For the organised few, October may already seem too late to start planning their office Christmas party but for many October is the perfect time to start getting the ball rolling. From venue selection to menu choices, from party themes to party decorations, there’s plenty to start thinking about, and remember it’s never too early!
So, where do you start? Well here’s some top tips to help you plan a Christmas party for your team for 2019.
Early bird booking discount
The best thing about booking a venue early is that you’re more likely to be able to bag a bargain. Most venues are more than happy to take early bird bookings as it helps them plan staffing levels and of course helps them monitor their expected revenue streams. If they don’t offer a discount on their website, call them up and see if you can negotiate one. It may be dependent on numbers and what packages you take but it’s always worth asking.
Save the date
Once you’ve agreed on the venue the next thing is to make sure you get a good turnout, as a party without guests is not a party! If you don’t want to send an invitation out until you’ve finalised everything, send a ‘save the date’ invite round instead. At least your guests can get the date in their diaries and avoid conflicts in a month’s time when other festivities start getting planned in.
Settle on a theme
If your company likes theme’s then you’ll be able to go to town on this one. Most venues can help you dress a room and will also have plenty of ideas if you get stuck on what to do. There are also plenty of professional party planners that you can hire if you’d prefer, which will probably dependant on your budget. If you’d like to keep costs low, why not check with your chosen venue to see if they will supply anything as standard. You can always add decorations to complement their own decorations like Christmas balloons, fireplace garlands and pretend Christmas presents.
Menu choices
Food can really escalate your costs so make sure you budget wisely. Most venues will offer a set price meal with a choice of either two or three courses. If you have a large party and you don’t like the menu choices it may be worth asking them if they could change part of the menu. You could also consider a buffet or canape’s if your budget isn’t stretching.
Entertainment
Keeping everyone amused is your next biggest challenge. Hopefully you will get a good turnout of staff for the occasion so it could be a great time for your MD to address the company and do a roundup of 2019 and expectations for 2020. Plan the speech between the courses to keep everyone’s interest and people don’t start sloping away. If the venue allows you may be able to hire a disco or band to keep the party going late into the night. The Alive Network has a selection of different bands suitable for Christmas parties for you to chose from: https://www.alivenetwork.com/bandsearch.asp?style=Christmas%20Bands
For more inspiration on Christmas party ideas with a twist, head over to the Sheerluxe website: https://sheerluxe.com/2018/11/15/17-cool-office-christmas-party-ideas