A 2022 survey found that 55% of corporate Americans are into parties as part of their office culture. Aside from being fun, these events can also help improve relationships with coworkers.
An office Christmas party, in turn, is one of the most looked-after corporate events in any year.
Thus, if it’s your task to plan a Christmas party, you want it to be epic and memorable for everyone. The pressure may be even greater if it’s your organization’s last event of the year.
To that end, we created this guide sharing our top Christmas party tips. Read on to discover what they are so you can plan a successful year-ender event.
Start Planning as Early as September
Event venues, restaurants, and bars often get fully booked for the holidays by October. That’s also when many people start planning for their holiday travels. A guide published in July 2021 even noted how U.S. travelers were already planning holiday trips by then.
So if you plan a Christmas party as late as December, expect to get hard-pressed finding a venue. Even if you do, the few options you have left may lack the charm you’re looking for in an event place. Also, some employees may already have different plans by then, so they’re unlikely to turn up at the event.
Thus, it’s wise to begin planning your office Christmas party as early as September. That can give you more time to search, compare, and secure an event location. If you need help on what to look for in one, here’s a link you can click for Christmas party venues and ideas.
Build a Christmas Party Planning Team
Even if your organization is small, planning an office party alone can take weeks or even months. That’s why you’d want to work with one or two other planners to help you formulate an incredible plan. Doing so allows you to spread the tasks so that you don’t have to carry the burden (and stress) alone.
During recruitment, the first ones to ask are those known to be social and detail-oriented. They’ll most likely agree, but it won’t hurt to reward them with an incentive, no matter how small it is. For instance, you can give them a gift card or voucher or ask them if they want anything specific.
Determine How Much to Spend
It’s tempting to splurge on an office Christmas party, considering it only happens once a year. However, you don’t want to overspend now and worry about unpaid invoices next year.
A fair starting point would be $75 per person. That should include their entry to the venue, meals, and drinks. You can also use a small portion for their party giveaway or goodie bag.
If your organization can afford to spend more, why not let staff members bring a plus one? There might even be enough funds to cover employees’ children.
It’s also wise to look into the package deals offered by food and beverage establishments. They typically offer discounts for group gatherings, especially during the holidays. Snagging one of these promos can help you stick to your budget.
Conduct an Employee Survey
You want the whole office to have the best Christmas party, so why not ask them directly for opinions? Email them a questionnaire to determine their date, venue, theme, and food preferences.
Providing single or multiple choices to questions can promote a better response rate. For example, when asking about their date preference, give answers like:
- December 16, Lunch
- December 16, Dinner
- December 17, Lunch
- December 17, Dinner
Also, ask the respondents to rank their answers, as this allows for some wiggle room.
Next, consider providing 3 to 4 options for the venue and ask them to rank it based on their preference. Regardless of the choices, ensure their prices are within your budget for the party.
As for the themes, ideas may include a costume party, cocktail party, or outdoor party. For food, have them indicate if they’re good with meat or if they want something plant-based.
Remember to include a section where employees can share their Christmas party ideas. For instance, they may want a raffle, a charity event, games, or competitions.
You can extract the results manually if your organization has few employees, say, ten or fewer. But if it’s more than that, use survey software to compile the data automatically.
Use the Survey Results
As soon as the survey results are out, have your planning team review them. You can then finalize things using the provided answers to the questionnaire. Also, remember to incorporate as many shared ideas as possible into your final plan.
Then, as soon as you have the finalized plan, book your preferred venue.
Create and Send Formal Invites
Once you’ve done all the steps above, you can start crafting festive event invitations. Base the design on the party theme you’ve decided on. Pick one suitable for everyone, especially children, if the party is family-friendly.
The invite should include the recipient’s name, date, time, location, and dress code. If they’re bringing a plus one or their kids, list the other attendees’ names on the invite, too. That can help make the invitation feel more personalized and welcoming.
It’s also wise to provide the planning team’s contact details. That way, anyone who has questions about the party can ring up.
Have an Epic Office Christmas Party
An epic office Christmas party doesn’t have to be extravagant, but it must be well-planned. That’s why it’s best to start preparing as early as September. That includes building a planning team, setting a budget, and conducting a survey.
Then, use the survey results to finalize your plan, including booking the venue. After that, you only need to send out the invites and, of course, have a blast at the party.
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