Wedding and Event Specialist Portland, Oregon: What to do for your Holiday Party?

Recently, we asked Kristina with Team Casino to guest blog for us. We thought with the Holiday's just around the corner it would be great to have her give some tips on great company parties. Below is what she has to say. :)

It’s time to start thinking about your company holiday party! Boring parties where you serve dinner and give away some awards are out! A great holiday party shows your employees you appreciate them, and while most people do appreciate free food, they want something more to do than just talk to the co-workers they see every day. They want a REASON to come party. There are a few ways to make your employees more excited to come to your holiday party:

1. Great prizes. No matter how you give them out, your staff will be super excited to know that they have a chance to win an iPad, TV, etc. Even if you only have the budget for one great prize, that’s a great way to get your employees excited about your party!

2. Bring in a little booze! There are many different options for all types of budgets
                  a. Have a Hosted Bar
                  b. Host drinks during Cocktail Hour
                  c. Give each attendee 2 drink tickets (on the company)
                  d. Or have a No Host bar

3. Try to provide childcare. Many of your guests would love to have a night away from their kids, but might not be able to afford the babysitter, or might not be able to find one on a busy holiday weekends. Perhaps your facility has an additional room you can use to bring in a few caregivers and your staff can bring their children, and pick them up on the way out!

4. The ability to network with the higher-ups. The annual holiday party may be the only place where all your employees will mix and mingle. During old school parties people sit with the co-workers they talk to every day, leaving little room to introduce themselves to the people that make the big decisions, without seeming pushy or intrusive. Here are a few tips:
a. Assign seats to the managers – have each one sit at a different table, so employees have to sit with them.
b. Facilitate a networking activity – try something easy and silly like taping names of celebrities and famous people on each person’s back and having them guess using yes or no questions. When you HAVE to talk to other people as part of a game, approaching others is much easier.

c. Bring in some entertainment that promotes networking and conversation. (Shameless plug time!) Interactive entertainment like casino nights, Hold’em tournaments, Wii bowling tournaments, etc. allow people to interact with those they may not know in a fun environment. With a band or other stage-based entertainment, they may just end up at the same tables talking with the same co-workers again!

So get to work revving up your holiday party! AND DON’T WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER. Now is the time to start planning! If you’re already doing many of these things, Awesome!

The holiday party is an important way to show your employees how much you appreciate them. Make sure it’s a great time for everyone!