If you are organising a Christmas party whether it’s a private function or a work event there are just two things you want: everyone to have a good time and for you to have minimum stress and fuss (and maybe that no one gets too frisky under the mistletoe after one too many egg nogs). Here’s my six tip top tippity tips to help you achieve these goals.
- Don’t go cheap
This might be obvious but you shouldn’t go for the cheapest supplier, as the saying goes – pay peanuts, get monkeys – but that doesn’t mean you should go for the most expensive option either. It might take a bit more research but with a little extra work you’ll be able to find a premium quality supplier for an affordable price.
- Do your research
As mentioned above it’s important to do a little research into your suppliers if you want to get maximum bang for your buck (or quality for your quid). The most important thing to look at is online reviews, not just on their website as they could be cherry-picked or just outright faked! Look on their Facebook page and on Google where the reviews are genuine and unbiased. If they’ve got anything less than four stars, or if they’ve only got a handful of reviews across the whole internet, then that should set alarm bells ringing. Also see if you can find videos and photos of them actually performing to real people.
- Prioritise
It’s tempting to add every single bell and whistle to your party to try and make it special but too many things going on can divide people up rather than bringing them together, it can ruin the flow of the party if they’re constantly having to stop for the next thing that’s happening plus the more things there are the more there is to possibly go wrong. People are generally pretty simple, they want something to eat, something to drink, some music and just one or maybe two big memorable talking points that will break the ice and set the party apart from every other party they’ve been to.
- Ice breaker
There are a few different options to break the ice such as a fire eater or juggler as people are arriving, a mingling caricaturist or even a bit of stand-up comedy all of which are good options. I’m obviously not biased at all (honest!) but I genuinely think it’s hard to beat an entertaining magician, the emphasis however is on ‘entertaining’. There are plenty of magicians who are good at doing amazing tricks but bad at actually engaging with people and making them enjoy the performance. If you are thinking of hiring a magician (and if you’re reading this I’m guessing you are) it’s a good idea to have a face-to-face chat even if it’s just over web cam. That way you’ll be able to see a couple of routines and get an idea of their personality and how well they’ll be received by your party goers.
- Music
As Madonna said in that weird video with Ali G: music makes the people come together (am I showing my age? Google it if you’re too young to remember). There are three main options – DJ, singer or band. With a DJ it’s tempting to just get anyone, all they’ve got to do is play some music right? But a good DJ isn’t just Spotify with a face they are entertainers who interact with the crowd, gauge how they are reacting and play the right music to get the most out of the party. A singer or a band are both great but will probably just do one set of 60 minutes or two sets of 45 minutes which means you’ll still need a DJ while they’re not performing. It’s hard to beat the impact of live music though so I’d definitely recommend it and if you can get a full band who are experienced in events similar to yours and are well reviewed then you’ll be on to a winner.
- Venue
This aspect of the party is pretty straight forward – make sure they’ve got a well-staffed bar, enough waiting staff if you’re having food, and one big room which is big enough to fit everyone in but not so big that it’ll feel empty when everyone’s there. Be wary of anywhere with lots of separate medium-sized rooms as people may split up rather than all celebrating together.
Follow these six steps and you should be well on your way to throwing an amazing Christmas party. Can you think of any other tips for Christmas party organisers? Do you disagree with my advice? Let me know in the comments and as always please like and share. Finally, as I learned at a recent party for students: dance like no one is watching… because they’re not, they’re looking at their phones!
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