Christmas Party Planning

The trouble is, most people leave it too late and then a mad rush ensues finalising plans at the last minute whilst we battle it out with all the other last minute planners, trying to grab the last few remaining spots worth booking be that tables in a restaurant, an area in a bar or an entire venue.

Speaking from experience, and as experts at Christmas party planning, it’s never too early to make preparations. If you’ve been tasked the role of making it happen, and especially if you’re one of those people that has little or no experience in planning a corporate event then why not let us help make life easier for you with this comprehensive breakdown of every step and provision one should account for.

Failing all else, just give our Corporate Events team a ring and we'll do it for you!

Scope out the diary

Pick a suitable date, or choice of dates that you think would work. This doesn’t mean grabbing the first Friday in December in the hope more people will be free. Remember, if you’re planning early enough you’ll get a decent turnout regardless. The closer the date is to Christmas the more festive people will feel however too close and people will be worried about ruining their own Christmas with a hangover, or clashing with other family activities that get planned later in the year. Too early and you'll stick out like a sore thumb; Christmas parties do indeed happen in November but if you're aiming to time it just right we say typically anything between the 2nd and 3rd weeks of December will work really well. Also, a day closer to the weekend will allow people the chance to really let loose and ideally a Friday so people won't be worried about having to come to work for the next day whilst suffering the mother of all hangovers.

Online date planner

One way to manage the general consensus of available dates is to use an online date planner like Doodle to give everyone the chance to pick their favourite choice thus helping you to weigh up consensus. Then once you've landed on a suitable date it’s worth sending out a “save the date” calendar invite to ensure maximum turnout and minimise drop outs. Oh, and the earlier you lock in a date, the higher your chance of securing preferential rates with your chosen venue!

Dietary requirements

It’s also a good idea at this point to get an idea of dietary requirements or allergies; the vegan movement is gathering pace so don’t be surprised if not everyone is ready to dive in to roast turkey and pork stuffing, or fillet of beef with foie gras butter.

Set a ballpark budget and contingent

Speak to whoever holds the purse strings and have a proper conversation with them about the available budget to spend and where it's likely to go. This is a little bit of chicken / egg as you’ll need to know roughly how many people are likely to attend plus an approximate idea of the target cost per head. So it helps to do a little homework first to give you something to take in to your meeting; your objective here is to secure a ballpark budget figure with % for contingent. You’ll always spend the money you have available and when your DJ cancels at the last minute requiring a more expensive back up, or the taxi transfers from the office to the venue seem to spiral in cost, you’ll be pleased you’ve got it covered. You don’t want to build the most elaborate plan with ice sculptures and teams of staff serving luxury Christmas themed hors d'oeuvres and vintage bubbly only to be knocked back on cost. You'll also struggle to negotiate effectively with a venue if your budget is too vague.

Assess expectations

Furthermore, how you spend that budget is intrinsically linked to the expectations of your audience, and not just the quantity of people. The Christmas party is the last event of the year where staff will have the chance to let their hair down and really have fun but it helps to account for as many people as possible. The event is a show of gratitude and thanks to all employees for their hard work through the year and whilst a successful execution will impress your seniors, the party is not being held just for them. Consider the company culture and the broad majority of demographic and plan accordingly.

Estimate guest list headcount

It may be a little premature to confirm for certain the amount of people to attend, but it’s still a good idea at this point to have as best idea as is possible be that a broad % of company headcount or a figure taken from the previous years turnout. Things to consider here include whether you're inviting just staff, or their partners too. Plus it's also not uncommon for companies to invite suppliers, and clients are often on the guest list so numbers can quickly scale and this will all clearly impact on the total outlay of your event.

Bespoke party plan

You take complete control over the budget and plan liaising with suppliers, venues and taking responsibility for everything from theme, menu, music, invites and catering.

For smaller companies you may settle for a cosy table at a local eaterie, but it’s becoming far more common these days to try and incorporate some kind of activity and to treat the party as an opportunity for team building and staff morale. Your choices are virtually endless if taking this route and can include anything from a trip bowling, perhaps going ice skating, axe throwing, or maybe even a cookery workshop or escape room. This is all before settling down for something to eat and finishing off with an entertaining evening of cocktails, dancing and music.

