01 Sep The Essential Guide to Delivering a Show-Stopping Office Event

Whether you’re searching for tips on how to throw an office summer party or the best tips to deliver a successful corporate event, knowing how to stage a company party will make your planning process a breeze. Here, we share the most effective ways to manage upcoming events to ensure they’re a raving success.

How to Deliver an Outstanding Office Event

Begin your party planning by considering the following tips. Use these to inspire your next event.

1. Organise Your Event Team

Successful event planning starts with a highly efficient event team. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning an office Christmas party, corporate event or birthday celebration, having a team of delegates will help you to devise the perfect plan. Furthermore, you can ensure that everyone understands what the event is and how you plan to execute it. To help you plan and execute your events, enlisting the help of an in-house personal assistant is beneficial.

2. Understand Your Aims

It’s important to know what your aim is. Are you planning on entertaining potential or new clients? Is it a casual event to thank staff members for their hard work? Once you understand what your aims are you can begin to collate event or party ideas.

3. Decide On A Theme

Every successful event has a theme. If you’re planning an office summer party, your party theme could be beach related. If it’s a Christmas party, you may want to host a classic dinner party. Alternatively, you may prefer something more fun, such as a winter casino. Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can have fun buying any décor, props, entertainment and the type of food you want. The most essential aspect of any theme is to create a comfortable atmosphere for your guests.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Think Outside the Box

When choosing your theme and entertainment, don’t be afraid to get creative. If you’re planning an office summer party, you can afford to think outside the box. Consider a particular movie theme, Ibiza theme or desert theme. You could have fun outdoor games and team activities, especially in large spaces. You might even want to incorporate a charity fundraiser activity.

5. Select Your Venue

Your venue can make your event successful or a complete flop. Ideally, your venue should complement your theme. For example, a large outdoor venue would work well with a summer theme. Take into consideration the number of people you plan to invite, your entertainment, and if you are going to need any lighting or air conditioning.

6. Choose A Dress Code

Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can select the dress code for the event. Remember, it’s essential that you communicate the dress code on invitations so that your guests are aware of your plans. For formal events, you may choose business attire or black tie and evening dresses. For casual parties, you may allow guests to wear whatever they prefer.

7. Set A Budget

Establishing a budget makes sure that you don’t spend too much or too little on your event. You’ll be able to separate funds for food and drinks, including alcoholic beverages, as well as entertainment, venue and decorations.

8. Don’t Forget the Basics

The most important thing at office parties is the food and drink. Imagine if you were to run out of alcoholic drinks halfway through your event, or you only had enough food for half of your guest list? Your guests probably wouldn’t be too impressed, right? How do you get it correct? Always ensure that you have more than enough food and drink!

9. Use Entertainment to Break Up a Long Event

Corporate events can be tiresome so consider using entertainment as breaks. This gives your guests time to relax, particularly if you’re hosting a formal event. You could use a live music guest, have an escape room, incorporate virtual reality or even use visual artists. Having an immersive experience is ideal for getting your guests involved. No one wants to sit through a boring corporate event – making your occasion unique will help guests to remember your business.

About the author:

Auria Heanley is co-founder of Oriel Partners, a boutique PA and administrative recruitment consultancy based in Central London. She is extremely passionate about providing the highest quality of service to both clients and candidates. Oriel Partners’ clients range from global multinationals to small boutique firms, all requiring the same personal service and high calibre support.