Fall is here and with it, a flurry of business tasks as numerous as the falling leaves. The last thing on your mind is your corporate holiday party. It’s still months away, and you have more pressing concerns, like today’s sales report or the conference coming up in a couple weeks.
You should probably begin thinking about the holiday party sooner rather than later since the planning process can be quite lengthy.
How do you prepare for a party?
To prepare for a party, you’ll first need to set a budget. You’ll also want to research and book the venue, often the earlier the better. Next, you’ll need to finalize the guest list and the menu. Finally, you’ll want to think about decorations, seating, lighting, and music and entertainment.
Obviously, there are quite a few steps in the party planning process. How early do you need to start planning the corporate holiday party?
Plan Your Corporate Holiday Party Now
If you’re looking at the calendar and see it’s already the middle of September or early October, you need to get started planning your corporate holiday party now.
In all truthfulness, you likely should have started planning for the event months ago, possibly even in the spring. It can be difficult to think about holiday parties when the weather is so nice, and it often seems like you have plenty of time.
Planning a truly great holiday party takes time and effort, however, which is why you need to get the jump on things. If you’ve left your planning until the fall, you’re actually cutting things quite close. You’ll need to stay organized, make decisions quickly, and put in many hours in a short span of time to make sure everything comes together.
Book Your Venue Early
One of the first things you should do when it comes to getting your company holiday party planned is book a venue. Once you have a budget in hand, the search for the right venue will be on.
Why do you need to prioritize the venue? The answer is easy. Venues book up quickly. If you don’t book early, you could miss out on the best venue or be left booking something that’s not really right for your company.
Be sure to do your research. There are many great venues around the GTA, but the one that’s the right fit for you will differ based on your corporate needs.
Get a Handle on the Guest List ASAP
You’ll also want to try to determine the guest list as soon as you can. It can be helpful to have a rough idea of how many people are going to attend the party when you book the venue. You may even want your guest list to be more or less finalized before you book a venue. Just don’t wait too long or you’ll lose out on prime venue choices.
Why do you need your employees to RSVP so early? Settling the guest list helps you determine the needs for the party. If you know how many people are going to attend, then you can determine how many people the venue needs to accommodate. Similarly, you can begin deciding on the menu once you know how many people you’re serving. Keep dietary restrictions in mind too.
Get a Helping Hand
Planning a corporate holiday party can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve left everything until the busy fall season. The good news is you can get a helping hand from the experts. Event coordinators, caterers, and other experienced professionals will be able to help you plan the party.
You can prepare a great holiday event for your business, especially if you start planning now.
