Corporate Events Guides

Christmas parties are usually the time where employees can let loose and get into the spirit of the holidays. Something that dampens their spirit is a long, boring program, especially when it gets in the way of merrymaking. The secret? Keep it short, sweet, and entertaining. Here’s how:

Start on time. Shock everyone by not following “Filipino time” and actually starting on time. Give a shout out to everyone attending that the party will be starting in a few minutes, either via text or email blast, and actually start on time. It doesn’t matter how many people are there, what matters is that you stick to your word, so that you can start and end on time.

Have two entertaining hosts. There’s sure to be a couple of outgoing, witty employees in your company that can get to host the party. It’s better to get two hosts instead of just one, because getting one might result in a lot of dead air, in the chance that the employees might not be in the mood to participate. When you have two hosts, they can keep the conversation flowing for sure, and the stress won’t be on just one person.

Have only one person give the opening remarks. If possible, there shouldn’t be any opening remarks at all! Any casual party usually just starts because people start mingling. But if having opening remarks is a must, ask the boss to keep it down to a minimum—two minutes or less will be great.

Shock and awe them. Fastest way to get everyone in a partying spirit is to start the party with a bang! A dance number from the employees is always entertaining, but what’s more shocking and memorable is getting a guest appearance of a celebrity to suddenly pop out in your party! Take it up a notch by letting the employees join in on the performance.

Feed while entertaining them. Keeping your employees’ attention will be hard to do if they’re hungry. While it’s not necessarily considered to be good manners to eat while someone is speaking on stage, it’s a casual party, after all, so make it your own.

Make it a recognition day of sorts. Employees love being appreciated for their hard work, especially when that appreciation comes with more than just a certificate. Think about pairing that certificate with a prize, either in cash or in kind. Cash is a bigger crowd pleaser, but if it has to be in kind, think along the lines of useful things around the house, like coffee makers, plates, rice cookers, or a flat screen television screen!

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