The holiday season has come round again, and it’s time to start thinking about the annual office party. As the year comes to a close, business owners and office managers begin to muster their forces, and to start planning the perfect holiday celebration for their employees. This is the perfect time of year to not only celebrate the holidays with your trusted employees, but to also reward them for the year’s worth of hard work they’ve put in to help make the company a continued success. So, as we move into the festive season, let’s get to grip with this year’s office holiday party.
Assign a Party Planning Team
Large corporations may hire a professional party planner to stage their annual holiday party, but for most small to medium sized businesses it’s usually more cost effective to assign the party planning responsibilities to members of staff. Choose two or three trusted, and reliable, employees and assign them the task of planning the company’s holiday party. Each member of the planning team should be responsible for a specific part of the planning process. For example, one person would be in charge of decorations, while another might be in charge of catering. One member of the party planning committee should act as supervisor, and should be the liaison with management.
Choose a Theme for Your Holiday Party
Choosing a theme for your holiday party often makes the planning process much easier. Certain party themes naturally suggest certain types of decorations and particular styles of food. Also, it is important to decide early if the party is going to be casual or fancy dress. Since it’s the holiday season many may be tempted to choose a Christmas theme for their party, but keep in mind that not all of your employees may be celebrating the same holidays. Often, a neutral wintertime theme is best suited to a company party.
Setting a Budget and Choosing a Location
All party planning begins with a firm budget, and this should cover everything from the event space to the catering and entertainment. Even though it’s the holiday season, there is no reason to overspend. To help stretch your budget, consider booking your party venue during non-peak times, such as a weekday afternoon. This can help to make your party budget stretch further, and will also give an added treat to your employees. After all, who doesn’t like an unexpected afternoon off from work?
Catering
Again, the theme you have chosen for your holiday party will suggest some of your catering choices. If you are planning a casual affair, a light buffet and a selection of hors d’oeuvres might fit the bill. If you are planning something more structured and elegant, you might opt for a selection of carving stations serving prime rib or turkey – two perennial holiday favorites. If you plan to serve alcohol, it is often best to keep the selections to beer and wine. It is also wise to hire experienced bartenders who are trained in the art of keeping guests from drinking too much.
Give Back to the Community
The holidays are a time of giving, so why not use the company party as an opportunity to raise some funds for a local charity. Pick a worthy charity and hold a raffle during your office party, with all funds going to support your favorite cause. This is a good way to give something back to the community, and to raise awareness for local charities.
With the planning done, all that’s left is to have fun. The annual holiday office party is a great way to reward your employees while celebrating the festive season. It is also a valuable opportunity for employees to mingle, get to know one another better, and form the strong bonds that will produce dividends in the year to come.
Yes, it’s that time of year again. But there is no reason to dread planning the annual holiday office party. Following these few tips will make your party planning a breeze, and will give you and your employees a holiday celebration to remember.