Packaged Christmas party

This is where all the hard work is done for you, from theming to menu and entertainment. This also depends on the number of people you’re inviting. If you’re after an exclusive and private event you can opt for a suitably sized venue with set course menu and entertainment. For smaller companies that would like some atmosphere you can also opt for an event that will see your guests mingling with lots of other companies and booking tables within a much larger venue. This can prove to be a very cost effective way of laying on a high quality bash for your staff, and it's also a great chance to network. Your job then would simply be to send out the party invites and watch from the sidelines as all the hard work is done for you.

Outsource

There is a third route and that is to contact an events company that specialises in corporate events and parties. Gong this way, you can simply select what’s important and allocate the budget. Expect to pay a little more for the trouble as the service doesn’t come free, but the logistics, complexity and difficulty of planning a larger bash can easily outweigh the cost, and being able to rely on experts to make your party run like clockwork can sometimes be the best way to proceed. You'll also find a fairly extensive choice of activities and add-ons that you'd otherwise perhaps not be aware even existed!

Contact possible venues

So by now you’re building an idea of how far your budget will stretch, and you’ll be considering the approximate cost per head and what this will include, and armed with this information you can now contact venues and request quotes. Again, the larger your company, the benefits of using an external party planner becomes clearer as things start to become very complicated and costs can spiral. It’s also common for venues to have their own in-house Events Manager(s) to help you plan so do your research and make contact with the venues to try and build a shortlist of suitable options.

Make provisional reservations

If you’re ahead of the game with the luxury of time you can often make provisional bookings with several venues before having to pay any kind of deposit and making a commitment and depending on the type of event you’re hosting and whether you're in or outsourcing, it makes sense to arrange a site visit. This will help to visualise things better and to establish any constraints or limitations be this for the purpose of theming, accessibility, fire escapes, staffing arrangements, furniture and even the post-party clear up. Don’t leave all of this to the last minute in case you need to source a new venue or recruit an entire team of waiting staff.

Overnight stays

To really lay on the bash of the year and the most memorable experience, you may incorporate an overnight stay for guests. This is sometimes possible within the venue itself say for example if you’re opting to occupy the ball room of a prestige hotel and booking out a number of rooms as part of the deal. Alternatively you may find yourself booking rooms at a less expensive hotel nearby, and again in either case booking early is really important here so as to maximise your choice.

Book for minimum headcount

You may find it a good idea to insure yourself against the inevitable possibility of no-shows and to make provisional bookings for a minimum headcount allowing for finalised guests numbers to be provided later on. The venue will be keen to receive a deposit for the event so before any money changes hands it’s important to get all the facts straight and to protect yourself from any unexpected headcount changes in either direction. This is also your chance to try and identify any hidden charges say for example if there are any drink budget allocations that are exceeded, or extra charges for security, cleaning, or any guests staying over decide to charge room service in the early hours.

Negotiate

Most venues have revenue targets to achieve and they'll be keen to reach these targets earlier in the year. As such there is often some flexibility within the price depending on numbers and the size of your event. Don’t be afraid to push back on costings; negotiation is a skill and can be poorly approached without practice, but if you don’t ask for flexibility in pricing you won’t receive any discount. Therefore, the earlier you approach the issue the better your chance of receiving preferential rates. The closer you get to Christmas, the best venues will be getting booked and the motivation to offer discount will soon disappear.

Release unwanted reservations

Once your venue has been confirmed and contracts signed you should cancel and release any other held bookings. This is not just a courteous thing to do, but importantly making apologies and cancelling at the first opportunity will make sure you avoid tarnishing your reputation and that of your company. After all, you may need them next year. At the same time, it's advised to delay making any final commitment until you’re as certain as you can be around the suitability of your venue to accommodate your needs around theming, food and drinks.

Theming

Popular Christmas themes include, amongst others, Film and TV, Music, Mythical Creatures, Masked Ball, 20’s jazz, 80’s pop or good old pantomime. The choice is endless but whatever you choose make sure this forms the basis for your entire event and give everyone plenty of time to plan their attire.

