The holidays feel like they’re a long stretch away, but they’ll be here before you know it. If you haven’t started planning your annual office holiday party, now’s the time. Follow this simple guide to setting up the best bash possible:
Table of Contents
Food and Drinks
These should be the top priorities of the night. You can’t impress a crowd with cans of lukewarm pop and bowls of potato chips.
You should hire a corporate catering company like Toronto’s Drake Catering, recently named one of the best catering companies in the city by blogTO, for the event to wow the attendees with delectable hors d’oeuvres and specialized cocktails all night long. A great catering company will do more than bring the feast to your event-space. Their staff will make the rounds to check if anyone missed the latest cycle of canapes or if glasses need to be topped off with the wine. And they will clear dishes, crumpled napkins and cutlery to keep the venue as clean as possible.
If you don’t have a venue booked, you can always go to The Drake Hotel. They will offer a versatile event space to go with their enticing catering menu. The space can fit up to 650 guests. Any office that has a big guest-list can throw a packed cocktail soiree, where guests sip on seasonal drinks and explore the fascinating art collections. Culture-seekers will love finding paintings and installations from both local and international artists around every corner.
An office with a smaller guest-list may prefer an intimate sit-down dinner at Drake Commissary. Surprise attendees with a holiday-themed menu with classic dishes like slow-roasted turkey, fourteen-hour smoked brisket and country ham. After polishing off the main dishes, raise a glass of boozy eggnog and toast to the good year.
Entertainment
Having a little bit of entertainment at the holiday party is an excellent way to cut any tension. Mixing a bunch of people who don’t know each other outside of the office can be awkward. You want people mingling, not standing by themselves and staring at their phones. Nothing will break the ice quite like fire performers juggling flaming torches in the middle of the room. That will get people talking!
Maybe you don’t have enough room for a fire show, or maybe you don’t want to link your brand to something so extreme. Another popular entertainment idea for corporate parties is a social photo booth where guests can pose for still shots, record videos or make GIFs. Guests can keep the printed copy of their picture or share it instantly on social media.
Rides Home
Give employees and their plus-ones free trips home. You can do this by getting vouchers for the entire guest-list from a trusted rideshare company or taxi service. When the guests leave the party, all they have to do is order a car from this specific company and enjoy the complimentary ride. Just make sure to send out an email about the vouchers before the party so that attendees don’t drive to the venue.
End the work-year on a high note with wonderful food, drinks and entertainment. Your employees will appreciate the opportunity to let loose and have fun. There’s a chance that they’ll be closer with their colleagues by the time the party is over.
