Wrap Up a Well-Fitting, Festive Company Holiday Party This Year with Event Planning Advice from WM Events
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) November 26, 2013 -- While many people excitedly await the company holiday party, some employees would rather hide under their desks than participate in the festivities. If your business seems to be filled with too many Scrooges, you can still turn things around and make sure that this year’s holiday shindig becomes something the whole office will enjoy. According to Atlanta-based event designer William Fogler, there are three questions to ask yourself as you plan your party: what are the goals, who are your guests, and what is the budget? Thinking strategically about what you are looking for in the event ensures a successful holiday party that’s tailored for the guests of honor – your loyal employees.
The Goals of Your Holiday Party: Is the holiday party a thank you to your staff? Are you hoping to boost morale? Does the party come in place of a holiday bonus? Knowing what you’re trying to accomplish with your company’s party is the first step in the corporate planning process. If the party replaces the holiday bonus, a more extravagant event or experience will be a better thank you for your employees than an after work get-together in the break room. A takeaway gift that is small, but meaningful – any item lacking the company logo will add value for your guests. Edible gifts, restaurant gift cards or even movie tickets can be purchased in bulk for reasonable prices and are attractive to diverse audiences.
If a morale boost is what you’re after, group activities are right on target. Depending on your employees’ interests, outings like bowling or ice skating give employees some space to enjoy each other’s company. To create even more team spirit, staff members might enjoy working on a volunteer project together. Follow any of these activities with a happy hour or cocktail party, and the community building has already begun.
Know Your Guest List: If your company is small and filled with educated professionals, your party may look different than a team consisting of hundreds of employees ranging from entry-level positions to senior executives. Hosting a successful holiday party means understanding who your guests are and what they will enjoy. For diverse groups, this can be challenging, but broad entertainment options like a casino or lawn games and roaming performers will gain almost anyone’s interest. For example, hiring roving magicians to perform for randomly divided groups of employees will encourage socializing even across department lines.
Large or Small? Size and Budget Needs: If you’re not lucky enough to have an unlimited budget at your fingertips, you will need to make certain decisions about which aspects of the party are most important. Perhaps you have your heart set on an extravagant party, but don’t quite have the budget to match. Consider a daytime event, in order to help keep costs a little lower. Daytime parties can also be family friendly, which might be more of an incentive for employees to attend.
The bar presents another layer of budgetary concern – will it be open or not? To save money – and to save some employees potential embarrassment – consider limiting the open bar for the first hour of the event and serving only beer and wine for the rest of the evening. It is also perfectly acceptable to skip alcohol completely, particularly if that makes sense with your company philosophy.
Instead of letting corporate holiday party planning add to your stress, setting out with clear goals and an understanding of your guests will give help your navigate the planning process with ease. You will find that this year the holiday party will fit your guest list better than that Secret Santa sweater. After all, the company holiday party is really meant as a thank you for all the great work your employees do.
About WM Events
WM Events was founded in 2004 by award-winning designer, planner and consultant William Fogler. With offices in Atlanta and Denver, WM Events is a full service event planning and design firm that handles corporate events, high-end social affairs, weddings and any other sort of intimate or monumental happening. WM Events is located at 767 Trabert Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30318 and can be reached at 678-251-6363 or visited at http://www.wmevents.com. Connect with WM Events on Pinterest or Facebook
Carrie Whitney, WM Events, http://wmevents.com/, +1 404-822-1078, [email protected]
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