With
just a few months left until the holiday season, now is the time to start
preparing for that season’s most revered corporate event: The company holiday
party. Chances are, your employees are looking forward to relaxing for an
evening on the company’s dime. But, as the party planner, you may be feeling a
bit of pressure to put together a fun and memorable event.
Fortunately, there
are really only 4 essential elements to a successful company holiday party:
Location, food, drink, and entertainment. To help you nail each of them at your
next event, here is a guide to planning a company holiday party that will
ensure the maximum amount of fun with the least amount of stress for you and
your planning committee.
Step 1: Select a date and time for your company holiday party.
Before you can commit to a location, you need to set the date and
time for the party. This information will help you decide whether to have the
party at the office or at a corporate event venue, will guide what types of
food and entertainment you select, and will even help you pin down a theme. In
general, you can choose either a shorter event during the lunch hour, or a
longer event that is held during the evening.
The best approach to setting a date and time for your company
holiday party is to look at what your company has traditionally done. For
example, are employees accustomed to a lunch hour get together, or will they be
expecting a 4-hour gala at a corporate event venue? Sticking with tradition can
be a safe bet.
However, also consider factors such as (1 Have previous parties
been well attended and received by employees? (2 What time slot will allow the
most employees to attend? (3 What time slot will allow you to craft a corporate
holiday party that meets your budget? (4 What time slot will allow you to have
the most FUN and show the most APPRECIATION for employees?
Once you have settled on a time (lunch or evening), send out a
survey or email with a variety of dates from which employees can choose. Follow
up with reminders to RSVP. Then, pick the date that works for the majority of
people in your company. That way, you will maximize attendance without needing
to make the party mandatory.
Step 2: Select a location for your company holiday party.
Next, you will need a place to hold your holiday party. Lots of
companies have the party right in the office, especially if it is taking place
over the lunch hour. If you are going to go this route, however, you might want
to invest in extra decorations to make your space look less like the office
your employees spend most of the day in, and more like a destination for fun.
A better choice, however, is to actually take your party to a fun
destination. A corporate event venue, restaurants with banquet rooms, or a fun
activities venue make great choices for a holiday party. Not only do you give
employees a chance to leave the office and relax, but you often receive
amenities from the event venue that reduce your workload and make the party
more fun.
Here at PINSTACK, for example, you and your holiday party can
enjoy the following amenities, depending upon which banquet package you select:
- Private banquet
room that seats up to 200 people
- Access to
bowling and/or any of our other fun activities (Think laser tag, indoor
bumper cars, a rope climbing course, and more)
- Selection of
buffet menus
- Water and soft
drinks
- Dessert packages
- Video games
- Customized
packages to fit your company holiday party needs
Step 3: Select food and drinks for your company holiday party.
Providing a wide variety of good food and drink can go far in
making your company holiday party a memorable and relaxing event. When it comes
to providing food and drink, you have a number of options. For instance, you
can stick with appetizers (depending on when you have the party), serve a
potluck, order a plated meal, or offer a buffet. Whichever option you choose,
strive for the following qualities that will ensure the enjoyment of everyone
at the party:
- Provide ample
amounts of food.
A good rule of thumb is to order
food for 30 percent more people than you have attending the party. This ensures
that everyone can eat their fill throughout the entirety of the event.
- Take allergies
into consideration.
Chance are good that at least a
few people within your company suffer from food allergies. In order to
accommodate any allergies (even those of which you may not be aware), ensure
that the menu includes several different types of food, including foods known
to be allergen-free.
- Include a
variety of drinks.
Similarly, ensure that there is a
variety of drinks from which people can choose when at the company holiday
party. For example, serve soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee, and water so
everyone in attendance can find something to eat and drink that they will
enjoy.
Perhaps the easiest way to go about the menu for your
company holiday party is to find an event space that provides the food and
drink for you. Not only do you not need to worry about caterers and potlucks,
but you may also save money by bundling your corporate event venue and
food/beverage.
With the right venue, you can enjoy top notch food for that affordable price. For example, here at PINSTACK, we offer a variety of buffet menus from which to choose, from a company picnic to Texas BBQ to Southern Italian. Each menu features made from scratch foods that are designed by our chefs to be both seasonal and delicious.
Step 4: Decide whether and how to make alcohol an element of your
corporate holiday party.
Alcohol can be a tricky element of a company holiday party. You
want to avoid having employees becoming inebriated or acting inappropriately at
the party. At the same time, creative cocktails and craft beers can make an
already fun party even better. The choice regarding alcohol will be up to you
(and perhaps be determined by your company’s policies).
However, if you want to have a limited amount of alcohol at your
company holiday party, here are a few suggestions for incorporating alcoholic drinks
in a fun and moderate manner:
- Create a
signature cocktail or two for the party.
Choose from one of PINSTACK’s
cocktails, or create one with a holiday theme.
- Limit drink
choices to wine and/or beer.
PINSTACK’s wine and craft beer
menus offer lots of choices without hard liquor.
- Provide drink
tickets
This way, you can limit drinks to
one or two per person.
- Cut off drink
service an hour before the end of the event.
- Make alternative
transportation available at the end of the night.
For example, comp people’s taxis
or Ubers or arrange for carpools so no one feels the need to drive home after
drinking.
Step 5: Select entertainment for your company holiday party.
Spice up your company holiday party with fun activities and events
that show your appreciation for the hard work of your employees. Doing so can
make the event more fun and give everyone the chance to get to know each other
better.
For example, choose a corporate event venue that has built in
entertainment. A fun activity center like PINSTACK, for example, gives your
employees the opportunity to cut loose with bumper cars, bowling, indoor rock climbing, an arcade, laser tag, and more.
Adding music, dancing, raffles, or karaoke can introduce a festive spirit that
will keep everyone happy throughout the event, while adding an employee
appreciation event and/or award ceremony can showcase your star employees and
boost overall morale.
