The holiday season is just around the corner. That means food, fun and parties. Planning your office holiday party early will help you throw the perfect one! Here are 6 steps to help you.
#1 Figure out your budget. First things first. Determining your budget will help you plan the location, food and decor. Figure out if the party will include just employees, employees and an adult guest, or if young children will be invited as well. Also, decide if everyone is expected to contribute to the budget. Knowing how much you can spend ahead of time will make the rest of the planning go much smoother.
#2 Choose a location. Will this be a small party held at the office, or will it be a larger gathering that requires an outside venue? If you do need to find a place to host the party, consider convenience and space. You may want to look at nontraditional venues like museums and art galleries. For each venue you consider, ask yourself these questions:
- What is the parking like?
- Will we need to clean up after ourselves or is that included?
- Is outside security necessary for this location?
- Do we need a license to serve alcohol?
- Will we need to hire a bartender?
- How man y hours will we have for the party?
#3 Plan your menu. If the venue does not offer food, you will have to figure out the menu yourself. Will it be catered or potluck? Finger foods or a sit-down meal? You may also want to take allergies and cultural preferences into consideration. Plan to have enough food for everyone, plus some extra. Leftovers can always be packed up and taken home.
#4 Plan the alcohol. What’s the fun in having a holiday party if you don’t have any alcohol? Decide if you will have a full bar or just pre-set cocktails. Plan for designated drivers and taxi rides. Unfortunately, too much alcohol can often lead to trouble. Control drinking by making sure you have a qualified bartender that will know when to cut someone off.
#5 Pick the decor. For holiday parties, the décor typically just follows the occasion. The décor can be simple; some festive lights and streamers should suffice.
#6 Promote your party. Start letting your colleagues know about the party at least 3 weeks ahead of time. You want to make sure they have enough time to make any arrangements like rides or babysitters. Something to keep in mind; you may get some people saying the date just won’t work. You may be tempted to move things around, but doing so will most likely be a never-ending story. Unless you have a really small group, no date will work well for everyone.
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking of office parties. Follow these steps to help you plan the perfect company party this year.