Tips for Event Planners Tackling Holiday Parties
As an event planner, you’re essentially the sole person in charge of overseeing each and every aspect of an event. This can be a daunting task under the best circumstances, but planning a corporate holiday event presents an entirely new set of challenges. The holiday season is a time for all to kick back, relax and let loose…which can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to planning a holiday event for the workplace. An event planner must keep their holiday event focused, controlled and, above all, fun! Here are some essential tips for event planners planning a holiday party this season.
Start Off With the Basics
When undertaking the planning of a corporate holiday event, big or small, it is important not to get overwhelmed by the details. Each well planned event begins with the basics. Ask yourself the big 5 “W’s”: who, what, when, where, and why? Who will be participating in this event? What is event going to be like on the day itself? When will the event be held? Where will accommodate all the needs of this event? Why are we having this event? What are the main goals and outcomes of this particular event? Once these questions have been answered, a planner can begin to tackle piecing together the essential components of the gathering.
Check Your Calendar
One challenge when creating an event is to ensure that there are no other planned events that could potentially conflict with your party. This is particularly essential when planning an event during the holiday season. Check your proposed date for any other industry events, school breaks, religious holidays or important sporting events that may interfere with guests’ attendance. Once your date has been confirmed, we recommend sending out save the dates six weeks prior to the event, invites four weeks out from the event, and finally reminders two weeks out from the event. This will give your guests plenty of time to plan and make arrangements to attend.
Make Your Invites Clear
After your guest list has been developed, it’s time to begin creating the invitations for your event. It is especially important when creating corporate events to make guests aware of the do’s and don’t of the big day. Being that this is a work-related event, most attendees will want to see some sort of unique benefit from attending. This could be networking, team building, leadership bonding, product launches and more. The benefit of attending the event should be made clear to all guests, as to entice them further to attend. In this way, a planner can set the expectations and tone of the event. Other factors to consider are if guests can bring a guest of their own to attend. This can be an uncomfortable question to raise in a work setting, so make it clear to your guests on their invitation if guests are welcome or not.
Make it an Experience
The guests attending your event should feel just like that…guests. They should feel pampered and welcomed from the second that they enter the door. Have someone at the door to greet all guests and take coats, making it clear to attendees that they are in the correct place upon arrival. This will set the tone for the rest of the event. Holiday parties can be an HR nightmare if they are let to get out of control, so it is essential to hire a professional bartender and service staff if alcohol will be provided at your event. This way, attendees will not only have a sense of exclusivity by being waited on, professional bartenders can help to avoid overconsumption of alcohol during the event.
Pics or it Didn’t Happen
Photographs are not only a great way to not only capture the essence of your event, but also to create memories and bonds between attendees. Design your event so that it encourages the capturing and sharing of images, perhaps by creating a designated photo area or pop-up photo booth. Remember that everything at your event could potentially be a backdrop for a photograph, so ensure that all branding elements for the corporation are being properly and clearly presented.
Bring all of the important captures of your event together by texting in your images to your unique event phone number with Text Event Pics. Guests can also be welcomed to share their images to this secure, private gallery. Additionally, all images texted into your unique event number can be displayed on any screen that you wish! This is a great option to use to encourage interaction and bonding between your attendees and employees, building morale for all.
