how to have a Merry Office Christmas Party in 5 easy steps…

There’s a never ending stream of lists, notes, RSVPs and charts for all of you that have to organise your company’s Christmas Party. Whether you’re a seasoned planner and already have everything at your fingertips or you’ve just been assigned this task but don’t know where to start, here is a useful checklist to make sure you’re on the right track.

1. Time

Timing is everything. Many companies book the date for the next Christmas Party months in advance to make sure guests know not to book anything else for that night. This allows you plenty of time to research what venues are offering and what suites your group best in case you’re not going for the same venue. It also makes life easier when it comes to sending invitations, receiving RSVPs and collecting payments.

2. Budget

Christmas is usually an expensive holiday for everyone. Picking the right package for your party can be tricky. Food is paramount so try to pick a creative menu instead of the same old Turkey dinner. If there’s one thing people remember about a party it’s the food, so it needs to be great. Whether a shared night or an exclusive party an all inclusive package is usually better value for money that trying to do everything separately.

Frame your event!

3. Theme.

As with all theme parties make sure your guests are comfortable with the theme and know what to wear! There’s nothing worse than feeling under or over dressed at a party. So help your guests get it right and if you’re planning a surprise Christmas Party then make sure you can give out enough details without spoiling the surprise. Also, check if the venue can provide the decorations. Sparkles and baubles are important for creating a merry atmosphere.

4. Entertainment.

It’s not a Christmas party until you’ve sang ‘all I want for Christmas’ at the top of your lungs in the middle of the dance floor. Music and dance set the atmosphere and whether you’re going for DJ Disco Classics or a live band you will need to pre-book this service months in advance since Christmas is such a busy period for artists. If you’ve already ticked off steps 1 to 3 then booking the entertainment should be a piece of cake.  Otherwise you’ll be doing a sing-a-long of the sound of cutlery in the plates.

5. And finally…

The devil’s in the details. Check that the venue has accessible toilets, plenty of parking nearby, allows access for deliveries on the day or storage space for any materials you may send in advance. Make sure you’re not disturbing any neighbours and make available details of closest train stations/ taxi firms/hotels in the invitations. Find out how well the party went by sending thank you notes and feedback forms so you know how to plan for next year!

These tips have been carefully selected from the bag of gifts of our Event Development Manager, Katie Thomas. View our Christmas Events Offers and keep checking our blog for more useful tips. We welcome your opinions and questions on Twitter and Facebook.