Are you in charge of organising the Christmas party or event for your office this year? Does the thought of doing so fill you with dread? You are not alone! For most people the responsibility of organising an event for your colleagues is both nerve racking and stressful, but it does not have to be this way, with some careful planning you can make sure that your event has the “WOW” factor.
Follow my step by step guide to make your Christmas event planning a breeze…
Step 1 – Budgeting
Be sure that you know what you can and can’t achieve and above all be realistic when planning your event. Outline and keep logs of all expenses such as entertainment, staffing, printing and of course, catering.
Step 2 – Theme
The key question to ask yourself when choosing what type of event you are going to have is what do I need to achieve from the event? Decide whether an informal party would be more appropriate than a formal event such as a sit down meal. If the main aim of the event is to encourage your guests to “mingle” and interact together, then perhaps an informal event with party games would be a better choice than a traditional meal for example.
Entertainment, table centre pieces and room decoration are a great way to bring alive a party theme and create a fun environment for your attendees.
Step 3 – Event Location
It is vitally important to choose the location of your event carefully. The amount of space, having the necessary equipment and having disabled access are important considerations when choosing the party room. As important as this, is choosing a venue that will be convenient to reach for the majority of your guests. Good public transport links, parking at the venue and on site or nearby overnight accommodation are factors to consider.
Step 4 – Catering
Do not make the common mistake of focusing your energy solely on the buffet or sit down meal at your event. Food and drink are not the sole things that draw employees to your party. It is important however to spend time to decide whether a sit down meal, a buffet, finger food or simply canapés will be best suited for your event guests.
In addition to food, you need to consider what drinks you will offer and how you wish them to be served at your event. For example, you may wish to have a drinks reception as guests arrive at the venue where they are served a glass of bubbly.
An absolute must is to capture your guest’s dietary requirements prior to the event so that you can inform your chosen catering supplier. It could be very embarrassing if your vegetarian guests were not offered a meat free meal option!
Step 5 – Entertainment
If you decide to offer entertainment then make sure you do your research prior to booking an act for your event. Testimonials, footage and CD’s may help. Also remember you don’t have to go for traditional acts like a band or cabaret act; consider different forms of entertainment such as interactive games as a fun alternative.
Step 6 –Invitations
Your event invitation should include all the information your guests will need to know prior to the party. Typically the invitation will contain the dress code, the date, the start and end time of the party, food and drink arrangements, the venue address, how the guest can RSVP and when they need to respond by.
Sending event invitations via email is an easy way to save time, be environmentally friendly and save on printing costs.
Step 7 –On the day at your event
Keep all your necessary contacts details that you may require as well as a copy of your guest list and dietary requirements at arm’s reach on the day of your event and at the venue itself. By doing this, if an issue should arise, you can quickly and easily contact the relevant person to resolve the issue and refer to your guest information if required.
Symphony event management software is frequently used by event organisers for planning and online registration in relation to their internal staff events including Christmas parties! So this year why not send your invitations, capture guest registrations and special requirements online and report on your key guest, venue and catering information from the online event management software to take the time consuming administrative work off your hands. Symphony online event management software frees up your time so you can concentrate on making sure your attendees have a good time!