Your Ultimate Guide To Planning The Perfect Office Party

Office parties are very important. Don’t believe anyone who says otherwise. They can help employees relieve stress, form stronger bonds, celebrate success, and just have a good time in general.

People want office parties, too. Some people might consider it to be a distraction or a waste of money, but a study conducted by Zippia on office Halloween parties shows that 77% of respondents said they would enjoy such an event.

However, it is easy to get an office party wrong. If you don’t prepare well enough, the whole affair that was supposed to be fun can end in disaster. But there is no need to be nervous.

Here is a checklist to help you navigate the way to a successful office party:

Start By Setting A Budget

The first step to planning the perfect office party is figuring out how much you want to spend. You know how much you can afford and accordingly, how much you want to spend. If you’re on a tight budget, your office party mustn’t cost too much money.

How much budget you set will dictate everything from your theme to your menu, all the way to your venue. So you must strike a balance between not spending unnecessary funds and spending enough to have an enjoyable party.

Decide Who Will Be Coming

Before you can make any decisions about how to plan the party, it’s essential to know who will be coming and how many people you’ll have at the party.

Your budget will, to some degree, dictate how many people you can invite. But if you need to invite a certain number of people to your party, for example, the friends and family of the employees, try to make sure you have enough flexibility in your budget to do so.

However, it is always a good idea to plan a party just for the employees. You might not realize it, but forming close friendships with coworkers can boost employee productivity significantly.

A survey by Gallup found that 32% of the people who have a best friend at work are extremely satisfied with their job, as opposed to only 15% of the people who don’t. If that’s not a good enough reason to have an office party, what could be?

Deciding who will be coming to your party is very important. It will directly impact what theme you set, whether you allow alcohol or not, and where the party will be hosted. So it is better to make this decision as early in the process as possible.

Choose A Convenient Time and Place

Choosing a convenient time and place is a crucial part of planning the perfect office party. You don’t want to choose a day that is inconvenient for many people or choose an inopportune location.

If it’s a gathering of only the employees, the party might be hosted within the office premises. But if it is a special occasion or if many outside guests will be present, it is better to select a different venue fit for hosting parties. But make sure the venue is not very far from the office. You want as many people to be able to make it as possible.

The same goes for picking the time. Pick a time that is convenient for most people. Don’t plan it in the middle of office hours. You want people to let loose and enjoy. Generally speaking, the best time to host a party would be at the end of a not-so-busy work week. That way, people can finish up their work and come to your party without having to worry about going back to the office the next day.

Get Creative With The Theme

A company like Google has swimming pools, gyms, spas, table games, and much more in their office to keep their employees happy. Of course, most companies don’t have the resources to do that. But what you can do is invite them to a themed party.

A themed party can be a lot of fun. It allows people to dress up, play a character or get a little funky. But people might be put off if the theme is too complicated or demands a lot of work.

For example, if your theme is ‘The 90s’, people can where what was fashionable during that decade or imitate a famous personality from that era. But if you ask people to dress up as characters from HBO’s Game of Thrones, they would need to spend a considerable amount of time with their hair and makeup which might be inconvenient for an office party.

Your theme would also depend on your guests. If many of your employees are a fan of a certain TV show or a certain sports team, you can pick that as the theme. But if you are inviting friends and family, your priority might be to keep it family-friendly.

There is no hard and fast rule as to what would be a good theme for your office party. Take into account what your employees like and what you can afford with your budget, and then decide which theme would be best for your office party.

Designate Duties

You need a come up with a party planning committee if you want to throw an office party. Or you can call it  ‘the committee to plan parties’ too. Whatever you like.

Ideally, this committee would be in charge of selecting the time and place and deciding on the venue. But the main purpose of this committee is to distribute the various duties related to the party among the employees. The committee (or the person in charge) would oversee that everyone completes their tasks and everything runs smoothly.

Designating duties is important for the success of a party. First of all, it ensures that no one is burdened with too much responsibility. That alone makes the process fairer and reduces the chance of a mistake happening. Also, it makes the party more democratic, and there is less chance that a blame game might start in case things don’t go as planned.

Decide On A Menu

All the foodies know that the easiest way to someone’s heart is through their stomach. If you are planning a major party for a momentous occasion, you might go all out on the food and prepare a multi-course buffet. But most office parties are smaller, similar to a happy hour.

Now, happy hour catering requires finger food. Something that people can eat while mingling with others. They can be cocktail sausages, kebabs, or flaming hot Cheetos. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

But don’t make the menu so innovative or unorthodox that people end up not eating the food you have prepared for them.

Take into account people’s dietary restrictions and the prep time required for the food while deciding. Also, decide if you will be serving alcohol. But let’s be honest. Why would you not?

Plan Games and Activities

The point of an office party is getting people to mingle. But not everyone is a confident conversation starter or a social butterfly. Therefore, having games at your party that can break the ice is a good idea.

Don’t get too complicated with the games. Keep them simple so that everyone can participate. Some good examples might be charades, Pictionary, karaoke, etc.

Spread The Word

Spreading the word about the office party is important. Because how else would people know to come? If you have a company newsletter, use that. Or you can send a mass email inviting everyone to come.

Don’t worry about repeating yourself. People miss out on a lot of information when they are busy with work.

Make Sure No One Makes A Mess

If you are allowing alcohol at your party, it is important to make sure no one makes a mess. This includes making sure people who drink too much get home safely, be it by assigning designated drivers or getting them cabs.

Also important to remember that although it is a party, as long as it’s work-related, it is still considered part of the workplace. So no one must behave inappropriately under influence.

UK-based lingerie brand Ann Summers conducted a survey which revealed 72% of HR workers admit to embarrassing themselves at an office party, be it by getting too drunk or kissing a coworker. And believe it or not, they are not even the worst sector in this regard.

Therefore, when planning a party, make sure that there are always people who can keep things from getting out of hand and keep the antics to a minimum.

Remember, the point of an office party is to have fun. So make sure you don’t stress yourself out trying to plan the perfect one. Have food, have some drinks, and plan a few games. Rest assured, people will have a good time.