‘Tis the season of the office New Year’s Eve party. You’ve probably organised a number of those through the years and you’re already feeling out of ideas. At the same time, the end of year office party is an important opportunity for people to bond and feel motivated for the future of the company.
Great Holiday office parties have numerous elements. We’ve attended our fair share of fun celebrations as quality Singapore catering providers. Today, we’d like to share with you a couple of party planning tips based on our experience and understanding of putting together a spectacular event.
Set a Viable Budget in Advance
This is the most important decision you have to make when planning the end of year office party.
Every aspect of putting the experience together will be dependent on the amount of money you can spend for the occasion.
Obviously, a bit of flexibility will be required. Still, try to calculate what a reasonable amount is and what type of event can be executed within the range. Will you have a cocktail party? Will it be a full-on dining experience with live performances and other entertainment options? Wil it just be a lovely catered buffet at the office, giving people the opportunity to mingle and interact in informal settings?
Calculating the budget will limit the number of possibilities you can execute. As a result, you’ll easily find the starting point for all party preparations.
Pick a Fun Theme
If you’re going for a bit more than an informal get-together at the office in the after-work hours, you should definitely consider adding a theme to the event.
Themes are a lot of fun because they get people in a certain mood and they also help with choosing the decorations, the foods and the entertainment.
How about having an ugly Christmas sweater party at the office? Not only is this idea super cute, it will also get people excited and engaged (they’ll have to look in their wardrobe and identify the most atrocious Holiday garment).
There are so many other Holiday themes you can bring to the event – a candyland party, a groovy Christmas, do-good over the holidays party or even a tropical Christmas or a Christmas crafting party.
Think outside the box and focus on the preferences and hobbies of your co-workers. These are the people you spend a lot of time with on a daily basis. Hence, you should have at least some idea about how most of them like to have fun.
The Food and the Entertainment
A great end of year office party needs two other very crucial elements – delicious food and fun entertainment.
Once again – you know your colleagues and their preferences. You know whether there are vegetarians at the office, if someone is following a healthy regime and what ingredients others may be avoiding due to allergies or sensitivities.
Take some time to explore catering options that will address these needs.
Eatz Catering has put together an extensive selection of Christmas buffet ideas, Christmas Mini Buffet menus and Christmas side orders. Just determine the amounts you’ll require and place your order online for added convenience. If these menus don’t cater to the specific needs of people at your office, there’s a wide array of additional opportunities you can explore in the Eatz Catering Our Menu section.
As far as entertainment goes, you’ll need to decide whether you’re going to adopt the DIY approach or hire professionals.
DIY entertainment can be planned by the HR team. Bonding games and activities aimed at encouraging communication between the different departments are a great idea. You can also hire a DJ, a live music performer or you can rent equipment like a giant jenga game, a photo booth, a selfie distorted mirror or a karaoke machine.
Gift Swaps?
If the end of year office party is going to feature a gift swap or a Secret Santa activity, let people know in advance.
Generally, gift exchanges are a lot of fun whenever people have clear guidelines.
Make sure the price range for the presents is announced. You can also come up with a theme or a specific set of potential gifts so that everyone ends up with something fun and exciting.
if you don’t believe that a gift swap is a good choice, have some little presents or party favours given to people on behalf of the managerial team.
The end of year office party provides the perfect chance to show appreciation for everybody’s hard work. While a payment bonus is always appreciated, a little personalised gift is a nice added touch most people will enjoy.
Make Sure There Are Some Limitations
Excess and inappropriate behaviour can ruin even the most meticulously planned events.
Everybody should be on the same page as far as party specifics go. Send a quick email to everyone in the company and outline the essentials.
A dress code may be needed to discourage people from appearing in inappropriate attire. It’s also in the company’s best interest to serve solely non-alcoholic drinks to make the even family-friendly and fun for everyone.
It’s really up to you to decide what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Once the decision is made, however, you should do your best to acquaint everyone with the essentials. Don’t assume people know what the limits are, just because you’ve put those in place.
Now that everything’s planned, you’ll simply have to show up and have some fun. To make the planning easy and quick, do your research and pick the right partners. Companies like Eatz Catering will address all of your food and beverage needs so that you’re free from having to worry about any of those. Contact us today to plan the perfect end of year office party together.
