Everyone loves the company Christmas party. However, office parties aren’t what they used to be thanks to the recession, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun.
So, a great idea would be to have a holiday party during working hours. Serve a nice buffet with a variety of food so everyone is happy; no alcohol should be served. Get the entire company involved in choosing the theme and cuisine; send emails asking for votes, make the emails light hearted so no one is offended if you don’t take their suggestion. Now that you saved money on a location you can splurge on decorations, make the office festive, and get some great door prizes!
Assign a photographer or two to take candids during the party and make sure you post them afterwards. Don’t make it a job, find someone who enjoys taking pictures! Set up some board games around the office on game tables with folding chairs, nothing fancy. Games like Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit are great for teams! Give prizes that have nothing to do with job performance or achievement. For instance:
- The person that complained about the heat the most
- The person who had the best suggestion in the suggestion box
- The person that brings the best smelling lunches
When the holidays are over send another email thanking everyone for attending and asking all of the employees their opinion – good or bad – so that next year you can pull off another successful office Christmas party.
I like the prize ideas. You just need to be careful to not cross any lines. I would suggest running the prize ideas by your Human Resources manager first.
These ideas are great. I especially love the suggestion for giving prizes for random achievements. Hilarious!
I like some of these ideas, I will see if I can implement them this year.
I like candid photos, I’m sure people will talk about the pictures for a long time.
Good food, good people and plenty of laughs! That’s what a Holiday party is all about!
I would definitely get the award for the one who’s always complaining about the lack of heat. That said, this party would not be complete without hot cider 😊