How to Plan an Office Holiday Party

• by Tracy C.

Introduction: How to Plan an Office Holiday Party

• 90% of companies plan to host holiday parties this year, and that means someone needs to plan them. If you're reading this, that lucky person is probably you! Though the organization may seem daunting, once you determine a few key elements, your colleagues will soon be raising a glass to all your efforts.

Step 1: Evaluate the Budget

• Before considering any options, you must determine your budget.

1. Talk to your company's financial manager to get a sense of what the company has spent in the past, and on what. Ask him or her to help you develop a budget that will give you an approximate idea of what you can spend on each aspect of the party.
2. Factor in a cushion for unanticipated expenses.
3. Once you have a number to work with, you will have a better idea of the possibilities available to you.

Step 2: Get Some Feedback

• Whether this is your company's first holiday party, or you're trying to outdo disappointing events from the past, be sure to consult your team.

1. Schedule a meeting. This might mean gathering your entire office if your group is small. Otherwise, bring together a few key decision-makers.
2. Send out a survey to your office a week or so before sitting down to gather everyone's ideas and be sure each person is represented.

What to Ask

• Try to cover the following subjects in your survey so you can discuss each item at the meeting.

• Day and time

1. Do you want your party to be during the day or in the evening? A younger office might enjoy a late night out, but parents requiring babysitters may not.
2. Will your colleagues see a Saturday in mid-December as more of an obligation than a fun evening?
3. If you have a party during the day, will you let employees take off early?

• Venue

1. Will you have the party at your office? If so, you'll need to consider catering, cleaning up, and any potential liability issues.
2. If you've decided to hold the party off-site, do you want to have a sit-down dinner at a nearby restaurant? An outdoor adventure? A karaoke night?
3. When making this decision, consider how your colleagues will want to spend their time, and how structured they will want that time to be. Would a focused activity boost morale, or do people simply want to chat with each other in a relaxed atmosphere?
4. Use this event to reflect the culture of your company. You don't want to polarize co-workers with an event that is too competitive or inappropriate for the group's age or general interests.

• Will significant others, spouses, and/or children be included?

1. If you limit guests to spouses, single colleagues or those with long-term partners may be offended.
2. Allowing each employee to bring one guest of his or her choice (whether related or not) eliminates some of the tension if your budget allows.

• How will you celebrate the holidays?

1. Will you highlight any particular holidays or just focus on the celebrating?
2. How will you decorate for the holidays? Keeping things neutral will focus colleagues on getting together to enjoy each other's company.
3. Will you exchange gifts?
4. Listen carefully to your co-workers' feelings about these questions as highlighting a particular religion or background is an especially sensitive issue.

Consider Changing it Up

• Office holiday parties that have a philanthropic angle are becoming increasingly popular and may help retain employees.
  • "Corporate philanthropy is an important aspect of creating a culture that can attract the best candidates," said Mark Shamley, president of the Association of Corporate Contribution Professionals. "It shows employees that you're concerned about things other than the bottom line."
• Consider organizing an evening at a local soup kitchen, for example, to bring your team together.

• Green office parties are another rising trend. If you are hosting the party at your office, you can use biodegradable cups, bowls, and flatware. Serve locally grown food and clean up with biodegradable cleaning supplies. Otherwise, try to choose a venue with access to public transportation.

Step 3: Form a Committee

• Now that you have some feedback, it's time to ask for volunteers who will help organize the event.

1. Form a committee divided into teams that will handle different aspects of the event, such as food, transportation, and decorations.
2. Keep your committee relatively small so there are few power struggles.
3. At smaller companies without event planners on staff, designate tasks according to interest.
4. Create a schedule of meetings leading up to your event so your committee members can provide status updates to the team.
5. Maintain regular contact with your committee members to stay on top of any concerns.

Step 4: Preparation

• Organizing all the details early on will ensure a flawless event.

Select the Venue

• You may be holding your party in your office, but if you are using an outside location, make sure you have a reservation before you announce the event to the group. You can work on other details later—menu, decorations, whether or not you'll put up a diversity tree—but you will need to determine the exact place, date and time of the event before telling co-workers about the party.
  • Get it in Writing
  • Be sure to draw up a contract with your venue that will outline the cost of the event and where responsibilities lie. These may include add-on expenses such as cleaning up, alcohol, or transportation.
  • Get to Know Your Contact Person
  • Most venues, or restaurants, have a person specifically in charge of event planning. Get to know this individual early on because he or she will be your go-to person for all questions in the coming weeks.

