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How to Plan a Company Holiday Party

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How to Plan a Company Holiday Party

With the holiday season already nearing its end, another eTech Parts Christmas party has come and passed. Our eTech Parts company Christmas party is truly unlike any other. We spend half the year planning for it, and the rest of the year talking about how awesome it was! This year we ate great food, drank to our hearts’ desires (within reason) and had great quality bonding time with workmates. There were also gifts. Awesome gifts.   goteminachokehold   Our eTech Parts Casino Christmas party was awesome. We had a blast gambling with fake money, relaxing with our coworkers and competing for cool prizes!   Gambling   What happens when you put some great prizes and a hard-to-find PS4 in front of a group of total techies? You’ll learn just how competitive your coworkers are!   Joey-Xmas    

How to Throw a Company Holiday Party

 
  • Plan ahead. We start planning our Christmas party in September to make sure we get the exact locations and reservations we want. Waiting until December to start planning will most likely result in you finding out just how busy local restaurants are at this time of year!
 
  • Pick a date. Figure out what day would work best so that all your employees have the chance to attend. Choosing a date either on the weekend or during closed business hours is the best option. I’ve also noticed many companies shut down early the day of their employee holiday party so that everyone can attend. Leaving one or two employees behind to man the shop while the rest of the employees have fun at the work party probably isn’t the best option. Whatever works best for your business and employees is the best option for choosing a date.
 
  • What kind of party? Choose the kind of celebration your employees would appreciate and enjoy the most. Dinner party at a nice restaurant? A themed holiday party at the office? An office holiday luncheon? There are a number of options, all of which are dependent on your budget, group size and what your employees want. Don’t know what they want? Just ask.
 
  • Consider choosing something out of the ordinary. Want to throw a holiday game night with prizes at the end? Or a night at a local theme park or arcade? Do it. Choosing something different that your employees probably haven’t done for a work function before keeps them interested and entertained – plus, competitive games can often double as team-building exercises!
 
  • Plan a budget. It’s important. When planning a holiday party, your holiday spirit can easily overdraft your bank account.
 
  • Pick a location. The location all depends on the kind of celebration you plan on having. If you're having a dinner party at a nice restaurant, choose one where you can afford to pay for everyone’s meal. If you're having your party at the office, make sure to close down shop (let customers know beforehand) during party hours so all employees can enjoy themselves.
 
  • Employees only or +1? Decide whether or not you want to allow employees to invite a spouse or guest. This depends on your group, your budget, and what kind of event you’re holding. Many companies that hold events on the weekends often allow employees to bring spouses.
 
  • Figure out a drinking policy. If you plan on serving or allowing alcohol at your company party, there should be some kind of policy in place. Be sure to offer rides or a taxi service to anyone who is under the influence and unable to drive. Here are some tips for employers serving alcohol at company events.
  Ben-Xmas  
  • Gifts! Do you want to give your employees gifts/prizes, initiate a Secret Santa exchange, or have a good ol’ fashioned White Elephant gift swap? Gifts can be as simple as a Starbucks gift card, or as extravagant as an iPad. It’s all about the budget here.
 
  • Plan as much as you can, but when all else fails… Don’t forget to have fun and go with the flow. You can’t plan every detail, and something is bound to go wrong. Our casino rental company was 5 hours late this year. Of course I panicked, though I really shouldn’t have because everything worked out fine, they set up right in time and everyone had a great evening. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’ll all work out.
 
  • Leave work at work. Everyone’s at this party to have fun! Don’t bore employees and guests with long speeches about business, numbers, and sales figures - especially if there are guests attending. Save that for the company meetings. If you intend to say a few words to your employees, it's best to keep it short and simple.
  oxmastree   There are so many details that go into planning a company holiday party…details you won’t really know until you plan one yourself. These are just the basics and I can assure you that it’s not as easy as it looks – but it’s all totally worth it once you see your coworkers having a blast!   By now you can tell eTech Parts employees are extremely lucky. We get the chance to work for a company we're proud of and a company that treats us like a family. We're thrilled to be a part of it, and we're happy YOU'RE a part of it too! If it weren't for amazing customers like you, we wouldn't be able to treat ourselves to a night like this. So THANK YOU for the opportunity you've given us to grow into the company we are today. We wouldn't be here without you.