We must admit: even when times were ‘normal,’ it was already a challenge to arrange a Christmas party. But the recent pandemic has affected social gatherings as well, and even though things are changing, some things may remain the same, including social distancing and other restrictions that are now part of our lives. Nevertheless, everyone is eager to celebrate after the year that was, and it's perfectly understandable to let your hair down after a harrowing and stressful year. But if you're planning and arranging a corporate Christmas party this year and would like to make sure that you're doing it right, here's what you should know.
Think about a virtual backup option
This may dampen the mood quite a bit, but it's still best to be prepared if ever you need to go virtual. Whilst you can always plan your corporate Christmas party as a face-to-face affair, there's no harm in having a virtual backup option. You're not limited to a boring Zoom call, either – you can opt to engage celebrities and comedians for a private online performance, for example, or you can go for a cooking session with a celebrity chef. If you have a smaller company, you can send everyone a kit or food and drink package and have your employees make their drinks with special instructions. Again, whilst it's always better to meet people face to face for your Christmas party, having a backup option is a good idea.
Consider the date carefully
As suggested by expert party planning Oxfordshire firms such as Oasis Events, whether you’re having an actual Christmas party or a virtual one, it’s best to consider the date carefully. Remember that the end of the year and the ‘Ber months are always pretty busy, so it would be good to set your date early and consider the date carefully. For example, are you holding your Christmas party during the week or on the weekend? Needless to say, weekends are sometimes a no-no for many people since they aren't too keen on spending less time with their loved ones on weekends. But you can conduct a survey and find out which day is best for your staff. You may even want to think about a Christmas party in January – at this time, venues are a lot less busy, and you can take advantage of less expensive rates as well. But once you decide on a date, send out the invitations ASAP. This way, everyone knows to set aside that date for the Christmas party, and there will be fewer event conflicts.
Concentrate on food and beverages
Whilst the entertainment and the venue will matter, there's no denying that food and drinks are priorities for many people. The food and beverages will be the definite crowd-pleasers, and it pays to go all out with it if you want your staff and employees to have fun. Besides, food and drink are social lubricants! So make sure you have plenty of both because one of the worst things that could happen with any party is for the food or alcohol to run out halfway through. So even if you have to skimp on other aspects, such as the venue or entertainment, never skimp on what you serve – because this is something everyone will remember.
Image attributed to Pixabay.com