Announce the Event

1. The holiday season is the busiest time of year for parties, so you'll want to give your team plenty of advance notice—at least a month—to ensure attendance.
2. An email message is likely the best way to get the word out initially, and you'll save paper, too.
3. This is also the time to to generate some buzz. If your party will feature a certain band, put that information on your save the date, along with the necessary details of date, time, and place.
4. And start spreading the word around the office! Put up fliers and consider creating countdown messages either via email or posted in a common area.

Food and Drinks

• Food

1. If you are in charge of providing the food on-site, consider organizing a pot luck and have everyone use a master sign-up sheet to let you know what they'll bring.
2. Holiday menus don't need to be traditional, either. Think about a theme that might relate to your group and organize food choices accordingly.
3. If you have decided to hire a caterer, you'll need to choose a menu and determine serving options.
4. A restaurant will also have menu choices if you'd like a fixed meal, or you might choose just a few options so your colleagues will have a selection.
5. Be sure to include a few vegetarian options.

• Drinks

1. If you are hosting the party at the office, you may need to hire a bartender.
2. Alternatively, you can set up self-serve bars.
3. If bars will be self-service, consider limiting options to beer, wine, and a pre-made cocktail to keep things moving.
4. At an off-site venue, you will still need to choose wine, beer, and the types of alcohol you will serve.
5. Don't forget non-alcoholic options.

Decorations

1. Depending on what your office has decided to do regarding the holidays, you'll need to choose appropriate decorations if hosting the party, or how to direct event staff off-site.
   • Variations on traditional themes are a good compromise.
2. "Nature-inspired browns, coppers and golds" or a winter theme are both popular choices.
3. Consider buying recyclable decorations or letting guests take things home at the end of the event to minimize cleanup.

Activities

• Whether on- or off-site, you might want to set up an activity or two to keep your group entertained.

1. Some of the simplest games can be the most fun: charades using industry-related or office-related terms can be a great icebreaker.
2. Organizing a scavenger hunt may allow co-workers to interact with people they don't normally work with. Decide whether or not it will be limited to your office building.
3. A quiz game comprised of obscure company facts is another idea. Be sure to get higher-ups in on the brainstorming. Survey people who have worked at your company for a long time to dig up good stories.
4. Renting a karaoke machine is easily done. Consulting local party planners can help come up with similar ideas—photo booths, an a capella group, or activities for kids are all possibilities.
5. See our Office Party Games page for further resources.

Transportation

• Parking

1. If you are hosting a party in your office but inviting additional guests, you'll need to create a parking plan for extra cars.
2. Communicate the parking plan when guests RSVP or send out a company-wide email.
3. If you are holding your event at an outside venue, you may need to hire a valet service to manage cars.

• Transportation

1. It is crucial to have a transportation plan set up ahead of time.
2. If you are hosting the party elsewhere, it might be more cost-efficient to hire a bus or vans than to offer valet parking.
3. If employees are providing their own transportation, be sure you have articulated a clear policy about drinking and driving. "There are horror stories every year," says Carolyn Pendley, a human resources consultant. Encourage co-workers to carpool or take public transportation if possible.

Gifts

• If your group has decided to exchange gifts, you'll need to determine how. Options include:

1. Secret Santa. Choose names a month or so ahead of your party so that each person will give and receive one gift. Be sure to set an upper limit on cost so that gifts don't vary wildly.
2. Donations. Your team may wish to decide together on an organization to which to donate. This decision might require another meeting or company-wide survey. Once you've narrowed down several options, have your group vote on one. Decide if each person will donate a designated amount or if there is room in the budget for a company-sponsored gift.
3. You might also try organizing a food drive or set up a table for Toys for Tots. Employees simply buy gifts or food of their choice to contribute. You will still need to drop off the gifts and remind co-workers to bring in their gift.
4. Individual gifts. If there are extra funds in the budget, choosing a gift or gift certificate to a local restaurant or bookstore for each employee is another option.
5. People may simply give their own gifts to co-workers.