Site visit

List out each step and stage of your event, and everything that you might associate with this theme to make sure you leave nothing out. Having performed a site visit and taken photographs you’ll be better equipped to plan things properly; from the invites themselves, entrance theming to welcome your guests, staff and costumes, menu and drinks choices, music and entertainment.

Outsource theming

Depending on the size of your event, your theme may be simple to organise, but there is always the option to outsource theming either to your event party planner or even a specialist theming company to help with ideas and making the appropriate arrangements.

Menu

By now you’ll have an idea of people’s dietary preferences and theme, so now is the time to establish your menu. Again, the venue or party planner can help with this but if you’re outsourcing catering now is the time to put out the phone calls to discuss options. This includes any nibbles you intend to serve upon arrival, and right through lunch or dinner courses and desert. Don't forget, anywhere you can apply your theme to the food will really add to the detail.

Equipment and food sampling

If you’re opting for in-house catering you’ll save money as all the equipment will likely already be on site, although you’ll have less choice over what to serve. As such, it’s well worth taking time to sample the venue food at this point. There’s nothing worse than looking forward to a slap up three course meal only to be met with sub-standard produce and sloppy presentation. The same goes for external catering; you will have far greater choice as to what you serve but the quality of your food is absolutely key as your guests have been looking forward to this meal for months. Scope out the options available to you and proceed accordingly.

Method of serving

Depending on the style and theme of your event, how the food is served should also be taken in to consideration and may also impact on your budget. Buffet food is a cost effective way to keep costs down for staff, and at the same time a fixed course with table service can keep things simple. Compare the options and relative costs and try to visualise how this will play out on the day.

Alcohol or alcohol-free?

Rather than force free poured spirits down everyone's throat to get people drunk, try to incorporate some non-alcoholic options for those that wish to skip a round and for others that have woken up to the benefits of abstinence. Let people take their pick; your guests don't need to be slaughtered to have a good time.

Theme your drinks

Alcoholic or not, theme your drinks - this may include winter themed drinks, Christmas cocktails / mocktails or a festive punch.

Method of serving?

How are drinks to be served? Will you leave this to the bar, employ waiting staff with trays and Christmas hats to mingle, or do you pursue the dangerous option and install a self serve bar? It all depends on numbers and of course that budget. With a bespoke themed venue it can sometimes work to install a separate champagne bar, gin bar or beer / cider tent. Pre-serve bottles of wine to the dinner tables accounting for a certain number of glasses per guest and perhaps some backup stock for any particularly thirsty tables.

Bar tab / drinks vouchers

If a bar is part of the event and the budget is set you could gIve your guests drinks vouchers to limit the amount they can have before forking out for more with their own money. Unless you’ve an open ended bar tab it’s quite possible for the heavy drinkers of your party to deplete your budget long before others have even finished their first round. So take this in to consideration.

Scope out your music acts

Depending on the size of your venue, you may need to make additional provisions for music to be played in other areas perhaps any outside space, separate bar areas or the lobby. You may therefore settle for the venue’s choice of entertainment but if arranging a bespoke or semi-bespoke event that allows for your own choice then now is the time to scope out a DJ, live band and any other musicians. You may wish to start the party with Christmas themed music playing in the background before moving on to something more dance oriented with a DJ and sound system. It may be that you opt for something more civilised with a harpist playing in the lobby as people arrive before a live jazz band and singer performs. Either way, try to link this up with your theme and the type of event you’re trying to arrange and plan accordingly. Don't forget to keep with the theme and make sure that wherever your guests are that they’ll feel entertained.

PA Equipment

It’s great to have a top local DJ lined up, or local band playing a set, but if they’ve not priced or planned for equipment and your venue isn’t geared up for live acts you’ll be caught short. Plan ahead and make sure either your suppliers are providing suitable PA equipment, or if you need to hire in then now is the time to obtain quotes. You should also request demo tapes from any live artists to make sure you don't make a wrong hire. Don't forget to make sure there is provision for a microphone to make any announcements or speeches later in the evening.

