Event planning does not need to be a headache; in fact, organizing a holiday party for your company can be a lot of fun if you employ the right approach, and choose a venue that can handle a lot of the planning. Consider the following factors as you plan the perfect company holiday party this year.

Choose an event venue that can help manage all these planning steps

Budget

First, you will need to establish a reasonable budget for your holiday event. Defining the scope and goals of this party will help you to determine how much money is necessary to meet that vision. If your business has a specific budget for the event you have in mind, you may need to be creative and adapt a bit from your original plans, or work with your venue to explore options that fit your budget.

Date and Time

You don’t have to hold your company’s holiday bash during the height of the season. Ask your employees for their input; you could discover that many of them would actually prefer that the event be held at a less hectic date and time than most holiday parties, such as a mid-week afternoon or evening in January.

Tone and Limits

Be proactive about setting the tone for the upcoming festivities. Send an email that outlines the proper etiquette at such a function, but try to do so with a little humor and without making your workers feel like schoolchildren. If alcohol will be served, you might consider a limit of two drinks per person.

Venue

Offsite meetings and holiday celebrations can make your guests feel special, and they may be more likely to recognize that you value them. A cruise around San Francisco Bay will be far more memorable than a casual party at the workplace.

Menu

Be sure that your menu choices meet the festive tone of a holiday party. If you have selected a theme, such as “On a Bay Cruise with Santa,” the options might include a variety of seafood entrees. Work with your event venue planner to meet the dietary needs of a broad spectrum of individuals, from meat eaters to vegans to those who have kosher or halal restrictions.

Entertainment

The entertainment at your party should also reflect the theme. If the tone is to be formal, you might hire a string quartet to further enhance the setting. If you plan to provide a dance floor, a DJ could be the best choice.

Thoughts on Giving

Your team might appreciate a gift exchange option, such as drawing names so that each person only has to buy one gift for one employee. You could also skip the gift exchange altogether in favor of a fundraising party for a charity that your company has supported before.

Enlist Some Help

You don’t have to plan your events alone! You could benefit from delegating some of the planning tasks to a team of a few workers. Your employee party-planning team might think of fun new options, such as sending formal invitations or hiring a photo booth for the event.

Commodore Events handles all the details for you with our EventEverything Planning Service

If you choose to hold your party on one of the yacht venues provided by Commodore Cruises & Events, you can also turn to our helpful staff for assistance through our EventEverything service. Call us at (877) 346-4000 for more information on how we make corporate events truly special, or feel free to fill out our online contact form today.