5 Biggest Mistakes when Organizing a Christmas Party

It’s already September and that means it’s officially autumn. Time to start thinking about the events you have to host in the coming months and one stands out immediately: the dreaded Christmas party. We all know the stories about what went wrong, how much Sue drank and when Tom kissed Laura in the stationary cupboard, and the TV show “The Office” has a pretty good episode, covering how people start to behave on these parties.

The Christmas party is always a chance to show how much you care about your staff, and with this in mind you should definitely avoid these 5 biggest mistakes.

“I know what my employees like!”

You should definitely get your employees involved in the planning process. They are your guests and they have to enjoy it. Stop thinking about you what you would like to do and ask your staff what they want. You can do a vote about it, but most importantly: prepare different opportunities, that creates a bit of variety and gives you more flexibility.

There is no better way of stopping people to complain, then by getting them involved.

“Let’s mix them altogether, that’s a great idea!”

There is nothing worse than being forced to talk to people you don’t like. Take your time and try to construct a seating plan which prevents this. That doesn’t mean you should arrange your staff as they are in the office – that would just recreate the same repetitive atmosphere of every work day. Instead group people together with similar interests and personalities to try and get a nice atmosphere going.

“Allow me to apologize in advance for what I’m going to say to you at the office Christmas party…”

“The office will do!”

Although it seems like the obvious option to hold the party in your office, you should avoid that at all costs. The normal workday should not be mentioned, so the first step is to move away from where it takes place and into more relaxed surroundings. What you should keep in mind however is the right size of the venue: A facility that is too big for example, will prohibit intense group conversations. It should be your goal to make an extraordinary event and choosing the location is absolutely vital.

“I still have plenty of time!”

If you have ever been in a situation where you started planning the christmas party too late, you know how terrible it can be. Your favourite venues are already fully booked, and after you find one that nearly suits your needs, it usually costs a lot more than normal. In addition you still have to find a last minute caterer that serves quality food without being completely over-priced.

“Bring your friends!”

Something that can kill the atmosphere is not having enough food or drinks for the people there. In order to counter that, it’s a good idea to establish a guestlist, where everyone has to sign-in, including plus ones.

A wide range of drinks, alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic is necessary, to serve the needs of your boozers and designated drivers alike. If in doubt, always overcompensate (if you party is a disaster, it will at least you’ll have some humorous anecdotes to tell afterwards). A good solid music selection is also important. You don’t have to book a superstar DJ on the decks, just make sure they don’t play awful tacky tunes (although cheesy Christmas hits are of course permitted).

All in all, most of the mentioned mistakes are easy to avoid, but finding the right venue for an office party can be really frustrating.

Not anymore with our easy-to-use booking platform Spacebase, where you can book the location of your choice right from the website.

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