Last year’s Christmas party was amazing. While it’s appealing to copy that formula for success, doing so can result in a dissatisfied audience. No one wants to attend the same type of soiree every year even if they enjoyed the last one. A big success is not an invitation for replication. It’s an incentive to do something even better. But with budgets being cut and the approval process what it is, how can you plan a party that truly stands out?
The key to creating something truly unique is learning to say, “what if?” more often than “no.” If you’re a creative person, that will come easy for you. If you’re not, you’ll need a little assistance. Keep reading for some interesting ideas (and a few mixed-up Christmas song titles).
We Wish You a Merry Venue
There is nothing in the book of corporate event planning that states your event must be held at the office or in a hotel ballroom. There are plentiful options for entertaining, out-of-the-ordinary locations to host your affair. In addition to trendy bistros, you could host at the zoo, a miniature golf course, an escape room, or even an alley (weather permitting) twinkling with holiday lights. Again, if you start asking what if, you’ll likely come up with several other places that would be perfect.
The one thing you don’t want to do if you want your event to be different from last year is to host it at the same place. You can declare all day that your event will be diverse because you’re serving starters instead of a sit-down meal, but people will see the invitation and assume it’s a holiday re-run.
Joy to the Activity
Christmas parties needn’t be boozy shindigs either. In addition to a choice of venue, you can choose to host an activity that doesn’t lend itself to hours of drinking at an open bar. For example, the Active Transportation Alliance went ice skating in Millennium Park in Chicago several years ago.
If you have a lot of telecommuters who miss out on the yearly Christmas party, consider giving them an amount towards a nice holiday dinner at a place of their choosing. That way everyone enjoys a little merriment. Just like you can be imaginative about the venue, you can create an event that fits your employees’ lifestyles.
Rockin’ Around the Technology
A lot of admins are tasked with the Christmas party and must juggle the organization of such along with their other daily duties. This can become overwhelming. But if you introduce event management technology, you’ll have more time for the creative parts of event planning you love with the ease of in-app event creation. Plus, peace of mind knowing the administrative tasks like response management, check-in, and a landing page with FAQs are under control.
It’s also imperative to note with event management technology that you’re not alone and you don’t have to organize the event that way. With tech, you can easily assign permissions and tasks to people to help. You can track progress and send reminders. It streamlines everything. Don’t be surprised if you experience that nostalgic feeling of adoring party planning again.
In Conclusion
While it’s sometimes tempting to replicate last year’s Christmas party, especially if everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, you’re missing an opportunity to impress your management and delight your coworkers. In order to do so, simply leave your preconceived notions about Christmas parties behind and create something that is truly reflective of your company and its employees. With these swift changes, you can produce an event they’ll remember, assuming you keep the beverage service to a minimum.
