They're not always everyone's favorite, but holiday parties are a staple for most companies. They're also a great opportunity if planned carefully. If you've been tasked with planning the annual employee Christmas party for your company, your goal should be to get the most out of your special event while keeping costs manageable. By carefully evaluating the best way to approach and execute this holiday party, you can create an experience that not only boosts company morale but also increases employee satisfaction and retention levels across the board.
It's important to start with the basics—what theme should the party have, where should it take place, how many people are coming, when should it happen, and what food and drinks will be served during the occasion—before moving on to specialized planning and event execution.
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1. Nail Down the Basics for Your Holiday Company Party
Of course, like any other event or project, you need to create a project plan that identifies the event details for the employee holiday party. Theme, venue, time, date, guest count, food and beverage selections, decor, and event agenda must all be considered before you begin to execute your event.
Every good party needs these core elements to be successful, but not everything has to be set in stone before you begin locking in the details (like securing a venue, booking a caterer, or planning an agenda).
Although there are many ways to approach these decisions, and choices about higher-level ideas like theme and timing often fall on executives of the company instead of the event producer, it's best to work with a team to decide which details are right for your specific company.
2. Choose the Most Effective Time to Hold Your Event
The best time to hold an employee holiday party is probably during the lunch hour. Historical holiday party data from Battalia Winston shows a growing trend in this direction, reflecting that nearly half of corporate events in 2013 took place during the lunch hour.
Unfortunately, not everyone may have the opportunity to participate in the event because someone must stay back to answer customer calls and keep business moving. But a lunch-hour event curbs costs and reduces the obligations on employees’ personal time and commitments.
If you do decide to go with an evening event, you'll have to consider which night is best. While some may think that Friday is the top choice because most employees will be off for the weekend, it's also the most popular day of the week at restaurants and other venues—in other words, the most expensive time. Few organizations will want to consider Sunday evening, so it seems the next best option may be Monday night, as it's usually the slowest night at restaurants.
3. Consider Hosting a Party in the Off-Season
Instead of defaulting to the annual Christmas or Thanksgiving party, why not consider hosting an event that's specifically for employee appreciation, when nothing else is clogging up the office calendar?
Early October and late January are great times to hold an annual appreciation party. Off-site venues are more available, and you can save money on catering expenses and party packages during an off-season event.
One drawback to creating an annual appreciation party instead of a traditional Christmas party is that employees might not remember this tradition as easily. A little extra hype might be needed to make sure people mark it on their calendars.
4. Choose a Team to Help Execute the Event
The quality of your planning team will directly correlate with the caliber of your event. It's important to find the right size team and select members that are skilled in making a memorable get-together.
A smaller group of individuals will likely make the planning more expedient and cost-effective, but many organizations involve a large committee of individuals so that more employees' voices are represented in the planning the event. Since party planning will take time away from members' regular work responsibilities, it's probably best to create the smallest possible team that's still representative of your company overall.
No matter the size, you should select individuals for their ability to positively influence other employees. An appointment to the planning team can also be used as a reward or incentive. The organization's event planner should work with an empowered leader in human resources or marketing—someone authorized to approve the plan—to help drive these decisions and choose the best members of the team.always guests who didn’t make it through the formal registration process. Don’t have those guests roam the room with a ‘scarlet letter’ on their chests.
5. Create a Cost-Effective Holiday Party Menu
When it comes to choosing what to feed your employees during your holiday party, a number of tricks can save money while still providing an excellent meal. Plated meals are often more cost effective than buffets, and they allow for a more elegant presentation than having everyone stand in line and serve themselves.
Of course, your menu needs to reinforce the theme of your event, and you should try to choose items that incorporate your event colors or brand, but that doesn't mean you need to rent expensive holiday linens and other decor.
Selecting modest items or fresh fruit for centerpieces, limiting alcohol consumption, and hosting at a venue that has standard holiday decorations and food pricing options are all excellent ways to cut costs while giving your employees a good experience.
Original Article By: The Balance Small Business
