SIX INSIDER TIPS EVERY CHRISTMAS PARTY PLANNER NEEDS TO KNOW

PLANNING the company Christmas party can feel extremely overwhelming. There are often time and budget constraints, and expectations for it to be bigger and better than last year.

Here are six insider tips every party planner needs to know.

Create a 'hype plan'

How will you get the word out there and make sure everyone is excited for the event?

 

• How will you get the word out there and make sure everyone is excited for the event?
   
• Send a 'Save the Date' calendar invite as soon as your venue is secured.
   
• Create posters to stick around the office.
   
• Invest in an awesome invite design that captures the theme or mood of the event.
   
• Plan when you're going to send reminders and what they're going to say. Each email should contain some new information to spark intrigue and build excitement.

Find a venue with an AV partner

AV is the most important tool used in transforming event spaces and bringing themes to life, but is often left to the last minute.

External AV hire can quickly chew up a lot of budget as you'll need to cover operation costs above the equipment hire.

Most premium venues have in-house AV so you're likely to get a much better deal, as well as the peace of mind knowing the audio and vision is taken care of. Venue Locator is a great tool, where all listed venues have Staging Connections as their in-house AV provider.

On-trend styling and theming

Styling and theming isn't just about the odd draping here and there, it should be integrated throughout every aspect of the event.

We're experiencing a shift towards immersive events where AV and styling become one, creating an unforgettable experience for your guests.

Ensure that you consider the guest journey from event start to finish - their entrance and the first thing they see is paramount.

To maximise your budget we recommend bundling styling with your AV and venue so make sure you ask this when reviewing your venue and AV partner. See what themes our stylists are predictions for this year.

Balance your styling and branding

It's a tricky line to toe, striking the right balance between styling and branding.

If you go too far towards styling your brand gets lost, but going too heavy on branding means the event loses its festive vibe.

Staging Connections has recently launched a branding solution, Event Backdrop, which allows you to get the best of both worlds at the price you hoped for.

Now branding can be integrated into a stunning custom-designed backdrop, printed in photographic quality onto canvas - the perfect way to marry your styling and branding.

Go interactive

Entertainment is a major event talking point and can help iron out those potentially awkward moments of stilted work chat between colleagues.

Integrating a live social feed into events is very popular. Event Tweetcaptures guest social media tweets and posts via a dedicated hashtag and displays them instantly on screen for all to see and comment.

Everyone's doing it anyway, so you might as well take advantage of it.

Award-giving is a fun way to recognise employee achievement and reward their hard work for the year. We're seeing a trend towards social events using our audience polling platform, Event Poll, for entertainment purposes rather than just instant audience feedback.

For example, you can use Event Poll to ask your guests who is best dressed or who they tip to win 'Most Valuable Player'. It's a cost-effective way to keep everyone entertained and eyeing the prize.

Be smart when asking for feedback

Don't wait and send a survey a few days later because often people won't be bothered or have simply forgotten.

With Event Poll you can ask the audience on the spot for their feedback using a variety of question formats to suit your event type and desired response. After the event you can download a summary of the questions and their responses with data that shows who answered what and even who responded the most.

For more information head to Staging Connection's Christmas Party page. Want to start planning today? Get in touch with Staging Connections here. 

This article is sponsored by Staging Connections.