After a strange year of working from home and remotely from our colleagues, it’s refreshing to see each other face to face again. Corporate events are a great way to celebrate being together again, to blow off steam after a tough year, and to thank the staff for their hard work under challenging circumstances. Here’s how to throw the best work party!
Find the Right Venue
The right venue is essential. Don’t just book the nearest bar; think about what you’re planning and how many guests you’ll have and look for a venue that meets your needs, including any equipment or support you might need, like a DJ, IT support, or a bar.
Don’t just have your event in the office – change up the location to add some excitement. Find a venue that is central and easy for everyone to get to, and consider how your guests will get to and from the event.
Serve Drinks
A good ice-breaker to get people to feel comfortable is to offer a welcome drink. A drink in hand helps settle any pre-party nerves that people might have. Make sure to offer a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the night.
As it’s a corporate event, there should be some degree of moderation involved. Don’t put all your hopes for a successful night on serving drinks. The night should be centered around any planned activities, with drinks as an added bonus, not the most important part of the night.
Get Involved
Remember to enjoy the party yourself! Whether you’re a manager or the party planner, it can be easy to find yourself on the sidelines while everyone else has fun. Instead, mingle, enjoy yourself, and make people feel comfortable. If you’re enjoying yourself, this will encourage everyone else to relax and have fun.
Embrace It
It’s not often that everyone in the office has the opportunity to get together outside of work, especially at the moment, with so many people spending the last year working remotely. Make the most of the opportunity to be together, have fun, and build your office relationships. If you’ve chosen a good theme or activity, you should go all out to make the night feel special.
As a momentous occasion where you get to spend time together for the first time in a while, use all of the budget that you have the best you can so you can impress your guests. Ideally, you want people to come to work for the next few days talking about what an amazing party you threw and what a good time they had.
Say Thank You
Make sure you or the managers say thank you to everyone for coming. Put in your best effort to make everybody feel welcome and relaxed. A great atmosphere, good food and drinks, fun music, and even a small goodbye gift can add a real personal touch that people will remember. Use the party as a thank you for getting through a tough year.