It’s unavoidable and yet it seems like summer was just a moment away but it’s here, like a reliable train, Xmas beckons. So, it’s time to arrange your Xmas party, hooray!
If you are the one lucky enough to be chosen to organise this year’s mega Xmas party then congratulations! Organising the Xmas party event needn’t be a stressful exercise, take a look at the below list of top suggestions to help your Xmas party go off with a bang.
And, if you are based in Surrey, take a look at our party marquee hire page and browse through some of the events we’ve constructed marquees for over the years. We’ve constructed marquees for countless Xmas parties, not just in Surrey, but London and surrounding counties.
Party Planning
Ask any party planner and they will also say the key to success is to plan, plan and then plan some more. Every eventuality needs to be considered to ensure ultimate success. Each year, you are given just the one chance to make a year-long lasting impression. Any mistakes that lead to a hopeless flop and dead duck of a party, will lead to it being remembered for all of the wrong reasons. You may never be given the opportunity again. Success will lead to you becoming the go to person for all future party planning events, you’ll have also set the bar high.
These tips should help you achieve the successful party your company no doubt deserves, we’ve also included some survival tips for your co-workers too:
1) Make lots of lists.
There’s no way you’ll remember absolutely everything off the top of your head, so make your life easy, and compile several lists, one for each stage of the party planning.
2) Compile a guest list.
Before you can really start any of the planning, you need to have a rough idea of numbers. Compile a guest list and send out invitations (don’t forget to include an R.S.V.P. number at the bottom).
3) Dress appropriately
Think about where the party will be held and dress appropriately for the venue. High heels and a skimpy dress won’t be appropriate at a posh restaurant. Similarly, turning up in jeans won’t look good if everyone else is in suits. If a dress code isn’t stipulated on the invites, ask around to see what other people are wearing.
4) Choose a theme
Whether it’s fancy dress, black-tie, or masquerade ball, everyone loves a themed party. Plus, it actually makes deciding on an outfit an awful lot easier, so you’ll have more time to concentrate on the party planning.
5) Book a venue
We can supply marquees for large functions and if you do not have an area available for this then we can help point you in the right direction of venues where we can provide a marquee. Do your research and you’ll easily find one in a good location for a reasonable price. If you only want a small gathering then it’s fine to keep it to your house – just make sure there’s enough room for everyone by adding a marquee as an extension.
6) Refreshments
Plan all food and drink, taking in to account numbers of people. For large parties it’s probably easier to do a buffet-style meal. Include a mixture of healthy and snack-type foods so you’re catering for everyone. Remember to stock up on soft drinks for those who are too young to drink alcohol or for anyone who’ll be driving. For smaller parties, you can reduce costs by asking everyone to bring their own bottle of drink. That way you only have to worry about the food side of things. If you want to cook a sit-down meal, plan it carefully, buy all ingredients before the day itself and make sure you’ve practised the dish at least twice.
7) Music / entertainment
Every good party needs an awesome playlist. It’s easy enough to make your own, and if you’re feeling flash, hire a DJ (just check out his music first – Mr Blobby might not go down too well at your Grandparents Ruby Wedding Anniversary). If your budget stretches far enough, hired entertainment always goes down a storm with party guests.
8) Make a speech
Thank everyone for coming to the party. Maybe have a competition for best-dressed, and present the winner with a prize. If there are prizes involved, people are bound to make more of an effort and everyone will enjoy it more.
9) Enjoy yourself
It’s sometimes easy to forget to enjoy yourself when you’re the party planner. As long as you’re organised, you can kick your shoes off and dance as wildly as the rest of them on the night. It’s your party too, don’t forget that!
10) Stay clear of Facebook…
The last thing you want when you wake up the next morning is to discover you’ve uploaded 20 pictures of you and your work friends downing cocktails and generally behaving badly to your Facebook account. If you want to share photos, wait until the next morning when you can look through them properly – your work friends will thank you for it and you’ll be very grateful as well.
11) Don’t get romantic
Considering the amount of time we spend at work, it’s no surprise so many couples meet in the office. But your work Christmas party is definitely not the place to make your feelings known to the person you’ve had the hots for all year. If they don’t feel the same you’ll just embarrass yourself and even if they do return your affections, it’s quite likely their sudden lust will be alcohol-fuelled. Remember, you’ll have to see them at work every day – so stay clear!
12) Don’t drink too much!
This is a pretty obvious one, but drinking leads to accidents, embarrassment, crazy dancing, awful singing and pretty much anything else you can think of that you’re going to regret. Often companies will pay for alcohol, or at least give you drinks tokens, but don’t go too crazy or you’ll regret it. Remember, this isn’t a night out with your mates, its people you have to work with on a daily basis – many of whom might look up to you and respect you as a manager. Why not try alternating alcohol with soft drinks to ensure you stay at least semi-sober?
Christmas parties should be lots of fun and they will be – as long as you follow these few simple rules.