It is the holiday season which means lots of company events! When you’re tasked with putting on an event for the whole company, it can be difficult to know where to start. If you want to be able to throw something that will live long in the memory, there are a few tried and tested things you need to be aware of. Luckily for you, we’ve put them all in the following few words so you’ll only have to read one article to get all the advice you could ever need!
Start by Creating Consensus Amongst the Senior Management Team
The first thing you need to do is get your senior managers on the same page. Without doing this step, you can easily get off to a faster start, but you’re bound to have to change all manner of things down the line when people begin to object to your plans.
Creating a consensus is the way to ensure this doesn’t happen, and it’s also a great way of hearing a range of different opinions. That way you not only get everyone pulling in the same direction, you also get to think through a range of ideas you may not have thought of.
Hire an Event Planner so You Have Some Expert Assistance
Event planners are such a valuable resource that the first time you hire one, you’ll wonder how you ever coped without. If you want to be able to enjoy the buildup and relax on the big day, then delegating a lot of the work to a seasoned professional is always the smart approach.
Just make sure you clearly communicate what you want to achieve and check in with them regularly so that you can add your own take on things—they’ll certainly thank you for it!
Decide Whether You Want the Event Onsite or Offsite
Deciding where you want your event to take place is one of the key decisions you’re going to need to make. If you want to throw a simple gathering with some finger food, then you’ll probably have enough space to do so onsite.
If on the other hand you want a large sit-down meal and a bar, then you’re probably going to need to book a venue. There’s nothing wrong with either option, it just really depends on the nature of the event that you would like to put on. Take the time to figure out what’s appropriate, and if you’re unsure then consult the management team in conjunction with your event planner.
Ask Your Staff What Foods They Want to Have
Checking for any special dietary requirements is a more important job than you would perhaps think. With people becoming more and more discerning about their diets, it’s never been more important to check that you can cater for each person you invite.
Send an email a couple of weeks before the day asking for any dietary requirements people may have. If you haven’t heard back from everyone 7 days prior to the event, then take a proactive approach and chase people up in person. That way you’ll avoid disappointing anyone who can’t eat the spread you’ve put on just because they forgot to get back to you.
Thursday Is the Best Day to Host a Company Event
The final thing you need to put some careful thought into, is deciding when you should host the event. It’s really up to you, but as you can tell from the subheading, we have an idea that you might want to think about!
Thursday is often seen as the ideal time for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is close enough to the weekend that it will allow everyone to get in to the mood and relax. Ideal if you want to be able to market your event as a party and a fun get-together, rather than simply an extended business meeting that eats into everyone’s family time.
Secondly, it ensures everyone is back in work the next day, talking about how great the day before was. This is a great way to boost morale and to allow your company’s productivity to ride the wave of the day before. All you need to do now is start the planning!