Preparing a brief
Christmas Party Do's
Christmas Party Don'ts
Your turn to arrange the Christmas party?
This guide has been put together to help you through the potential mine field of planning a Christmas party to hopefully ensure that you, and indeed your guests have a super time in an environment that the majority will enjoy.
The guide to Christmas party planning prepared by Hospitality Line is not intended to be exhaustive but offers some sensible Do’s and some Don’ts prepared by an organisation that has been organising scores of events daily for countless years (or since before the Old King died as our MD would say).
Where to Start? Preparing a Brief
Your starting point should be to prepare a brief for the event whether you intend to arrange the event yourself or get a specialist in to do it for you. Read our guide to Preparing a Christmas Party Brief for your Christmas Party so you know exactly what you are looking for when you compare parties and venues.
Do's and Don'ts to avoid a Christmas Party Flop!
So you’ve prepared the brief the next step has to be to review your brief against either what’s available publicly “off the peg” or alternatively you might consider an event designed especially for you – the “bespoke solution.”
Follow our Christmas Party Planner Do’s and Don’ts to help you along the way
Do's
- Give a great deal of thought to the style of the event that you and the other decision makers want to create and ensure that your chosen solution meets your brief.
- Canvass your work colleagues or friends, if appropriate, with your thoughts before booking. Look to get a small representative sample not everyone as that will confuse you even more – you will not meet everyone’s wishes!
- Put together a short list of possible parties to discuss with the decision makers with photos, summary of what’s included, availability, price etc.
- Try to visit the venue and meet your organiser before the event.
- Enquire about hotel deals as they can often compare favourably to a the taxi fare home
- Look at the small print and make sure the prices quoted include VAT, service and room hire if appropriate. Check when you need to make payments and confirm numbers and always read the terms and conditions
- If you book an event make sure you get at least an exchange of letters between you and the organiser covering all the detail. People have been known to leave jobs before an event takes place and your confirmation letter will be hard to dispute if it has been acknowledged.
- Get your invites out early and if you’re inviting clients think how you can ensure their commitment to attend!
Agree with your arranger what you expect on your guests’ arrival –cash bar v account bar (type of drinks to be offered –remember champagne isn’t as expensive as it may seem as people tend to consume less); beer wine and soft drinks only or full bar - Consider using a specialist event planning company such as Hospitality Line to put your event together for you. The good one’s need not charge you any more than you would pay yourself direct and can even make your money work harder for you.
- Beware of Greeks bearing gifts or put more simplistically offers that seem too good to be true!
- Check your suppliers out for their financial integrity. *Beware of companies that cannot boast a track record or provide you with truly independent references. Look for membership of trade associations and any awards that the company may have won.
Don'ts
- Don't leave it too late to start planning your Christmas event –big events especially take time to plan properly and some of the better venues may be booked out. Many companies start planning their next year’s event early in the year.
- Don't forget to consider others when you’re planning the format of your event. You may be into heavy rock but if it drowns conversations out or doesn’t meet with general appeal it will be you that carries the can.
- Don't necessarily repeat what has been successful in the past –familiarity may breed contempt and déjà vu isn’t always the impact you’re looking to create. Vary the offering and leave some elements of your event as a surprise for the evening for that wow factor. There is so much choice these days and the event should be motivational.
- Don't be over generous with your forecast of attendees as it could end up costing you money. Sound others out for likely attendance and likewise see how flexible the venue may be to number changes before you commit.
- Don't pick a date or time that is likely to clash with other events or when staff may have already left for their Christmas break.
- Don't be too adventurous with the meal choice – not everyone enjoys foie gras but that doesn’t mean you have to choose chicken as a main course either –think of your guests and don’t let the vegetarian alternative be an after thought.
- Don't forget to think of everyone’s needs when you’re planning the evening – the MD may be used to lavish restaurants but think of the office juniors too –it’s their event of the year so balance is essential.
- Don't allow anyone to buttonhole the boss for too long especially later in the evening – reputations have been one and lost on such occasions!
- Don't ignore the services of specialist event planners. The right one’s will add value to your event, save you time and effort and may work the budget harder for you.
Author’s Notes
Mike Clark spent 20 years in the restaurant, hotel and leisure sector before founding Hospitality Line some 15 years ago. The organisation provides specialist event planning services for corporate and leisure customers across Europe –both bespoke and through its web site:
www.hospitalityline.co.uk for clients looking to make individual Christmas and New Year bookings through to the larger corporate sponsored events.