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‘Tis the season to mix and mingle! If you’re organizing a holiday networking event, make it a memorable occasion by adding a few personalized touches. After all, you don’t want bored employees burying their attention in their smartphones or ducking out early.<\/span><\/p>\n Set up a raffle.<\/b> As each person arrives for the party, hand them a raffle ticket. Show them a few door prizes they could win, and let them put the stub in a fishbowl in front of the item they’d love to take home. A few gift ideas include an e-reader, weekend getaway package or a wine and cheese gift basket.<\/span><\/p>\n Offer free drink coupons.<\/b> Liven up the party with a few libations. Print <\/span>festive drink tickets<\/span><\/a> for guests to redeem at the bar for a beer, wine, cocktails or a signature mocktail of their choice. Limit this perk to two vouchers per guest to discourage too much holiday cheer.<\/span><\/p>\n Coordinate icebreaker games. <\/b>After everyone arrives, and are welcomed to the event, play a quick game or two to make it easy for people to meet one another. The host can ask each person to introduce themselves to the person to their right. Then, play a game of musical chairs where everyone mills around, then sits in a new place to meet even more people.<\/span><\/p>\n Hire background entertainment.<\/b> A live band playing festive holiday music or a strolling magician is just what a networking event needs to keep the pace upbeat and lively. Or, consider hiring a photo booth so groups of new friends can snap pictures to remember the occasion. Earn bonus points by creating a custom hashtag for the event and posting the images to the company’s social media feeds during the party.<\/span><\/p>\n Create a business card challenge.<\/b> Tell each guest to take out 10 of their own cards. In the next hour, they have to replace them with 10 <\/span>business cards<\/span><\/a> from new people they’ll meet in a speed-dating type set up where guests move from table to table to chat with others at the party.<\/span><\/p>\n Play an interactive group game.<\/b> Bring back a blast from the past by playing a version of Win, Lose or Draw or Jeopardy in front of the group. A game show activity encourages communication between guests and chatter among audience members. Just be sure the topics for the games focus on the common thread or industry being celebrated at the networking event.<\/span><\/p>\n