I know it’s only June and we’re talking about holiday parties, but organizing a company party; whether it’s a festive holiday party, all-employee meeting or customer appreciation event, takes a significant amount of time to plan. Company holiday parties provide a fantastic opportunity for companies to bring their teams together, celebrate past achievements, and build lasting relationships. For employers and employees alike, the experience can be inspirational, even transformational. But it’s tough to create a fun, yet relaxed atmosphere that your employees will actually want to attend. Whether you are a seasoned event planner, or the boss just passed you the “Holiday Party Planning Hat”, this guide will walk you through the steps to create a meaningful and memorable event that will be sure to capture the spirit of the holidays and leave a lasting impression on your team.
Start With A Clear Vision
Before starting into all of the budgets, logistics and vendors, think about what type of get-together you want. Do you want to provide recognition, foster team building, or just have a joyful celebration?
Set A Budget...and Stick To It
This is crucial to prevent overspending and to align your plans with the resources available. Before you start booking vendors or ordering decorations, sit down with your boss and figure out how much money you have to work with. Once you have a number in mind, do your best to stick to it. Remember, there are plenty of ways to throw an amazing party without breaking the bank.
Engage Your Employees
Once you have a plan for type of party and a budget allocated, now it’s time to plan an event that is going to resonate with your employees. You probably have a few ideas already, but one of the best ways to ensure a good time is to get your employees involved. Seek their input through surveys or suggestion boxes to gather ideas for activities, themes, and preferences. By bringing them into the process, you let employees know their opinions matter, and your event will be more enjoyable for it.
Find The Best Venue For Your Company Holiday Party
Whether you are planning a holiday celebration in the office, offsite at an event venue, or planning a field trip to another destination, a memorable event begins with an extraordinary space. The Tampa Bay area has so many awesome venues available for events of all sizes. From holiday cruises to local hotels, resorts & restaurants to white sand beach outdoor parties to Top Golf, The Florida Aquarium and even Busch Gardens, Tampa/St. Pete has venues for almost any size and theme. For additional help on choosing the perfect event venue, check out our Ovations series in our blog for some of our favorite digs!
The Music
Everyone knows that music is essential to any good party. Your selection of music can be as simple as an employee’s spotify playlist, but be careful…you want to make you appeal to all generations on your team. If your budget allows it, a good DJ that can read the crowd and curate the perfect soundtrack for the night is an essential part of the evening’s entertainment. In addition, they probably have additional gear, like lighting, logo projections, additional mics to set the atmosphere and keep the party going smoothly.
Karaoke offers a fun twist to a traditional holiday celebration, especially when you pre-load it with holiday songs! Rent a karaoke machine, set it up on the stage at your event venue, and let everyone release their inner Bing Crosby, Mariah Carey or David Bowie.
Other Fun & Engaging Options for Your Company Holiday Party:
Serve festive food and drinks – No matter what time of year it is, food and drink are always important considerations for any event. Try to serve festive and appropriate items for your corporate holiday party in a work setting. Decide if you will do a full meal or just finger foods. You can incorporate the festive theme with special drinks, desserts, and appetizers.
Have a themed party – Corporate holiday parties can be stuffy and boring, so why not shake things up with a fun theme? You can go with a traditional theme like “Winter Wonderland” or “Ugly Sweater,” or get creative with a “Great Gatsby” or “Tropic Christmas Beach Party” theme. Your team will appreciate the extra effort. Helpful tip: If you’re not having a dress-up theme, it’s a good idea to mention the dress-code of the event in your invitiation.
Holiday Costume Party – Why let Halloween have all the fun? Create an evening full of laughter and casual fun with wild getups and clever costume ideas for your staff. How many Santas will make an appearance? Is Buddy The Elf coming? What other wintry characters and concepts will attend the party?
Giving Back – For the ultimate work Christmas party idea that supports your community, set up a special charity event for your team. There are so many wonderful charities to work with and events to participate in, so it will be easy to find the right fit for you. Choose a local charity or cause, and encourage employees to bring in items or monetary contributions. You can set up a collection booth at the event and acknowledge everyone’s generosity.
Capture The Moments – If your budget allows, considering adding a photo booth or event photographer. Many holiday parties come & go with little fun-factor. They can often be boring and stuffy affairs, with little staff engagement. Keep the fun-meter pegged when you have a photo booth or photographer. This fun addition can provide customized, company-branded photo prints and social media sharing options to help your team remember the event for years and help market your company on social media. And everyone loves a party souvenir, especially one that shows them having a good time and enjoying holiday memories. Boone’s Professional Events has both open-air and 360 photo booths with a wide variety of seasonal props, backdrops and greenscreens.
Ornament Decorating – Give everyone the time to get in the Christmas spirit with an office ornament decorating station. This work Christmas party idea is all about creativity! Provide a variety of supplies from paints, markers, glue, pompoms, glitter, sequins, ornament boxes, and any extra embellishments you can find at the craft store. Choose classic round ornaments or work with wooden holiday theme options.
It’s never too early to start planning an unforgettable event. Being with the right people in the right place at the right time is exhilarating. And you can make that happen for your team. By following these tips, you can ensure that your gathering not only celebrates your company’s accomplishments but also strengthens professional bonds and sets the tone for all the months and years ahead.
Boone’s Professional Events has served the Tampa Bay area for over 15 years and can help you plan a fun, engaging company holiday party your employees will want to attend year after year.
Ready to Party?
If you’re ready to get started in your Holidy aEvent Entertainment Planning, give us a call. Jeff Boone has over 15 years of experience providing disc jockey, lighting and photo booth services to residents, businesses and visitors of the Tampa/St. Pete area. We have developed great relationships with a lot of event venues and vendors around SW Florida and can help make your planning less stressful. From weddings, birthdays, Mitsvahs, Quince’s and anniversary parties to corporate events, galas, get-togethers and school functions, Boone’s Professional Events can help make your event memorable!