So, you’ve come to the conclusion that throwing a company party is one of the secrets to a successful business year, and certainly worth the invested time and capital. Now, you find yourself in the planning stages and you’re wondering if there is a secret formula to ensure that your party is a success and achieves the desired results for your business and team environment. We are here to tell you that there is!
Here are the top 5 must-have components of a successful corporate party:
Venue – When you begin planning your party, the first order of business is finding a Central Coast Venue that suits your company’s needs. There are some important factors to consider when selecting your venue, and the budget is only one of them. First, you must ensure that the venue you select is appropriately sized for the number of guests you anticipate. Too large of a space and your guests may not interact as much as you would like, and if the space is too small people may feel cramped and uncomfortable. It’s important to tour the venue ahead of time and ensure it fits your needs. The next thing to consider is whether or not the venue is all inclusive or not. Some venues come with table and chair rentals, food & bar, bathrooms, heaters, etc. Do you want to use some or all of these included services, which can save cost, or do you prefer to outsource to other vendors for things such as food and drink or specialty rentals? Find out what the venue allows for so your not disappointed later on if you want to change something. Finally, you must consider whether or not the venue has any restrictions on what you can and can’t do there. Most venues in our county have a sound ordinance that states any loud music must be turned off by 10 p.m. This and other restrictions are important to note to prevent improper planning for the event. Keep a list of questions handy when touring your venues and make sure to ask them all before booking. Once you narrow down your preferences, our free resource Central Coast Venues is the perfect place to begin your hunt for the perfect venue for your year-end party.
Coordination – The second most vital component of throwing a corporate party is having a competent person to plan the event. Planning a celebration is a job in itself and although it is possible for a company employee to plan the event, it may require that they work extra hours to do so without it taking away from their ability to do their job. We recommend you leave this one to the professionals and allow one of the many competent Central Coast Event Coordinators to take the hard work off your team’s shoulders so everyone can just show up and enjoy! Kramer Events Coordinator, Renee Weber has extensive knowledge planning corporate parties in San Luis Obispo County. She knows the best venues/vendors in the area and what their capabilities are and she can work with any kind of budget to create a celebration that meets your unique needs. If however, you decide to take on the task of planning the party in-house, Renee has laid out some really helpful tips:
Tip 1: Get an RSVP!! Send out an email, invitation or Evite with a clear date that employees are expected to rsvp by. You want to know how many guests to plan for.
Tip 2: Provide some sort of entertainment – raffle, photo booth, slideshow, music, etc.
Tip 3: Make sure your employees get home safe! If possible, provide transportation, encourage carpooling, etc.
Entertainment – Expanding upon tip number two, providing entertainment for your guests is a huge factor in ensuring that they enjoy the party and that it achieves the results you’re after. Kramer Events has many options when it comes to entertainment including Karaoke, Dance Party, Game Show, and photo booth options. Each of our entertainment packages includes a Kramer Events team that is knowledgeable in their craft and skilled at encouraging guests to interact and have fun with one another. It’s a great idea to get input from your team when deciding on the type of entertainment you will have. We love to utilize online polls within our team’s Facebook group whenever we have a big decision to make that will affect the team. This allows everyone to feel included and gets them excited for the party and entertainment that they helped select. To learn more about Kramer Events Entertainment packages, see Your Party Made Simple.
Food & Drink – Next to entertainment, your food and beverage selection will likely be one of the most talked about aspects of your company party. There are a few things to consider when selecting the right catering and bartending team to work your event. First, what is the theme of your party? If it is a formal affair, you may consider a seated dinner with servers as opposed to a more casual buffet-style setup. The second thing to consider is if there are any dietary restrictions that you will need to accommodate for. Check in with your team and make sure you know what those are. The last thing you want is to have one of your guests without a meal because the food options you’ve provided do not fit in with their diet. If you have dinner options, it’s a great idea to send those out with your RSVP request and allow people to choose what they would like to eat. This also has the added benefit of incentivizing that they submit their RSVP in a timely manner. Now, let’s talk food. Luckily you will have no shortage of options when it comes to selecting a catering company to help with your party as the Central Coast has many talented vendors available. Here are a few of our favorites:
Special Acknowledgments – Finally, we feel that its vital to the overall goal of your corporate celebration to include important company and team acknowledgments at some point throughout the evening. An annual company party gives you the perfect opportunity to celebrate the amazing team of people that are the backbone of the organization. The acknowledgment of individual employees or divisions as a whole for their hard work and perseverance can give your team a feeling of being recognized and appreciated for their hard work. This unique environment provides a space for praise to be given in a public setting. Being recognized for your hard work and attributes amongst your peers provides more accountability and serves as a huge motivator for everyone to maintain and excel beyond their current achievements. Presenting awards to those who have earned them is a great idea and will give your guests something to take home and remember the event for many years to come. As the CEO/Team Leader of a company, it is vital to give back to your employees and acknowledge all their strengths and achievements so they feel proud to be a part of the vision you’re all working towards. It also gets everyone pumped up for the next year to come and motivates everyone to raise the bar even higher. This is the component that will really bring your team together and ultimately, that is the goal of throwing an annual company party; to create a space of authentic connection.
Kramer Events would love to help you Simplify your Celebration, learn more today!