We may still be in denial that summer is coming to an end, however, if you are already tasked with arranging your work’s Christmas party this year, don’t fret! Use our newbie guide to get it sorted.
If your new boss just tapped you on the shoulder and handed you the daunting task of arranging the Christmas party, don’t panic. We’ve got you covered. Below, we’ll quickly explain how to get it done in a few simple steps.
Start early
But, before we do that, we must first emphasise the importance of getting started as soon as possible. The best office Christmas party venues book up fast. And when we say fast, we mean supersonic fast. Some of the best venues are fully booked by the start of September. So, as soon as you are asked to arrange the party go online and book.
When you do, ensure you fully understand what is included in the price. Get everything in writing and file it. And gather the information you need to arrange the event.
To be able to book you will first need to secure the following information from your boss:
A firm date for the event
Before you can book you need the date of the event. That sounds obvious, we know, but you’ll be surprised by how often you won´t get a straight answer to that question. If that happens, politely point out that the best venues book up early as a way of gently pushing them for a definitive answer.
Understand the budget
How much you can spend per head, has a significant impact on the type of venue you can book. As well as on how much food, drink and entertainment you can provide. So, find out what the budget is.
What the event should and should not include
You need a clear idea of what your boss is expecting the event to be like. To establish this, sit down quietly and compile a list of questions. Here are a few to get you started:
Do they want a sit-down meal or a buffet? Is the company going to pay for transport? Do you need to arrange entertainment or activities? Is there anything they don´t want, e.g. a free bar or dancing?
Put together a detailed project plan
At this point, you should be starting to put together a plan. When talking about what the event should be like, be sure to make a note of what is said and add organising that particular aspect of the event to your to-do list.
Later, break each task down into individual steps and put a date against when each one needs to be completed. Again, aim to get it all done as early as possible. Entertainment, activity locations and transport all book up fast during the Christmas celebration period.
Establish how many people will be attending
You will also need to know how many people will be attending. Without at least a rough idea, booking the right venue, transport, entertainment, food and drink is impossible.
Put together a costing spreadsheet
Before shopping around for each element of the Christmas party, put together a spreadsheet to keep track of how much you are spending. Set it out in a way that will enable you to compare the cost of your various options.
Build a simple event website
Pulling together all of the relevant information and sharing it with colleagues via a simple website that can only be accessed via a privately shared link is a good idea. It does not take long to do this and will save you from being inundated by questions as the event draws near.
So, there you have it a simple step-by-step process for you to follow. Now, all you need to impress your new boss and colleagues is to do all of the above in a timely manner.
Our last piece of advice is to attend the event yourself. Have a good time, but at the same time make a mental note of anything that you would do differently next time. We say this because there is a very good chance you will be asked to arrange next year’s Christmas party.
