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Paul Spano

 Tags: Event Planning

Ensuring your holiday party goes off without a hitch is no easy feat. Luckily, party planners have a number of tips you can borrow to ensure everything goes as planned.

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Make your holiday party a success by implementing these three key components.


1. Other Party Planners

Planning a holiday party is infinitely more stressful when you’re doing it solo. Working with other employees you can trust to get the job done will enable you to divide duties, which will take some of the pressure off you. Delegate tasks so one employee handles the caterers, another one books the venue and covers decorations, and someone else covers entertainment.

Remember that it’s not necessarily about the size of the team you choose but about the quality of the employees you select. A smaller team, regardless of how big the guest list is, can speak on behalf of the majority and ease the decision-making process. They might also positively influence other staff, as choosing the best members to act as representatives paints a fuller picture of everyone’s unique ideas.

Keep everyone in the loop with an app or shared document. It could be GoogleDocs, Slack, Evernote—something that keeps track of the party plans and can instantly inform everybody of the current planning stage. There’s no need to manage everything yourself when you can enlist a team that’ll help you out.


2. Checklists

You’ve got the big things covered: the venue, the menu, and the guest list. Now, what about the little details of each major part? You have to ask yourself a few important questions about party venues and event caterers. Did you account for vegetarians while menu planning? Does the venue include full A/V capacity? Is the caterer providing dishware? Are you providing your employees with taxi chits?

A checklist will be your go-to document for the big reminders and smaller details. As tasks are completed, you can check them off the list, or alternatively, you can add them to the list when you need last-minute items or other features you didn’t previously consider.

Whether you’re old-fashioned and use a pen and paper, or you have a fancy app you can update from anywhere, a list keeps everything running smoothly. Planning ahead will ensure you’re on track and it’ll make it easy to put out fires that unexpectedly light up.

From setting the date to paying the deposit, you’ll never find yourself pressed for time. You’ll be ready to go long before the day of the party.


3. A Coordinated Décor

You want to present a delicious menu, one that’s aesthetically pleasing, smells amazing, and is delectable. But what about the décor, the music—even the dishes you serve dinner on?

Elevate your holiday party ambiance by accounting for all party aspects. Decorate tables with bowls of vintage ornaments, serve drinks in shiny crystal, cover tables in bare vases with seasonal fauna. Take the time to make the place sparkle. Play instrumental Christmas tunes in the background or opt for a fun holiday playlist, whichever fits the mood. These all enhance the holiday party spirit.

Festive greenery, the smell of holiday cooking, scented candles, and mulled cider simply add to the overall party vibe. These special touches make the party special for guests. From a yuletide gathering to a winter wonderland, scope magazines and Pinterest for unique and original holiday party themes.

With these three components, you can be sure the holiday party will be a hit.


Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Corporate Event

Paul Spano

With over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Paul was the driving force that brought Seventh Heaven together back in 2001. Having started his career in the kitchen, Paul’s passion and thirst for knowledge helped him move quickly through the ranks. He is now Seventh Heaven’s Senior Sales Consultant, Event Planner, and Director of Venue Development. Managing different venues that seat 750 to 1800 guests, Paul brings exceptional operational skills to his role. No matter what you envision or what your dreams and desires are, Paul makes them a reality by getting it done. According to Paul, there is no greater joy than surpassing all of your clients’ and guests’ expectations. His expertise and passion make him one of the pillars of Seventh Heaven.
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