Party planning can be a thankless task, with colleagues slow to offer any real help, but quick to complain if everything is not how they envisioned it should be. With this in mind, event specialist at Chillisauce Rachael Farrington says organisation is the key to ensuring that your Christmas party is memorable for all the right reasons.
Set the date
Think it’s too early to start planning? Think again. You can always count on Christmas being an extremely busy party period, so it’s never too early to set a date. It’s a good idea to send round a few different date options so that everyone has a say. Once the date has been chosen, send out an email reminding everyone to ‘save the date’. Now that everyone has pencilled it in to their diaries and you have approximate numbers worked out, you’re ready for the next step.
Determine the budget
You can’t decide on your party venue without knowing how much you have to spend. As soon as the date has been set you need to find out how much money the party has been allocated.
Remember – the Christmas party is a ‘thank you’ to staff, so it’s important that this comes across. What is most important to the people you work with A fabulous venue? A free round of drinks? A three-course meal? The size of your budget and the expectations of your colleagues will ultimately decide what kind of party you need to plan.
Consider what kind of party you want
Consider who you need to cater for at this event. Are partners invited for instance? You need to consider whether you have the budget for this and whether your co-workers would actually like their partners to be there – it’s just as likely that they would prefer a night out with their team.
When considering what kind of party to throw, you can go the bespoke or packaged party route.
Bespoke party: You’re starting from scratch and doing it all yourself – that means finding a space, booking and organising different suppliers, and sorting out activities, themes and catering all on your lonesome.
Packaged party: This is the ‘off-the-shelf’ option, where you simply choose the party package you like the sound of, and the venue or party planner does the rest. Although this certainly makes things easier for you, there might be less flexibility when it comes to certain details such as menus, times and themes.
Find the perfect venue
If you already have an ideal venue in mind then book it now. The best venues go quickly, and they go to those who don’t hang around.
If you haven’t found anywhere yet, consider what kind of venue will most suit your needs and your budget. You want somewhere that is accessible for the majority of people while being able to accommodate the kind of party you’re planning. By all means search online, but be sure to organise a visit to the venue before booking to ensure it lives up to the website pictures. If there are several places that look suitable, try to put them on hold until you can see them all and make your decision.
Ask the venue’s events team about what is available for you to use and what you will need to hire in – you may find that you are responsible for your own entertainment equipment, Christmas decorations, extra furniture and even staff on the night. You should also check whether or not you are responsible for clearing up the venue afterwards.
When it comes to signing on the dotted line, be sure to check the paperwork to ensure that everything you need is included in the price. Don’t be afraid to negotiate on price, but as Christmas tends to be extremely busy, you should be prepared to pay full price if needs be.
Making it look pretty: theming
You might think Christmas itself is the theme, but it doesn’t have to be. You can add a little extra excitement with a simple theme like masks or hats, or you can go all out by setting up a fancy dress theme such as pantomime, circus, Chicago jazz, winter wonderland, or take inspiration from a certain decade or film.
Food for thought
Before you plan the menu, don’t forget to take into account any allergies or dietary requirements. The best way to find out is to send round an office email after the date has been set to check if anyone needs their own menu.
The food at the party is easily the key – good food equals a good time for many people. However, you don’t have to stick with traditional Christmas food, particularly if your venue specialises in a different cuisine. A traditional Christmas dinner done badly in a dim sum restaurant is worse than having no turkey at all.
If you think that traditional Christmas food is what your colleagues will expect, then ensure that you choose a caterer who can deliver the goods. Whether that means choosing in-house catering or hiring external caterers, make sure you check out their reviews and ask for a tasting session.
You also need to consider how the food should be served. What would best suit your party and your colleagues: a buffet, finger food, or a sit-down meal? Will a set menu do or is à la carte a better choice? You need to answer these questions before you can decide on what type of food to serve.
Getting in the party spirit: ordering the drinks
If your budget does not stretch to an open bar, having arrival drinks on hand is a good compromise. That way, everyone is in a festive mood with a free drink in their hand as soon as they walk in. Festive favourites include Winter Pimm’s, mulled wine, sparkling wine and Christmas cocktails, or you could even come up with a drink related to the theme of your night.
If you do have an open bar, then consider how you are going to control costs. You could narrow down the choices available, or have drinks vouchers given to the guests so you have a rough idea of how much the tab will be at the end of the night.
Making the right noises: choosing the music
Music is a must – but not everyone shares the same taste. If your budget allows it, you can hire a DJ, musician, or live band, which will definitely liven things up. However, if you’re relying on your iPod playlist, ensure that you have a few festive favourites on there, and nothing that could cause offence. Try your best to match the music to your theme for the evening, but mix in a few modern hits to keep things interesting. Be sure to find out if the in-house PA or stereo system is loud enough – otherwise, you might need to organise your own sound system.
Booking entertainment
Choosing entertainment can be great fun, and can be one of the most talked-about aspects of the whole event. Try to choose entertainment that suits your theme, such as comedians, jugglers, stunt shows, circus acts or after-dinner speakers.
If your theme calls for some old-Hollywood glamour, you could consider casino tables or a murder mystery game, whereas displays by mixologists such as cocktail flaring demonstrations and tasting sessions always go down a treat. If you’d rather not spend a lot of money on themed entertainment, then a simple karaoke machine will do the trick. After all, few people can resist belting out the lyrics to a Journey song after a few drinks.
Find out how Chillisauce can add sparkle to your event at chillisauce.co.uk/corporate-events/
