Now that we’re in the month of October, its only a matter of time before we are in the full swing of the holidays. Party planning can sneak up quickly during this busy time of the year, so we wanted to put together the ultimate guide for planning your corporate holiday party. What is a holiday party? Great question. It’s a party late in the year around Christmas or New Year’s where co-workers join together for a mix of business and pleasure. When it comes to company holiday party ideas, the list is endless.

Corporate Holiday Party Planning

1. Set Budget

First and foremost, you will want to set a budget for your event. We recommend setting an overall budget, and then breaking that budget out into categories such as holiday party venue, décor, catering, giveaways and so forth. This makes it easier to plan and track your budget to ensure you stick to it. It can also help track budgets for years to come so you have an initial plan to start from.

2. Find a Venue

Once you set your budget, you will want to start looking for venues for the holiday party. Looking at numerous different venues allows you to compare and contrast them to one another and also helps when it comes to price negotiations. Usually, corporate event venues have an event planning team that can help coordinate the details of the event for you and keep everything organized.

3. Choose a Date

Now that you have chosen a venue, you can set the date. You will want to coordinate with the venue to make sure the dates you have in mind work with their schedule too. During the holidays is a historically busy time of the year for corporate parties, so making sure you choose the date well in advance to plan and send out invites is crucial for success.

4. Decide on Décor and Dress Code

Next, you will want to choose a theme and decide on décor, so guests know what to expect. This will help influence the dress code so that people show up dressed according to the theme. When it comes to décor, you can go with something more traditional when it comes to the holidays, or you can incorporate your own theme and vision into the party planning. The décor and dress code are what will bring your event to life visually.

5. Send out Invites

Now that you have chosen the date and decided on décor and dress code, you will want to send out the invites. You will want to make sure you send them out well in advance since this is a very busy time of year for people. We recommend sending out the date 6-8 weeks in advance so people can mark it down on their calendar. More often than not, they are also coordinating with a spouse and may also need to figure out childcare for the evening as well.

6. Create a Menu

Next, you’ll want to plan out the menu. The worst thing at an event is hungry guests so you’ll want to create a food and drink menu that keeps guests coming back for more. With a corporate holiday party, we suggest the best style for serving is buffet style. That way guests can serve themselves all night long when they are hungry, and it allows people to eat and mingle at the same time. This requires less coordination than other dining styles and gives guests the freedom to choose when they want to eat.

7. Plan Awards and Giveaways

Finally, no corporate holiday party is complete without awards and giveaways. This is a great way to make employees feel recognized and to celebrate all their hard work throughout the year. These kinds of delights can also increase attendance and make people feel appreciated. 

The next time you find yourself searching for “venues to book for parties near me,” look no further. Ovation Square is one of the largest party venues in Los Angeles, located in the heart of downtown Long Beach. We would be more than happy to help you plan your next corporate holiday party.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What kind of awards and giveaways should I plan?
A: These could be awards based on the industry you work in or based on other co-workers voting. For giveaways you could do raffles, prizes, gift cards and so forth to make employees feel appreciated.

Q: Do I have to create a dress code?
A: Of course not, however, we think it is a fun way to tie in the theme and décor, and a lot of times people find the holidays a good time of the year to dress up.

Q: What do you think is a realistic budget?
A: That completely depends on your goals and the size of your party. You can usually discuss with an event planner or the venue itself to get a better idea of what your budget will be.