The office holiday party is a time to relax, celebrate the holiday season,and show appreciation for the staff and their work throughout the past year. But without the proper planning, your event can end up being lackluster. An office holiday party can be a great opportunity for employees to socialize and have fun, but it’s still a professional environment, and employees are expected to conduct themselves accordingly. To avoid the common pitfalls of the office holiday party, from poor attendance to tipsy guests, avoid these common mistakes.
1. Not Planning Ahead
Not planning ahead is the most common mistake. By not planning ahead, you risk poor venue selection, sending out invites too late, and last minute issues popping up without having time to correct them, which may all lead to poor turnout.When planning your office holiday party, research your venues to make sure that they have strong reviews and will be able to accommodate all your guests.
2. Having Too Many Planners
When planning your office holiday party, keep the planning committee to a minimum to avoid miscommunication and disagreements. Assign specific roles to everyone on the planning committee.For example, to avoid confusion and one person having to complete all of the work, have an event captain coordinate with the venue and caterers, and organize the contributions of the committee members.When party planning, the old saying “too many hands in the pot” is spot on.
3. Serving Too Much Alcohol
Serving too much alcohol to employees can result in an embarrassing situation, or even an HR complaint. To make sure your employees don’t consume too much alcohol,consider providing drink tickets, having an abundance of food and snacks, and clearly setting your expectations on behaviour before the party.
If there is drinking involved, set updesignated transportation to make sure all your employees get to their next destination safely. Make provisions with the venue for overnight parking, provide a taxi or Uber station to call for rides, provide treats for designated drivers, or distribute local public transit maps and timetables to ensure your employees get home safe.
4. Having the Party at the Office
It’s a good idea to keep work at work by hosting the office holiday party at a separate venue. Having your party away from the office will help create a festive mood where employees feel free to socialize and mingle. It also allows you to avoid worrying about the clean up!
5. Not Requesting an RSVP
Make sure you request that employees RSVP to confirm they will be attending well before the date of the party.Most venues will have a specific date by which to have final numbers turned in for proper food and beverage amounts. Set a date in advance to give your self extra time for late RSVPs.The invitations should state if they’re allowed to bring a partner or spouse, and they should RSVP accordingly. By doing so, you’ll have an accurate number of attendees and will be able to plan accordingly. Most importantly, by having a concrete number of expected guests, you’ll make sure there’s enough food to go around.
6. Not Enough food
Once you know how many guests will be attending, convey this information to the caterer to ensure that there’s enough food to go around. It’s also important to keep in mind dietary restrictions guests might have.Request in advance that employees with allergies or dietary restrictions contact you so you can make sure to accommodate them.Also state on the invitation the type of party the employees will be attending. Some may attend expecting a large meal, when only a cocktail reception had been planned.
7. Forgetting the Entertainment
The right entertainment can make or break a party. Create a playlist or hire a DJ beforehand so you don’t have to worry about it during the party. Make sure the music doesn’t include only holiday songs, which can get quickly get old. Have a couple of activities—such as a trivia round or gift exchange—on hand to engage guests during the duration of the event.
8. Expecting Work to Be Done the Next Day
Lastly, don’t expect there to be much work done the next day! Consider having a late start to allow employees to sleep off the festivities. Alternatively, plan the party on a night where there’s no work the next day.
