Planning a Great Christmas Party

If you’ve been given the task of organising the office Christmas party it might seem daunting, but putting together a great celebration doesn’t have to be complicated if you take some time to think about what people in the office would like to do and where they would like to go. We’ve put together a few simple bits of advice for you to consider when thinking about booking a Christmas party for your colleagues or staff.

Budget

Budget is probably the best place to start when organising a Christmas party. Once you know how much there is to spend on the celebrations you can think more carefully about what you are able to get for your money. Depending on the company, there may be a budget set aside for a Christmas party so it is worth checking with accounts or the boss to see how much can be spent. Some companies ask their staff to contribute towards the Christmas party, so it’s very important that people feel they are getting value for money and going to enjoy themselves on the evening out. If you do need contributions from people, make sure that you leave enough time to collect them so there isn’t a panic or shortfall in money leading up to booking your Christmas party.

Personalities and Themes

Your Christmas party is going to include most people from your office so it’s important that you gauge the personality of your team and try to find out what people would like to do for the event. Do you have an off the wall wacky team? Or are you a more meal and cocktails bunch of sophisticats? If you’re not sure what people might be interested in, then the best way is to ask them. Send an email round or pin up a suggestion sheet to see what ideas people come up with, you might be surprised at what people ask for.

When to have it

Once you know roughly how much you can spend and what type of event you think your colleagues or staff would enjoy then you need to consider when to have it. Too close to Christmas and you might not get a full turn out as some employees may book extra holiday to make most of the Christmas break. If you have it too early however, it might not feel like a Christmas celebration if Christmas is too far away. It’s also important to think about what day of the week to have it on. Some companies like to have it on the Friday so that people have Saturday to recover, however with social calendars getting booked up during the Christmas period you could find your office Christmas party competing with other events. One option is to have it on a weekday and allow the staff to come in a little later the following day – only if the boss approves of course!

What to do and where to go

More than ever there is plenty of choice when it comes to Christmas parties. From treasure hunts and murder mystery nights, to banquets, cabaret and comedy. Or you may just prefer the simple classic of dinner, drinks and dancing – a sure-fire favourite! Wherever you have your event it’s worth considering if you need any transportation for those who don’t live near the chosen venue. If you have chosen an evening which is out of town you will want to make sure everyone can get back home safely – or at least into the nearest town to carry on the festivities!

For more information about planning Christmas parties for your colleagues or employees, call the office today!