Your company is planning to host an unforgettable company holiday party this year. The company wants to ensure that everyone who attends enjoys themselves and has a night they’ll always remember. During the holidays, it’s important to bring everyone together and remember what’s most important during these times.
As excited as you are to start your company holiday party planning, you can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. This is normal for anyone who’s given the task to plan an entire company event. There’s a lot to take into consideration when holiday party planning for a company.
To make sure you never feel overwhelmed or flustered, we’ve created a simple guide for you to follow. Continue reading below to discover a few helpful tips to keep in mind when company event planning. Here’s everything you need to know.
1. Select a Party Theme
The first step to take is selecting a party theme. It’s a good idea to start your planning in advance so you have time to sort out all the details without feeling rushed or flustered. Don’t worry too much about selecting the perfect theme either.
You already have an overlaying theme to work with: a holiday party. Now all you have to do is decide if you want to focus on more of a winter wonderland theme, a religious theme, an ugly sweater party, or something else. You have several options to choose from so think about what best suits your company’s beliefs and values.
2. Formulate Your Guest List
Now you can start formulating the guest list. Because it’s a company party, you most likely assume the guest list is a no-brainer: invite all employees. However, there will be some other factors to take into consideration.
For example, will it be a party for employees only or will all employees have the option of bringing their families? Maybe you want to allow employees to bring someone but want to restrict the number of guests so you include a plus one on the invitation.
If your company has several clients who you work with closely, then you might want to consider inviting some clients as well. Remember, the number of guests will determine the size of the venues needed and will have a direct impact on your budget as well.
3. Hire the Entertainment
The right entertainment is essential for any type of event. Imagine a room filled with people celebrating the holidays with no form of entertainment at all. A situation like this could make the night drag on.
As the party planner, it’s up to you to hire entertainment that’ll keep your guests happy, busy, and entertained all evening. Music is always a great starting point and can sometimes be all you need. Consider the type of playlist you want to create based on the theme of your party.
You should also choose whether you want to have a form of live entertainment or simply have some music playing through the speakers.
4. Decide on the Menu
You can’t forget the food. You’ll want to spend some time deciding what to have on the menu for the night. The food you choose doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it should be tasty.
If the food is less than desirable, then you may have some hungry party guests who end up leaving early. Thankfully, many venues allow you to taste their food options before making a selection. You should also consider if you want to go with plated meals or a station option.
When considering the menu, be sure to consider the bar as well. Will you have an open bar? Will there be limits on how many drinks each guest can have?
Keep these questions in mind when planning for your food and beverages.
5. Choose a Date, Time, and Location
Choosing the right date, time, and location of the event can spare you unnecessary stress and anxiety. Start researching venues in advance and decide when the best date for the party would be. Remember, you’ll want to visit each venue to get a tour and try out their food samples, so you’ll need time to do this.
Create an event timeline to help you stay on track. If there are any conflicts with the scheduling, you’ll have enough time to work them out. When considering your venue, be sure to look into all-inclusive packages.
How can all-inclusive packages be beneficial? When you select one of these packages, you’ll be blessed with an event-planning specialist to help with all the details, an event coordinator, a customizable menu, and staff on-site to help host the party. Decorations and entertainment equipment will also be included.
This takes the stress of finding and purchasing all of these items off your shoulders.
6. Give Yourself a Budget
It’s never a bad idea to give yourself a budget before you start the planning phase. When writing out your budget, be sure to include everything that’s needed for your party. Start estimating costs and then speak with your boss to determine what a realistic budget is.
Remember, when you choose an all-inclusive venue, you’ll have one set price for the entire event, which can help you stick to your budget. Try to come up with a budget in the early planning stages so you know what’s doable and what’s not.
7. Purchase Decorations and Party Favors
If you’re not using an all-inclusive venue, then you’ll need to purchase a few decorations for the event. You might also want to consider party favors as well. Be sure to choose holiday decorations that match well with your theme.
Party favors should also stick within the theme, but don’t have to be too elaborate either. A small, simple holiday treat will be enough to show all guests your appreciation.
8. Build an Event-Planning Team
Last, but not least, build an event-planning team. When selecting an all-inclusive venue, you’re automatically given an event specialist and an event coordinator to help you during the planning process. Otherwise, you’ll want to recruit employees to join the planning committee with you.
Try to think about employees who are the most organized and best at planning in general. Then, consider bringing a variety of talents onto the committee to have a diverse group of skillsets.
It’s Time to Simplify Your Company Holiday Party Planning
Company holiday party planning is a big project for one person. There’s no reason why you should be consumed by all the many planning tasks. It’s time to simplify the planning process!
When looking to host a corporate event in Northern Kentucky, contact The Madison Event Center. We offer all-inclusive event packages to take away some of your stress. Schedule a tour today to get started.
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