29 Sep 10 Steps to Planning The Christmas Party

The job of planning a Christmas party for work or friends can often seem something of an unwelcome and scary prospect. You are not alone if that’s how you are feeling about it; the time constraints and pressure of wanting to organise something that everyone will enjoy can make it a stressful ordeal. 

The Eagle House hosts Christmas parties on Friday and Saturdays throughout December- a great stress free solution to making sure everyone gets in the festive spirit with some good food, drink and music. 

Having organised a few parties in our time we have put together a few of our top tips to organising a Christmas party which everyone remembers for the right reasons! 

1 – Set the date

Christmas is a busy period, the busiest time of year for many people, so diaries fill up fast. It’s a good idea to send potential options out to people you wish to attend to get a feel for the preferred date. The responses will also give you an indication of numbers for the event. Remember, you can’t please everybody so it is usually best to go with ‘majority rules’ when choosing your date.

2 – Find out the budget

The size of your budget will ultimately have a huge impact on the type of Christmas party you organise, determining everything from the food and drink to the entertainment and choice of venue.

A package deal, like at The Eagle House, is a great way to ensure costs can be easily managed and everyone knows what is included. Our packages include a meal using the best local produce with all the trimmings followed by our DJ getting you dancing the night away. We offer a 2 course meal package for £24.50 or a 3 course meal package for £29.50.

3 – Source the venue

The earlier you book the venue, the better – unsurprisingly, good venues go quickly. No matter how prepared you think you are, there is always someone out there even more organised.

Identify suitable venues that have availability, are within budget and easily accessible for guests. Request a quote from each based on your requirements.

Make the most of the events team at the venue, they’ll know the space really well and will have seen plenty of events there so don’t be afraid to fire all your questions at them.

Don’t forget about accommodation- book any rooms needed early too so people can make the most of their evening.

4 – Organise ‘thank-you’ speeches and awards

If you want the Christmas party to act as a thank you to the staff then a nice way to thank everybody is by actually saying it.

Ask a director or manager to deliver a short ‘thank-you’ speech and (if appropriate) give out a couple of awards to anybody who deserves to be recognised.

Coordinate between the venue and DJ to ensure they have a microphone that can be used for the speech.

5 – Adding that touch of sparkle

Sometimes little changes can make all the difference. You want your event to be enjoyable, pleasant and memorable for all the right reasons. Here are a couple of ideas for those little touches to help your event stand out:

Hire a photographer. Many people will doubtless be snapping away on their mobile phones but hiring a professional will give you much better quality pictures and visual reminders of the event. Good shots can also be used on the company blog, website and social media, in marketing materials and put up round the office.

Put together goody bags. These should be filled with genuine goodies that your staff will actually enjoy, so don’t just cram them with company collateral, go for popular treats such as chocolates and wine.

6 – Organise transport

Making sure people can get to and from the venue is important for ensuring that things run smoothly and the evening is as hassle-free as possible for the guests.

Collect local taxi numbers and details on public transport for that night. Put details on one document and print copies out for when guests leave or circulate them in advance so people can plan ahead.

Organise a coach if required and make sure you book it for suitable times so that people aren’t left hanging around nor dragged away when the party is in full flow.

If you’re organising your party at the Eagle House we can help you with local transport companies that we know and trust.

7 – Invite the guests

If you want to make sure people come then you’ll have to give them all the details. It is important to plan the wording for the invitations and to make sure you ask for any dietary requirements.

8- Create a table plan

Think about if you want there to be a table plan or if you’re happy for people to choose where they sit. Sometimes it’s nice to get guests to mingle with people they wouldn’t normally talk to but often people want to avoid the small talk and just sit with their friends.

9– Managing the event

All this pre-planning is so that you can enjoy the event as well – although you will of course have to deal with any issues if they arise. But good preparation can help it run as smoothly as possible. If you’re having your event at The Eagle House we will have a dedicated event organiser who will ensure that everything runs smoothly on the night. 

10 – Ask for feedback

Find out what guests enjoyed about the event and ask if there are any things that could be improved so you can take these into account for next year!

Using this list should help you plan a successful Christmas party and feel confident that you have everything covered. If you think we could help you create a memorable Christmas party please call us on 01566 774488 to discuss your requirements.