Add on entertainment

Go back to your theme and consider appropriate types of entertainment. This could include anything from a juggler performing in the entrance lobby, to card magicians walking around the party, circus performers breathing fire on the terrace. You could also consider installing some kind of equipment to give people something to do whilst they’re mingling and enjoying the party before / after food. The venue may have pool tables and board games but there’s so much more you could consider from arcade machines and pinball to bowls, giant Jenga and fun fair popcorn vending.

The main event

You may also wish to plan a crescendo performance to really top things off such as a firework display, headline performance act from a singer or comedian, or a visit from Santa himself! However, whatever you decide on make sure you employ and vet your supplier to be as certain as you can be that they really will stand up to expectation.

Keynote

You may need to spend some time pitching up to people but you don't need to hire Philip and Holly at great expense to stand up on stage as some low hanging fruit is right in front of you here notably in the form of a friendly and confident Director, or senior member of staff keen for the attention and prepared to stand up in front of everyone to say an authentic thanks to people for coming to the party, recognising their hard work through the year and perhaps giving out an award or two for notable performance. If you're stumped for options, perhaps your MD is a little too shy, then you can hire in externally perhaps a cheaper local celebrity or an up and coming comedian to give this speech.

Awards

If any awards are being given out you should make plans early enough to ensure any prizes, trophies or keepsakes are on hand and kept safe ready for distribution on the night.

Theming communal areas

Decorate and theme communal areas and washrooms; this could include Christmas themed decorations, hand towels, festive flowers, and for an extra special touch why not hire a restroom attendant for that added touch of class.

Cloakroom

Rather than have big winter coats adorning all the available seating why not install a cloakroom, or make sure your venue can handle a cloakroom facility for you with a well staffed and efficient drop off / collection of your guests outer garments.

Security

Depending on the venue and size of your Christmas party, a security presence may be essential whether this be to secure the entrance from gate crashers or to be ready and on hand to diffuse any drunken spats or arguments between rival departments! There’s nothing worse than somebody having too much to drink and picking a fight with their manager; it ruins the party for everyone else so do make sure you’ve got this covered.

Photographer

A decent photographer will be well worth the money as you’ll be able to capture your night and all its shenanigans in fully glory. An extensive stock of photographs from the night not only gives you an endless reminder of the event but your marketing team will be all over it with plenty of ammo for all channels be this a social media post of the event, blog content, internal marketing comms or to help arrange next years Christmas party plan!

Videographer

Again, good quality video footage will last a lifetime and provide plenty of basis for social media. A good quality editing of your Christmas party has so many uses.

Table treats

Being Christmas, if you're sitting down for dinner then don't forget your crackers! Society has come to expect a completely useless cracker prize so if budget permits you could up the stakes with the quality, but this can quickly add up. Failing the posh cracker, what about a few festive chocolates or some sprigs of mistletoe around the dining table?

Goody bags

These are a fantastic way to send people home with a real and lasting memory of their night, and they needn’t cost the earth however please whatever you do, don’t cut corners and raid the stationary cupboard for company branded post-it notes and clicky pens that everyone already has in their pedestal drawer. A goody bag should be special, so try to make them purposeful with Christmas themed sweets, chocolates, even mini bottles of spirits or champagne. They'll appreciate the effort.

Set out your itinerary

Note down in chronological order every single step that is due to take place and this includes making provision for realistic time taken for people travelling between venues, getting changed, the serving and consumption of any canapes or champagne, and even the clearing of tables after dinner. Plan for late arrivals and delays to food preparation. Be ready to accept supplier deliveries, or make sure the venue is prepared for them. Be under no illusion; things can and will go wrong, but with careful and sensible planning you’ll be ahead of the game and ready to minimise disruption.

Distribute your itinerary

Use this information to list an accurate itinerary of events, and be ready to update this as you finalise plans. The itinerary should be your bible; the one document that you can rely on to stay on top of proceedings and to make sure that everything takes place when it’s supposed to and to maximise your chances of a smooth running event. Treat this document as you would a wedding ring; do not under any circumstance lose it. Keep it on hand, plus it’s a good idea to make a copy and have a colleague on hand ready to step in to help out should anything happen to you on the night and your list goes missing. Send an electronic copy to anyone involved in the execution of your event and make sure you’re all familiar with the detail. Make sure everyone involved has a copy of this document so that nothing is left to speculation; you’d be surprised how people can get mixed up especially if they’re busy planning their own Christmas activities.

