5 big mistakes companies make with their Christmas party

How many is your company guilty of?

These are some of the biggest mistakes we spot businesses making around this time of year. And it’s not all to do with a lack of budget – usually it’s a case of lack of time and skills. Luckily these can usually be overcome with a bit of planning and creativity. 

1. Not thinking about what you want to achieve

Serious question. Why do you have a Christmas do? Is it because it’s what everyone does? You’ve always had one?

We’ll let you into a secret – event planning 101.

You should always start by thinking about what you want to achieve.

Do you want to reward your employees and make them feel valued? Boost loyalty and company culture? Encourage team bonding across departments? Give your team a chance to relax and let their hair down after a stressful year?

You can achieve a lot more than you might think with a well thought out event. Make sure you get your aims clear and then make sure everything you plan is done with those aims in mind

2. Forgetting who you’re planning the party for

It’s simple, pick a venue, pick a package deal, food drinks, a bit of music done! But is it really that simple? Have you thought about what employees really want? If you’ve got a team of Instagram loving millennials who are into health and fitness, is a package deal at a generic chain restaurant or bar going to be something they’re actually going to be happy about?

If your team is mostly made up by people who aren’t into downing shots and dread being dragged up onto the dance floor – loud music, the promise of cheap drinks and a DJ aren’t going get them excited.

Also, think about the timing – will your team resent you for making them get all dressed up to attend an event in the evening giving up their valuable time? Would they prefer a casual afternoon get together? Or do they want a chance to go all out, dress up and do something formal and fancy?

3. Using your budget unwisely

Once you have your aims and you know what your team want, you should be able to spend your money wisely to make the biggest impact and get the most value out of your event.

Do you really need a 3 course sit down dinner? Or would snacks and nibble work better for what you’re trying to achieve with more money spent on activities or prizes?

Have you checked your contract with the venue? Are they supplying you with things that come as part of a package but you don’t actually need?

Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting and if you don’t want it, negotiate for changes.

Allocate money towards the elements of the event that will get you the results that you want.

4. Forgetting about the marketing potential

No company wants to see photos of their employees who’ve had one too many to drink plastered across social media. But imagine seeing images of your team all dressed up looking happy in front of a photo station with your logo. Or in your office wearing terrible Christmas jumpers playing silly but fun games?

Images like these are great for social media accounts and giving followers the human side of your business. Plus if you take good quality photos or video, imagine what it could do to make you stand out during recruitment campaigns…

You could take it one step further. Do something truly unique and you could even go viral or make it into the media – for all the right reasons. It just takes some time and effort to get creative, find the right vendors and plan.

5. Drinks, Dinner, Dancing, Done.

BORING. Why is that all there is? If you’re lucky you might get a magician or some live music. Think creatively – go back to what your team actually want and the aims you want to achieve. A close up magician might be a good talking point but will they really help your team get to know each other of feel like they’re being valued? Probably not.

But… find a vendor that can supply large scale games and activities that everyone can join in with and laugh over and you’ll be onto a winner! If there’s no money in the pot, get on Pinterest and check out all of the fun but cheap DIY games you can set up yourself.

WARNING: No enforced fun. Cheesy games and icebreakers can work under certain circumstances but you have to choose carefully.

Got an event you need to plan and not sure where to start? Need some expert advice and guidance to help you plan an event that will impress your attendees and make your business stand out?

Our internationally award-winning events team offer bespoke consultation services to set you up for success. Whether it’s mapping out goals, concept design, venue scouting, budgeting or another element you need, we can set you up for success.

Get in touch today to find out how we can help you.