10 Holiday Party Tips

 

So it’s the holiday season and you’re looking to give back to the hard working employees who have done a tremendous job this year. Well kudos to you! Here are some of the benefits your company can enjoy from a holiday party. A Holiday party is very important to company morale:

75% yield better friendships in the workplace.

71% enhance office culture.

57% improve teambuilding

18% Increased Productivity.

These are all astonishing figures that can truly have a positive impact on your company’s production. Besides, look at the bright side, you can finally show off your dance moves!

1. You’re first step is to decide when you want to have your holiday party. 58% of events typically take place mid December and 26% in early December. It’s right before the Christmas holidays and what better way to get in the holiday spirit then with a party. Throwing a party in the new year may not serve the company’s best interest. Typically productivity is at it’s highest in the first month or two, so get the partying out of their system before the holidays and start the new year fresh.

2. So you locked down a date. Great! Now it’s time to secure a venue. Without a place to party, there is no party. 38% of holiday parties take place at a restaurant or bar, 30% at the office and lastly 25% an event space. When searching for a venue, consider the parking situation. Does the venue have a parking lot? This may sound silly, but statistically venues with parking lots tend to do more business because of the convenience for patrons. Yes you can valet, but who likes to stand outside for 15 minutes waiting to get their car. Also, is the place big enough to accommodate everyone with enough space to move around? This is particularly tricky; because you don’t want to get a massive space, which will leave your room looking empty, so take size into consideration.

3. Once you’ve secured a location, the next piece to the puzzle is the entertainment. Music is the quintessential element that will set the mood, pace and energy of theevening. When selecting the entertainment for your next event, make sure you consider some of the following:

-   Does the company understand the goal and objective of this event?

A lot of the times, companies will say anything to get you excited about booking them as the entertainment for the evening. A great company is the one that listens and takes notes of the elements you want to convey at your event. Every event is unique in nature, so make sure the entertainment they provide will be customized to your specific needs. No one likes cookie cutter parties!

-   Who will be at the event representing the company?

DJs and MCs are the ones who will carry the formalities and create the party atmosphere. Make sure you connect with them, get a feel for their energy.

4. When people are coming to a holiday party, they expect to eat. How else are they going to have enough energy to dance the night away? 45% of food is usually catered from either a catering company or a restaurant. 11% is potluck style, which is nice because it allows people to have some involvement in the party and they get to show off their iron chef skills. domain archive 5% of holiday parties don’t offer food, which in our opinion is lame.

5. Everyone knows a good party is the one that has an open bar. It allows people to loosen up, lose some inhibitions and feel free to dance in front of co-workers. You need to understand that dancing is not something that employees do in front of one another; so a little liquid courage goes a long way.

6. Although this may shock you, some companies prefer to have a holiday party during business hours strictly for the employee. 52% of organizations tend to do an employee holiday party while 42% have a formal party for you and your significant other.

7. During the holidays 58% of companies serve holiday treats at the office while 38% host gift swaps. Although it takes more time coordinate a gift swap program, it engages employees to communicate and break down cross-functional departments that typically wouldn’t talk with one another.

8. Decorations are always festive and bring out a great office vibe that’s enjoyable and festive. 47% of companies decorate the workplace. It psychologically creates a sense of belonging for the workforce.

9. 55% of holiday parties are planned by the administrative assistant, executive assistant, or human resources associate, so make sure you take a second to appreciate the hard work and efforts they put in to making this holiday party a success. And if you’re reading this, we thank you for keeping us in business J

10. Lastly, when budgeting your party, take into consideration how many people you’re expecting to have at the party and what the company is willing to shell per head. Here is a breakdown of what is typically spent per employee:

31% – $26-$50

27% – $11-$25

20% – $51-$100

9%  – Over $100

8%  – Less than $10

5%  – Don’t know.

Everyone loves a good party but there’s a science to throwing a great affair. The art of event planning is constantly changing with trends, but these are some of the constant elements that can make or break your next holiday party.