It’s meant to be a merry time of the year, but for some individuals it’s anything but. Office Christmas parties might bring the drama and stories that colleagues crave – but for those people who end up organizing them they can be something of a nightmare.
As the title of today’s post might have already suggested, this is where we come into play. While we can’t promise that all work Christmas party woes are going to be over, hopefully by the bottom of this page you’ll be armed with sufficient tips to really take the event by storm this year.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By natianis
Cater for everyone – not just the young
One of the big misconceptions about these Christmas parties is that they have to be wild (and usually, involve lots of alcohol).
Well, let’s dispel that myth once and for all. Most offices have quite a wide demographic, and this is where you really need to be shrewd when you start to mull over your office Christmas party ideas. Sure, a lively bar might satisfy the 18-30s group, but what about everyone else? Nowadays, some office Christmas events don’t even have to involve alcohol (some people even prefer this), some will event opt for an event like making gingerbread houses or completing a maze.
Get your timings right
This has some similarities with the last point we mentioned, about how you need to cater for everyone in your office. Kicking proceedings off at 9pm might allow everyone to get home, dressed and back out again – but for the typical family person this is too late.
Unfortunately, as responsibilities creep in, some people need to be back home by a respectable hour. It means that you need to make your reservations for as early as can be, or risk your numbers dropping.
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It needs A LOT of planning
This is the one time of the year where everyone is looking for similar activities and venues. Ultimately, it means that demand completely outweighs supply, and the companies that act first are the ones who get the top choices when it comes to venues.
Think you’re “planning” by making calls in November? This is far too late. You need to be starting to plan the Christmas party at some point from September, or even before, to ensure that you get those venues before anyone else. Let’s not forget that you are probably in a relatively large group, and this means that most venues won’t be able to accommodate you anyway.
Work out the finances early
This last point we are going to talk about will largely depend on the type of company that you work for. For example, some are happy to fund these parties, while others won’t contribute a cent. If you fall into the latter group, make sure everyone pays well in advance. Most venues will require this anyway, but the last thing you want is to have a huge shortfall on the evening of the event at the time where everyone should be enjoying themselves.
