The holiday season means party time and that means a combination of merry-making and careful planning.
Whether you are entertaining your staff or your clients, a successful party starts with a good venue, says Alison Silcoff, president of Alison Silcoff Events, Inc. in Montreal.
Assuming you have picked the right spot for your holiday festivities, Silcoff offers these party-planning tips:
> Define your budget
As a financial services professional, you understand the importance of planning. A well-defined budget will allow you to identify the areas in which you want to spend your money.
Do you want to hire a professional decorator? Should you have live entertainment or a DJ? A budget helps you choose the appropriate ingredients without breaking the bank, Silcoff says.
> Think about logistics
One of the hallmarks of a well-run event is ensuring everyone can move around the room easily and find food, drinks or even a quiet space to talk.
“You don’t want a bottleneck situation,” Silcoff says, “in which people arrive and are queuing up for 20 minutes for parking, food or drinks.”
A growing trend in holiday parties is a cocktail-style party, Silcoff says, instead of old-fashioned sit-down dinners. Consider serving canapés and small plates so that everyone can move around the room and socialize. Another benefit, from the guest’s point of view, Silcoff says: “You aren’t stuck sitting with the same person the entire night.”
> Get creative and have some fun
A creative theme, Silcoff says, will make your party stand out from the rest. Your theme could tie in with a particular genre of music or a historical era, for example.
Don’t let all the planning spoil your fun. Feel free to enjoy yourself — but be mindful not to overindulge in alcohol. Remember that you are a professional — even at a party.
> Make your event inclusive, not exclusive
The holidays are also a time to be aware of cultural sensitivities, Silcoff says.
She recommends that your event be non-religious and not geared specifically to Christmas or Hanukkah, unless everyone in your group is of the same cultural background.
“You might have a Christmas tree,” Silcoff says, “but you wouldn’t have a nativity scene.”
> Use social media
Silcoff recommends that you set up a Facebook group or Twitter hashtag for the event.
Encourage guests to tweet about what is taking place and to include photos (all the more reason to behave professionally!) Social networks can serve as a central hub where attendees can go after the party to check out photographs from the event.