12 Tips for Planning a Smashing Office Holiday Party

12 Tips for Planning a Smashing Office Holiday Party Women often find themselves serving on various planning committees at their workplace, which wouldn’t be so bad if you had a knack for planning and enjoy it. But if you’re not that kind of person, and you’ve been assigned to such a committee, the process can feel overwhelming. We’ve all been to bad company parties, and you wouldn’t want to be the genius to blame for another one of those. Parties are especially common around the holidays, so you’ll have your hands full over the next few months. No matter the budget is, you can make this year’s holiday party one to remember. Use this checklist to help you plan. Write Out Your Guest List The first step in planning a great party is knowing who will be there. Most office parties allow a plus one, but sometimes it’s nice to invite the whole family. You have to determine who will be invited and use that as a basis for your plans. Select a Good Date and Time The time and date may dictate the attendance at your party. If it’s during work hours, attendance will be high because people are already there, but a Friday evening party can also be a big success. Try to avoid setting the time at an unusual hour such as Saturday morning, when many people will be more interested in sleeping in or mowing the lawn than attending a holiday shindig. Send Formal Invitations with an R.S.V.P. Formal invitations add pizzazz to a party. It feels more official and exciting when you get a classy notice in the mail. Design your invitations with a simple online tool like Smilebox, and either mail them or hand them out at work. Ask for an RSVP (email is easiest) for an accurate headcount. Set Your Budget Meet with your boss near the start of the process to determine the budget. You probably won’t be granted any wiggle room in your spending, so outline all the expenses and fit everything into that price frame. This may require creativity and a time sacrifice, but the final event will more likely be worth it. Source the Venue Office parties in the workspace can be cramped and stifling. It’s hard to relax and let loose when you’re partying in the same place you work all day. Investigate a potential venue outside the office: perhaps at a bar, restaurant, or party hall. Confirm that taxis can be available to get people home safely at the end of the night. Choose Excellent Food and Drink Food and drink are integral elements of office parties. They’re one of the main things employees look anticipate, and will encourage attendance more than almost anything else. Choose a caterer who has an excellent menu and great prices. Include a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for people to enjoy with their meal. Limit Alcohol Provided Alcohol is a staple at most company parties, but it shouldn’t get out of hand. The last thing you need is people passing out drunk or causing a scene, especially if you’re outside the office. Limiting the amount of alcohol you provide will help, as well as keep your budget within bounds. Consider a Theme Usually, if the party occurs around a holiday, the theme is built in. However, you could get more specific. For example, you could announce a costume party for Halloween or make your Christmas party an “ugly Christmas sweater” party. Something fun, appropriate, but fairly subtle is preferable. Try a Seating Plan When you’re dealing with a large group of people, it can be a challenge to keep everyone happy. Intra-office tensions could make the party awkward. It’s also easy for employees to form familiar groups and avoid socializing outside their inner circle. A seating chart might address this problem. Don’t Underestimate the Decorations Decorations don’t have to be wild and flamboyant, but they should be present. Crepe paper, balloon bunches, mistletoe, garlands, and other basic trimmings can go a ways toward cheering up the space. They’ll tie together your theme and keep the holiday cheer fresh. More Than Mingling Too many office Christmas parties suffer from the lack of a plan. Food and drinks are provided, but guests are expected to mingle aimlessly until they can leave without being rude. This is a recipe for rapid loss of interest. It’s good to have time for mingling, but arrange for other forms of entertainment, contests, speakers, and mini-projects to keep people occupied. Plan for Photos If you host a company party and nobody photographs it, did it really happen? Hire a photographer or assign someone on your planning committee to document the event. Include the results in your newsletter, on your company Facebook page, or in a company email. Be sure to go through all the shots first to weed out any unflattering or uncomfortable-looking photos, and avoid invading someone’s privacy or embarrassing anyone.