Planning a Company Christmas Party this Year?
It’s quite convenient that the biggest holiday in the western world falls near the end of the year. This makes for a great celebration not only to pay homage to Christmas but also to a new beginning. What better way to boost company morale or build your brand than through a Christmas party? This will certainly bring out the jolly spirit in the attendees. Before the fun, however, comes the planning.
1. Venue SelectionThe full Christmas spirit and festivities just isn’t there in all its glory if the event is held in a generic multi-purpose room, or worse, at the company office. To show guests that you intend on making this a party to remember, look for a venue with that “it” factor. London has no shortage of these places. Here’s three places to consider:
Earth Halls – Why Earth Halls? Well, because it has some cool artifacts like dinosaur bones, space rocks, and a lot of other stuff you don’t see every day. If you got kids attending, then the venue also provides an educational experience.
Austin Friars – With its high ceiling and stained glass windows, this facility is the epitome of elegance. This is an ideal location for formal black tie events and galas. Dating back to 1253, this venue still retains a vibe of an era long gone by.
Artillery Garden – This facility originally served as an old armory house and has a breathtaking backdrop that matches exactly just that. This venue is frequently used during the end of the year for hosting Christmas parties with a winter wonderland theme.
2. Determine a ThemeIsn’t Christmas the theme in a Christmas party? Well, yes, but themes can go so much deeper than that. A Christmas party can still feel somewhat generic if it’s the traditional holiday party with hanging mistletoes, a Christmas tree, and a heavyset coworker dressing as Santa. How about complementing a Christmas party with a deeper theme, such as Nutcracker, Winter Wonderland, Masquerade, etc.? The theme can even be completely unassociated with the holidays.
If you wanted to create more engagement and actually make guests part of the theme, then how about a murder mystery theme? No, it’s not out of place for a Christmas Party. Other ideas include an alpine ski theme or a tropical luau theme. Yes, the latter is a possibility. You can intermix snow with prop palm trees, hammocks, and a Tiki bar.
3. Setting a DateHere’s the reality: more than likely your first desired date will be unavailable. There’s also a good chance your second and third alternative dates will be unavailable as well. That is, of course, unless you plan really early, perhaps even as soon as the current Christmas party comes to an end. The end-of-the-year months are normally when venues become booked to the max.
To increase odds of securing a spot, consider these points:
- Reserve your spot extra early
- Be open to weekdays and the day hours
- Be open to a shared Christmas party
- Be open to a date further from Dec. 25, such as the first week of December
A party is about fun, and you can’t have fun without entertainment. Of course, entertainment can come in many forms. You can hire a professional to perform on stage and give fans a spectacle. This can be someone like a comedian, a magician, a singer, etc. Of course, there are also more frugal ways of entertainment. If the venue has a dance floor, then there’s your entertainment right there. Other ideas that involve direct engagement of the guests include karaoke, casino games, or the murder mystery that was mentioned earlier.
5. CateringDepending on the scope of the event, food can range from light refreshments to a self-serve buffet. The latter obviously requires a heftier budget but can really help create a positive impression especially for a bigger party. People’s perception, after all, are partly influenced by their bellies. Being that it’s Christmas, there definitely should be some holiday-based foods, such as sliced turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, gingerbread cookies, eggnog, and so on.
Food can also be served at a certain time or simply laid out on the table for guests to help themselves whenever they’re hungry. If there are leftovers, provide to-go boxes so guests can grab some of the grub for the road.
6. Managing the EventManaging the event once it’s in progress requires organization, communication, and coordination. For starters, staff members should have designated roles, such as:
- Registration/checking in
- Greeter
- Guest services
- Coordinator (for activities like icebreakers or workshops)
Beyond the staff, you may also need to hire third-party services for certain roles, such as security or technicians for handling the audio/visual equipment. Check with the venue to see if such services are provided.
To streamline the process, it helps to have some sort of event software in place. This will have multiple functions that enable you to check in guests, take care of walk-in registrations, and analyze social media activity related to your event.
Planning a corporate Christmas party will certainly earn you points among your subordinates. Not only do you boost everyone’s spirit, but you give your employees a much deserved moment of fun and festivities for all their hard work in the office.