Be thorough

Break down the event and include all important details from timings, who is responsible, where and how thing are taking place. Even the menu, drinks budgets and speech timings must be included; be ready to refer to anything at any time and be in the know as opposed to unsure. You should also include all contact details including phone numbers and email addresses of suppliers, caterers, entertainers, security, transport and back up contacts should anything cause a problem. Having this information on hand will help minimise disruption on the day and help you overcome any unexpected challenges.

Getting to the party

Consider hiring a coach company to transfer people in bulk. Go one better and book out a party bus to transfer your guests in style with onboard bar and music!

Getting home

It’s a good idea to consider how people may be planning to get home especially if you’ve chosen a remote venue with limited choice of transfer so do the hard work for everyone by having the same coach on hand, or by providing a comprehensive list of local taxi firms and encourage people to make a booking in ample time of the party. December is a very busy time for taxi operators and calling one on the night expecting a pick up in 20 minutes is never going to happen.

Have a thought for what people will do in every eventuality; you don’t want anyone stranded through bad planning. On your head be it!

Be authentic

Make sure you include all details they need from the address, start and end time, dress code, format and theme, food and menu details, plus anything else you think may help create excitement and authenticity for your theme.

RSVP

Don’t forget to include an RSVP so that final numbers can be communicated back to the venue, caterers and transport providers. Don't forget to chase up these RSVP's even delegating some of this task to departmental managers or colleagues if you feel this necessary.

Hire a creative

Speak to a designer, or your marketing department to have something designed that fits your theme and creates real excitement. Something you can email and print is a good idea especially if you’re inviting people that are not all based in the same office.

Go the extra mile

Consider purchasing colourful envelopes or premium paper stock to give extra wow factor; gold, silver or coloured envelopes can give the invite a real sense of festive luxury. You could also arrange for your invites to be produced using enhanced techniques such as die cutting or foil printing.

The power of the table plan

Be mindful of the power you have in seating people together (or apart). Getting distant departments talking can really help especially if they seldom get the chance to speak during working hours. You may wish to avoid any known awkward relationships (or bring them together if you think they could benefit from some time together!). Make sure your seating plan or place names are ready in time.

Client seating

If you’re inviting clients along it’s worth making sure they’re seated close to their respective contacts so they can be properly looked after and introduced / navigated to the right people..

Delegate

Delegate and outsource as much as your budget allows, and the better your preparation, the less you’ll have to do on the night. Have your itinerary to hand at all times.

Confirm and re-confirm your suppliers in advance

Contact all suppliers, venues and third parties prior to the event and in the weeks building up to the big day to make sure everyone is fully confirmed and ready to deliver as agreed. Make sure people know who to contact if any problems arise.

Be courteous

Treat your suppliers like staff and make sure they’re able to work effectively, without disruption and can take the right breaks to get through the event. You may also wish to allocate food / beverages to keep them motivated; happy workers will always go the extra mile for you.

Relax!

If you've made all the right preparation vetting suppliers, carefully selecting and theming your event and finalising all of your entertainment you can theoretically spend the best part of your evening enjoying the party. This doesn't mean getting skulled on champagne and failing to notice a call from the taxi firm saying that they're 8 cars short. You'll need to keep an eye on the ball in this respect but all being well, you'll have things covered. Just be ready to act, that's all we're saying!

Say thanks!

Send out a thank you email to all of your guests, including some of the best photo’s of the night and asking a couple of quick and easy questions.

Feedback tools

If your party has had a larger guest list you could go one extra with an online survey such as SoGoSurvey or Survey Monkey to more efficiently collect feedback. If you’re tasked with the same job next year, this feedback will be invaluable in making sure that next time you can smooth and perfect even the most minor of discrepancies.

De-brief your suppliers

If you’ve used a third party or party planner to provide service and anything did go wrong, it’s worth de-briefing them with this feedback to help them do a better job and to make sure that any credit or discounts can be applied.