Historically, August is a slow month for businesses. People take vacations and generally try to get in a break before the busy (and often hectic) Fall season. Even so, August marks the start of the Holiday Planning Season! August is the best month for securing the venue you want and booking the caterer you love. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to secure a venue that works for your vision (and budget).
Here are some tips for planning a memorable holiday party.
1) Start planning now. Really. At least start the planning process. Some decisions you should be making now are whether or not you are going to host a party at all, your total budget, if you will allow +1s, and if you want to host in the office or at a venue offsite.
2) Pick the right day. Try to avoid Fridays or the night before you need everyone in bright eyed and bushy tailed. Tuesdays or Thursdays are the best days for an office event but these are also the first dates to sell out at popular venues.
3) Make it more than just eating and drinking. Nowadays, people really don’t just want to eat and drink. Event attendees crave interaction and are looking for an experience. If your budget is tight, try to choose a venue that has built in activities. Bars with throwback 80s video games, skee-ball, arcades, bocce courts, etc. You get the idea. If you can’t find a place with built in entertainment, provide your own! Bring in a trivia company or karaoke DJ. You could even buy a few board games or conversation starters like Tabletopics. These are all great entertainment options.
4) Keep food and beverage balanced. Keep your guests merry with a well-timed schedule for food and drink. Make sure there are light bites available immediately. Make sure main courses or buffet is available within an hour of the scheduled start time. Consider offering beer, wine and a few signature cocktails. This will help to keep your bar tab down and prevent over-indulgence. Get inspired by these incredible Holiday Cocktail recipes from Town and Country.
Click here to learn more about Meeting Nerd's Holiday Planning Packages.
Good luck and happy planning!