Company Party Planning: How to Plan a Corporate Event
Whether it’s your quarterly, biannual, or company Christmas party, plan a corporate event that will have people talking, and excited to come! Read this company party planning blog piece at Personal Wine to learn how to plan a corporate event and help you find out where to start.
Plan Ahead
This is a given, but with company party planning it is even more important You want to be able to set the date and theme at least 2 months in advance. Checking and double checking that the date does not conflict with important deadlines in any department, does not overlap with conferences or business trips, and that the date is available for the venue you choose. Another part of this step is to figure out a budget and allocate the proper amount to each category of things you will need (food, drinks, party favors, decorations, etc.)
Try using an event planning tool to help you keep track of event registrations, promotions, planning, and organization. If software to help you organize the event is out of the budget, you can simply use an existing template to help you plan and organize your event.
If corporate events aren't new to your organization, take the existing processes your company has been using for events and find creative ways to improve on them.
Be Intentional
What are you trying to accomplish with this event? Is this a holiday-themed party? Are you thanking employees for an increase in productivity/sales/client intake etc? Pin-pointing your intentions or your theme for the event will help you make choices like venue, food, drinks, and decoration, thus this should be done early on in the process.
Having an intention in mind for your event will make the planning process much more smooth. Is this a team-building event? A conference? A company-wide celebration? Your event will be the biggest representation of the message you're aiming to send to your attendees.
Connect the Dots
After figuring out what you need, how many people will be in attendance, and the vibe that you want to create, the next thing you need to do is find all the vendors to make it happen. Do you want a photo booth for your company's 25th anniversary? Do you need a variety of foods for a cultural celebration? Finding the right vendor at the right price is important. Shop around, and ask people attending if they know of a good caterer, florist, bartender, etc. Once you find all your vendors be sure to sign and get a copy of each contract to stay organized and in the loop.
The Big 3
- Music
- Food.
- Drinks.
Has your company been using the same food, same drink, and same entertainment across all company events? Challenge yourself to refresh the old way of doing things and focus on making budget-conscious improvements when you plan the corporate event to enhance the experience.
Depending on your event theme, maybe you don't need to change any of the vendors. You can improve the environment with simple changes to the music and ambiance. You don’t need a DJ at every company party, but music is still key in setting the mood. Silence is not golden when you are throwing a social event, even if it is work-related.
Food is central to making it a memorable time for everyone. Don’t run out and don’t skimp on using most of your budget for good, trustworthy food. Be sure to include food for those who have food restrictions, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten/lactose intolerant.
Drinks are also very important in setting the mood and tone for your event. Jell-O shots and hard liquor will send a different message than champagne and wine. Wine and beer are generally safe choices for corporate events. Liquor can be tricky depending on the intention of the event, but we love to stick with wine. You can find bottles cheaply and in bulk and wine is easy to pair with h’orderves and entrees. The most unique part about wine is that you can personalize wines for any occasion to make it more special.
Start your company party planning today!