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If you\u2019re in charge of overseeing your company\u2019s corporate party, the task can seem like a daunting one. Sometimes, expectations are low: employees haven\u2019t been wowed in the past, and don\u2019t expect to be wowed this year. Other times, though, someone truly rocked it the year before, and you\u2019ve got some seriously large boots to fill.<\/p>\n
Whatever scenario you\u2019re facing, being solely responsible for your company\u2019s holiday party success can be intimidating, to say the least!<\/p>\n
Even if you\u2019ve got hundreds of guests showing up, a little foresight can go a long way in making the planning process easier and less stressful on you. Here\u2019s our ultimate checklist for creating a rocking corporate party all your teammates will love.<\/p>\n
Know when you should start planning your big corporate holiday party? Yesterday. That should give you an idea of how important early planning is to ensuring a great celebration. It\u2019s never too early — there\u2019s a reason event planners start planning next year\u2019s event the day after that year\u2019s event is over!<\/p>\n
Here at PaperDirect, we’ve already started to reach out to venues and it’s only October 25th. We also use Evernote <\/a>to capture ideas as they pop into our minds.<\/p>\n No one should tackle such a massive undertaking alone, so connect with your colleagues about who can handle what. If you know them well, allocate the most sensitive or challenging tasks to those teammates who you know will come through. If you aren\u2019t as familiar with your team\u2019s work ethic, err on the side of caution by only assigning one or two manageable tasks to teach person.<\/p>\n Knowing what your budget is can have a huge impact on how big and bold you can go. It can also help inform what top-dollar items are important, and which ones can get put on the backburner. You’ll need to work with your HR department or whoever handles budgets. Typically, you’ll take a budget to them and they’ll modify or approve. To get a clear budget, factor in things like:<\/p>\n Whether you’re sending a simple Evite or stepping up your game with heavy cardstock invitations<\/a>, you’ll need to amplify the who, what, when, and where to your attendees.<\/p>\n Your theme should reflect the time and atmosphere of your event — ie, a party that is expected to be a swag, fancy gala probably shouldn\u2019t have an \u201cugly sweater contest\u201d theme. Make sure you know what leadership\u2019s expectations are for the classiness (or casualness) of this affair.<\/p>\n This can be dependent on budget, but in general, it\u2019s extremely helpful to outsource things like entertainment, food and drink, printing\/invitation sending, and other high-volume, high-touch tasks.<\/p>\n A dry run can illuminate issues early, from traffic jams in the loading and unloading areas to technology snags with the microphone. Run through your party itinerary multiple times before the big day to ensure a smooth operation.<\/p>\n Technology can help keep your seemingly endless to-do list under control, so check out apps such as Pro Party Planner<\/a>— even Evernote for note and list making — to keep all your plans and thoughts in one central place. <\/span><\/p>\nCreate a team<\/h2>\n
Get clear about your financial freedom<\/h2>\n
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Send Invites<\/h2>\n
Settle on a theme<\/h2>\n
Decide what you can do in-house, and what should be outsourced<\/h2>\n
Leave enough time to do a \u201cdry run.\u201d<\/h2>\n