests to do the same. Once it all comes together, enjoy your hard work by socializing with your co-workers.