Step 5: Pre-Party Logistics

Staying On Top of Things

1. Create a list or spreadsheet with contact information on each company and vendor you are collaborating with.
2. Stay in regular touch with each contact person to keep details organized and remain on the same page.
3. Confirm all details the week before your event.
4. Create an outline for the evening if there will be activities. What time will you serve dinner? What time do you hope to exchange gifts? Share this plan with your vendors and committee members.

A Day or Two Ahead

1. Confirm final details with all your vendors one more time. Consult your RSVP list to give any vendors a final headcount.
2. If you will have to pay vendors at the event, be sure to get checks written and signed now.
3. Send out a final reminder to your co-workers restating the details of the event.
4. If co-workers have agreed to bring food, gifts, or anything else, remind them and confirm you have everything you need.
5. Decide what you'll do with any leftovers.
6. You might organize a donation to a local shelter if you plan on having extra food, or set up a to-go station with materials guests can use to take food home.
7. Ask your financial manager for enough petty cash to tip servers or bartenders and to have on hand in case you need to run out for anything.
8. Make sure you and anyone else you might need to help you will be available to set up for your event and has planned to stay after the event, as well.

A Few Hours Before the Party

• Check in with your team and review the plan for the event.

• Set-Up for an On-Site Event

1. This is the time to minimize cleanup later. Make the office party-proofed: use tablecloths and keep food away from computers.
2. If you chose holiday decorations for the party, now is the time to put them up.
3. Ask any servers, valets, or bartenders to check in with you at least an hour before the party's start time so they can set up their areas and you can communicate your expectations.
4. Decide on a serving plan for food, whether it is buffet or you have waitstaff who will circulate with food, or a mix of both. Depending on the size of your space, your main goal is maintaining easy access to food and drink.

• Set-Up for an Off-Site Event

1. Coordinate with event staff on last minute decorations or setting up anything you'll need for the event, like a projector, microphone, or area for gifts.
2. Come up with a plan in case your event runs overtime; will you keep the evening going or end it as planned?
3. Find a place where you can store anything you might need during the night: contact lists, phone, PDA.

Step 6: At the Party

• Do oversee the event and check in with any staff, but don't forget to have some fun, too!

1. If during the event you will be too busy keeping your colleagues happy, appoint someone who can act as the contact person for all your vendors. Be sure that any major decisions are brought to your attention (if the valet service should stay an extra hour, for example).
2. If the party is on-site, check in with your cleanup team early in the evening to confirm their plans to help at the end of the night.
3. While basking in the glow of your party success, this is a great time to network. Introduce yourself to co-workers you aren't familiar with, or take this opportunity to speak one-on-one with superiors.
4. But remember, this is not the time to ask for a promotion. Try asking for an appointment after the holidays to discuss ideas you may have for the company.
5. The office party is also not the time to get intimate with a co-worker or over-indulge.
   • • "It is critical to remember that this is still a work function and anything you say or do could affect your standing with your employer," said John Challenger, CEO of the consultant group Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
6. See our tips for how to behave at an office holiday party for further guidance.

Step 7: After the Party

• Recording some information now will save time when planning your next event.

1. At the end of the night, make sure your guests have a way to get home safely. Keep phone numbers for taxi services on hand just in case.
2. If you have chosen an off-site venue, you most likely won't have to deal with cleanup. Be sure to take any decorations you might wish to use again next year back to the office.
3. A couple of days after your party, write down notes on what went well and what didn't so you will be better prepared for next time. Gather feedback casually from co-workers and add their thoughts to your notes, as well.
4. Soon after your event, call to thank the vendors you worked with or write them a note. If you were happy with their service, let them know and refer them to your network. Then be sure you have all their information on file for next year!

Resources for How to Plan an Office Holiday Party

• The New York Times: "The Office Party, as a Tightrope Walk" (November 25, 2007)
• NewsOK.com: Sagging Economy Isn't Interfering with Companies' Holiday Parties
• Monster Career Advice: Holiday Party Planning in the Diverse Workplace
• NBC.com: Don't Have Too Much Fun At Work Holiday Party
• Forbes.com: How To Keep Your Employees Happy
• San Francisco Chronicle: "Finding the Best Way to Set Up a Charity Program at the Office" (November 21, 2007)
• MarthaStewart.com: The Perfect Party Menu
• Fine Living: Holiday Party Trio
• About.com: How to Decorate For a Memorable Holiday Party  

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