4 Fast & Cheap Ideas to Make Your Next Company Party SHINE

To all the HR professionals, office administrators, office managers, and other rock stars out there who organize company holiday parties and other events ... THANK YOU! The work you put into these events may not always be recognized, especially if one little thing goes wrong with the event, but those parties are an essential part of employee care and so appreciated by your team members – even if that goes unsaid.

Are you planning your next company event or party on a tight budget or short timeline? Here are some small measures that can make a huge impression on your holiday party attendees! These tips can apply to holiday parties, open houses, and other events for your employees and their families. 

Turn up the radio!

Having music playing at your event can take it from an awkward gathering where you listen to each other chew to a real party. Put together your own playlist, or let a music streaming service do the work for you and let the tunes ring!

Pro Tip: Make sure the streaming will be ad-free.

Set up a welcome table.

It’s ideal to have someone at the table to welcome employees. Bonus points if your welcoming staff includes top leadership.

If you can’t have it staffed, put out some signs or print-outs that set a vibe for the party, let people know where to go, and what they can do.

Give attendees things to DO.

Having food out is a great start and a basic building block for a solid party, but attendees will dine and dash if there’s nothing else to do! You don’t have to rent expensive inflatable bounce houses or carnival equipment to give your attendees a reason to stick around. Try these cheap, fast, and fun activities at your next holiday party:

Put together a “guess how many [objects] are in the jar” activity.

1. Get a big jar that closes or can be sealed.
2. Find a bunch of one type of object, or a handful of different little objects to fill the jar.
3. Create your master sheet/key that says how many of the object(s) are in the jar.
4. Create a handout for participants to enter their guesses.
5. Create a channel for participants to submit them. Put out a bin and announce the winner at a designated time during the party, or put out some contact info for a person who will receive the submissions and contact the winner(s).

Pro Tip: Brand the objects with your company logo or make sure they’re otherwise related to your company’s work or the theme of the party!

Make a photo booth.

1. Backgrounds: get a curtain, find a plain wall, or make a banner! If you work for a company that has a plotter printer, ask if you can use that for an inexpensive way to print a large banner.
2. Props: Look around the office and/or shop floor for unique items attendees can use as props. Think safety glasses, hard hats, hi-vis vests: things that employees may find routine, but that family members would have fun with! Or you can head to your local second-hand store for hats, coats, old frames, or other items that highlight the company’s work or theme of the party.
3. Instructions: Make a sign that shows photo-takers what to do. Let them know they’ll need to use their own phone if necessary. Or position your photo booth near the welcome table so a volunteer can take photos for people. Give photo-takers a hashtag to use for social media or give them the contact information of someone who can collect the photos and share them with employees.

Set up a coloring station for kids. And adults who want to color. :)

1. Print outlines of things that either highlight the company’s work or the theme of the party.
2. Put out some crayons (or even highlighters from the office supply cabinet!).
3. Give the coloring masters a way to share their creations with the company! Provide a hashtag so they can share on social media. Or provide a bin to collect the colorings so they can be hung up around the workplace for the holiday season. Make sure names are on the colorings somewhere so you can celebrate the coloring masters!

Create a scavenger hunt.

1. Pick or create special objects around the event location that people can find.
2. Create a master list/handout for attendees that shows the objects or gives clues about the objects.
3. Have participants take photos of themselves with the objects and submit them to a contact person. Or have participants bring the objects to the registration/welcome table for a prize or to be entered to win a small prize – even if that prize is to be mentioned in the next company newsletter!

Have leadership say a few words.

When I say a few, I mean a few. Don’t make attendees sit around for a half-hour speech, but having an executive make a brief statement to attendees can make a huge impact on employees and families. A brief thank you for coming, and a few words about something relevant with the holiday or the company will help develop a stronger connection between top leadership and the employee base.

If there will be a speaker or two, consider bundling this time with announcements of the winners for contests or reminders of the activities you have out for the attendees. You could even ask the leaders making comments to announce these winners and award them with the prizes or give them a handshake!

Share the plan! And then share it again! 

Make sure your guests know what to expect at your gathering. Whether you share it through email, through the invitation, or with a half-sheet “program” you print out for the welcome table, it will help your guests feel comfortable and make sure they can fully enjoy the party.

You can also put up signs around the event to help direct the flow of traffic through your event, confirm what attendees can and can’t do, and help create a solid mood for the party!

Pro Tip: Brand your signage with company logos or a consistent theme with other party elements.

Looking for more help with holiday parties or other company events? Contact Gordeaux today for help planning events that push your business forward and give your employees and their families fond memories for years to come.

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