We all love a good Christmas office party… well, as long as we’re not the one who falls asleep or knocks over the buffet table! But what makes an awesome Corporate Christmas Party?
For us there are 7 sure-fire tips to throwing a Christmas event everyone will remember:
1. MUSIC
Whilst it’s always going to go down a treat if you can have a live band at the event, it’s also great to give your guests a say! At your next corporate bash, drop your colleagues an email asking them to choose a couple of songs in advance. It gets the office talking about the party and looking forward to their song choice getting played, ensuring you don't have a sad empty dance floor!
2. FOOD & DRINK
Food is always a great talking point, so you’ll want to make sure it’s all positive chatter. One of our clients hosted an event to mark their 10th birthday and provided delicious street food, way better than a bog-standard sausage roll. And of course, they also had our tasty branded cupcakes! Each cupcake had an employee's face printed on it which was an amazing talking point, both on the night and social media. There were plenty of cupcake selfies! It’s also better to see guests faces printed on cakes than it is to see what they’ve been printing on the photocopier.
Don't forget about employees with dietary requirements. Most caterers can cater for this now and your staff will be grateful you have gone the extra mile. At Print Cakes we can bake our corporate cupcakes for all you Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten intolerant and dairy free colleagues.
3. LOCATION
A great location can really set the scene for your office Christmas Party, so when thinking about a location, be creative and choose a venue that guests are unlikely to have been before. The better the venue, the less effort you will need to put into the decorations to distract from the drab curtains and sticky floor. If possible keep it all top secret until the day. The whole office will be gossiping and getting excited about the big reveal. Make sure that the location is easy for everyone to get to and from. Extra bonus points for providing directions, taxi numbers or organised transport to make sure you don't have any stragglers.
4. SUGGESTIONS
Some might say it’s a case of too many cooks spoil the broth, but asking for suggestions will give you a feel for the kind of party everyone wants. They are certain not to agree on every point, but you'll be able to see what is the most popular and there may even be some great ideas you hadn't considered. Whether it’s choices over music, suggestions on the type of food to supply, or where to hold the event, guests will always value having their say.
5. DECORATIONS
It is Christmas after all, so let’s make the place look bright and inventive! This is where you can give some of your more creative members of the team a time to shine. Pinterest is a great tool for inspiration, sometimes it's the smallest of touches that make the biggest difference. Set up a great photo area where everyone can get some festive shots to share. These will also be great for your companies social media.
6. FAVOURS
A little thank you token will be much appreciated by your guests. At Christmas, try a small personalised bauble, or a little sweet treat to take away (we always think a branded cupcake goes down well *wink wink*) but whatever you decide, it’s always nice to have something to remember an event by.
7. INVITATIONS
You’re going to want to get things organised early. It’s a busy time of year for everyone and calendars will be filling up fast! Being proactive in organising early might get a few of the bah humbug's backs up, but they’ll thank you for it later when they're sipping their mulled wine at your swanky venue. If possible make sure you get an RSVP, people are much more likely to turn up if they've ticked the "I'm coming" box! Why not create a prize draw from all the RSVPs that will be announced on the night for a nice bottle of fizz?
AND FINALLY
Try not to get too stressed out. Organising a corporate event is a big job, ask for help if you're feeling the pressure, people will be happy to lend a hand - 'tis the season of good will after all!
If you would like more information on our branded cupcakes for your next event, just give us a call on 0191 340 4872 or drop us an email at hello@printcakes.co.uk
