Once again, it’s time for the exciting (or dreaded) holiday office party. If you happen to be the one in charge of party planning, there are a few easy steps to create a fun get together for everyone. First, don’t force people to attend the party. During the holiday, people are busy travelling, frantically shopping or even attending their spouse’s office party, so not everyone can make it. Once you’ve chosen a date, send out an email or an Evite and leave it at that. It’s also good to send out one reminder email a few days before the office party happens.
If possible, try not to have the holiday office party at your place of business. Leave the work at work, and choose an outside space that encourages people to relax and have fun. Along with that same point, try to avoid office talk or gossip at other’s expense. Having the party away from the office encourages that separation. The office party should be a fun, comfortable environment for people to get to know each other, so work should be the last thing on an attendee’s mind.
Of course, food and drinks are elements of any great holiday office party. But hire a caterer or use an outside service to handle this task. That’s one thing you don’t want to worry about.
A sit down dinner may not be the most exciting party, so make the night an event that shouldn’t be missed. Instead of sitting at a restaurant, choose an unusual theme, or center the party on an activity.
As far as time, it’s standard to choose an evening time after work. You can switch things up and have a long lunch or brunch during the week. The time change could be more of an incentive for people to attend, and serve as a nice break from work before the holidays.
Host your holiday office party later in the week. This gives people something to look forward to since it’s closer to the weekend. Remember that the holiday office party is meant to break the ice and help people get to know each other better. It shouldn’t be viewed as a chore to attend, but an event that will help coworkers form a united front.
If you’re still at a loss for how to create the perfect holiday party, check out this post from CNN Money about what not do to when planning a party, HERE. Are you in charge of party planning? How did you do it?
