How to plan a Corporate Holiday Party on Sunshine Coast
Holiday season may not be around the corner yet, but it is important to plan things in advance. The most important part of the planning is booking a venue. Venues get booked months in advance, therefore, it is important for your corporate event planning team/department to have a list of venues they may be interested in looking into. It is not just a party, it is time to celebrate the year's achievements, foster team spirit, and create lasting memories with colleagues. Planning a corporate holiday party can be an exciting yet challenging task and requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some tips and steps to help you organize a successful corporate holiday party:
Budget:
Planning your holiday party without a budget in mind is not a good idea. Corporates usually have a budget set aside for their annual holiday party. Once you know your budget, you can narrow down everything else because you’ll have an idea of the type of venue you can book and what details you can include in your plans.
Planning:
To avoid any disappointment, one should start looking for the ideal venue latest by the fall once you have the date set. Just like weddings, when it comes to corporate Christmas parties, popular and prime venues will be booked months ahead. There are only few weeks that you have to book a holiday event from. Therefore, it is advised to quickly book the date and venue. Some companies even have recurring bookings, year after year, with their favourite venue. Start looking for it now. If you would like to know about holiday parties at High Beam Dreams, please fill out our contact us form and we will get back to you with details.
Menu & Drinks:
It is always advised discuss menu ideas with planning team before looking for a caterer. Make sure you consider things like allergies, and include a vegan option. Ideally, you should choose a venue that caters and serves/caters food, so you reduce the number of contacts and suppliers you need to work with. At High Beam Dreams we offer catering services and also have recommended caterers. Then, set up a meeting with your caterer/venue to discuss the menu. Don’t forget to consider serving options as well - sit-down meal, a buffet, or with serving stations?
Along with the food, don't forget to consider the extent of the drinks you are willing to provide. Keeping safety in mind is important keep safety in mind, so be sure you have taxi available and someone who is checking to make sure people are sent home safely. Some fun ideas for drinks might include a seasonal custom cocktail, a seasonal mocktail, a hot cocoa drink, or prosecco or champagne for toast.
Invitation & Head Count:
Planning team is also responsible for sending out the invitations. Before you send those out, decide if you want to invite plus-ones if budget permits.
For the head count, it is a good idea to look at the staff list to start, but you might also want to look at past holiday numbers to get a better idea. People tend to either go or not go to holiday parties. This will help you understand the trend of averages looking back at past holiday invoices.
Theme:
Just calling this a Holiday Party may not be enough. Corporate affairs can also be fun, but this is the reason you need to have a theme or concept in mind. You also have to be inclusive in your theme. Some ideas that are both suitable and inclusive might include - winter wonderland, enchanting forest, color themes such as gold and silver, red and white, or blue and white or may be a silver bells theme.
The look of your venue can also help give you some ideas to set the stage for your party theme. Avoid anything that is too focused on a religion, as this can make some guests feel excluded.
More Ideas:
Some more ideas that you can incorporate in your party planning are:
Games and activities
Photo Booth
Trivia
Dancing
Entertainment
Gift exchange
Contests
Employee appreciation
Prizes
Whatever you plan, remember to keep it fun. You employees have worked hard deserve a fun light night out that they can talk for months or until the next holiday party! To know more about hosting a Holiday party at High Beam Dreams, please fill our contact us form or reach us via Instagram or Facebook page.
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