You’re looking forward to your work holiday party this year. Although it can be a lot to plan, you truly enjoy these parties. You hope all of the attendees do too, which is why you put so much time and effort into planning them.
Not everyone looks forward to the party as much as you do. In fact, quite a few of your colleagues and co-workers decide to skip the party. Last year’s numbers may have made you question whether or not anyone actually wants to have a holiday party. The budget for this year was slashed, and others wondered if maybe you should just not host a work party next year.
With the future of the party in jeopardy, you’re wondering how you can entice people to attend this year. Even if your situation isn’t this serious, you might wonder how you can convince more of your employees to come out, relax, and unwind at the party.
These tips will give you a hand.
Why Don’t People Attend the Work Holiday Party?
The first step to boosting attendance at the work holiday party is to understand why people decide not to attend in the first place.
Chances are there are multiple reasons people don’t attend the party. For some, it could be the date. For others, the location may be an issue. It could be as simple as not being able to find a babysitter for the kids for the night.
Ask around the office, and discover why employees decide not to attend the holiday party. Look for patterns in responses. Then you can act.
Choose an Easy-to-Reach Venue
One of the reasons people may decide not to attend the work holiday party is due to the party’s location. If the party venue requires a 40-minute commute, people will be less inclined to attend. The same is true if public transportation isn’t available or if there’s limited parking space nearby.
Take all of this into account when you book the venue. If at all possible, pick a venue that’s near the office. The closer it is, the easier it will be for your employees to attend.
If this isn’t possible, see what you can do to make sure it’s easy to attend the party. Look at public transportation, encourage employees to carpool, and make sure there’s plenty of parking nearby. You might even consider providing a shuttle to and from the party.
Carefully Select the Date
You won’t be able to please everyone, but get some feedback from your employees on the date of the party before you book it. More people may be able to attend on one date versus another.
This is an easy way to boost attendance. Again, not everyone will be available on the exact same date, so you can’t expect 100 percent attendance.
Create a Great Menu
Food might be another sticking point with your would-be guests. If employees have heard the food was lacklustre in past years, or if they attended and found there were no options suited to their diet, they may not be gung-ho about RSVP’ing this year.
Work with your caterer to create a stellar menu with a variety of options. You can even ask employees for feedback or circulate menus beforehand. It can be difficult to convince people this year will be different, but you can make the change.
Play Some Games
Encourage employees to attend the work holiday party by getting in the festive spirit early. Organize contests and prizes, and communicate them to employees. Can they win something just by walking through the door?
Contests and other entertainment, as well as games, should be staples of any work holiday party. Tell employees how they’ll be entertained.
With these tips in hand, you can begin building enthusiasm for the holiday party. With luck, the RSVPs will be pouring in soon.
