’Tis The Season… To Plan Your Office Holiday Party!

Yes, it’s that time already! Can you believe it? It may only be the beginning of September, but employers should be booking space now for their staff holiday celebration. If you’re currently deciding where to take the gang and whether to incorporate any activities, here are three ideas to consider.

Incorporate movement.

Sometimes when planning a holiday party, it’s common to think, “Let’s all go out for a sit-down dinner.” It’s a nice idea, but it does limit who each person can talk to, to the people seated next to and across from them. Instead, try to facilitate movement of the crowd, whether that is just through passed h’ors doeuvres (which can cost about the same as the sit-down dinner but give a more interactive experience) or, for an active crowd, something fun like bowling or curling. Get creative!

Make it about the experience.

Some bigger companies take the whole team up to Banff for the party and a night away. This makes the holiday celebration all about the shared experience, which is great for team building. A getaway like this lets your employees know that you appreciate them and are thankful for them as employees!

Go casual.

Christmas parties make some people feel anxious, because they can be formal and stuffy. “What if I’m seated next to the boss’s wife?!” Sometimes, a more casual affair can be better. A great example of something more casual that was also active, and an experience, was an event I planned for a client at the Big Rock brewery. The employees had a tour of the bottling line, and afterward sat down for dinner. Still a sit-down dinner, but lots of opportunity for mingling before and after, and obviously set in a fun, more casual environment!

The other consideration of a smaller, more casual affair is that it more sensitively reflects today’s economic climate. A holiday party doesn’t need to be big and elaborate to show your employees you appreciate them.

If you would like some help planning your company’s holiday event, we can help you with that! Just give us a call.