As we head towards the end of the year, our thoughts will start to turn to Christmas. The decorations in the shops will begin to get us into the spirit and we might already have a list of the gifts we intend to purchase for friends and family.
But, something that should be high on your list of priorities, particularly if you run a business, is organising the Christmas party. The sooner you start to plan, the more memorable it is likely to be for the guests – and the easier it will be for you to get everything sorted.
First things first, you need to decide when you are going to hold your Christmas party. You should decide this as soon as you can so you can so you can get out invites to give your team plenty of time to get it in their diary and keep it free. Once the invites are out, you can start to build excitement and anticipation, perhaps tease a surprise guest or hint at the entertainment on offer.
You must work out your budget before you consider how you are going to spend it. You could splash it all on a fancy venue that will impress the guests, but if there is no food or entertainment because you ran out of money it will be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Create a checklist of everything that you need to do, book and organise –you can use this to help you make your budget go further and ensure sure you don’t forget anything.
First impressions count, which is why the venue you choose is so important. You need to find somewhere that will hold all your guests comfortably – too small and you will feel crammed in, too big and it will look empty. It must be easily accessible for all attending and have all the amenities that you require. You might want to think outside the box with the venue -it will help to build excitement in the weeks leading up to the party if you’re going somewhere fun.
There is no better excuse for glitter and sparkles than Christmas, so make sure you think about how you are going to decorate the venue. With so much posted on social media these days, get the decorations right and your guests will be taking plenty of photos and posting them to their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. You may also want to include a photo booth with Christmas props that can be used to capture memories throughout the night. All this also helps to market your company and show why it is a great place to work.
How are you going to entertain your guests? You might invite a comedian to keep them laughing, a band to ensure they dance or karaoke to enable them to get involved. You might also want to hold an award ceremony to reward those that have worked particularly hard throughout the year or just for a bit of fun. Why not invite someone special to hand these out?
You don’t want your guests to be hungry or thirsty – this is sure to ruin the evening. You might want to consider some Christmas-themed cocktails to kick the night off and, when it comes to food, forget the Christmas dinner – they will be having plenty of that in the coming weeks. Instead, opt for a buffet – then your guests can help themselves to what they want when they want it.
Little things can make a big difference – so think about a few ways you can impress your guests, keep them entertained throughout the night and still be talking about it long after the Christmas decorations have been put in the loft. This might be singing waiters, Ice Elves in a Snow Globe, a pick and mix table, a firework display, or a magician – anything you think they will enjoy.