It is that time of the year when companies try to outdo each other in organising the best Christmas party – the one that makes it into the social pages of your favourite newspaper. As mundane as the task sounds, there is much planning that should occur beforehand to ensure a successful event.

Galia Kerbel of Greater Than public relations agency outlined the objectives of hosting a corporate Christmas party as follows: To reward workers for their hard work and loyalty; interact with staff on a more informal basis and in a fun environment; and to further strengthen relationships.

There are a number of things that go into preparing for what is traditionally the most anticipated company event of the year. It is the only time, perhaps, that ordinary employees really get to hobnob with members of the well-heeled club in the company.

According to Kerbel, the starting point is getting to know the number of people on your guest list.

When this is established, it is then important to go ahead determining your budget, bearing in mind what you can and cannot do for the quantity of people for whom you are planning.

Finally, decide on an appropriate date and time that suits both the management and the guests.

Incidentally, Christmas parties do not necessarily need to adopt a theme.

Though a theme is fun, Kerbel cautions that it must be done properly. If not executed well, the theme may be perceived as being cheesy.

“If you have a limited budget, it may be best to incorporate some fun interactive ideas and not have a theme. Fun and humorous awards for staff always work well for end-of-year parties,“ she says.

When it comes to budgeting for the company Christmas party, Kerbel puts the estimates at roughly R400 per person as a minimum amount to set aside for this occasion. But she stresses that this is not always realistic, and advises firms to rather start off with the type of budget available for this purpose, then work backward.

A good atmosphere, great music and fun-spirited people make for a good company Christmas party. “And, of course, good food and drinks,” adds Kerbel.

Depending on the size of your organisation, the task of arranging a Christmas party can be entrusted to a capable person in-house. In this, it is advisable to ensure the brief is very detailed and that the planner understands what he/she ultimately needs to deliver on.

“Planning and meticulous attention to detail is of utmost importance to ensure the success of your event. One small oversight could ruin the whole thing,” says Kerbel.

“For example, always devise a back-up plan for bad weather if your venue is outdoors.”

Catering could be a thorny issue where you have a diverse work environment, with people belonging to different religions. It is advisable, therefore, to ask guests to RSVP their dietary requirements, and ensure there are vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Kerbel says affordability is always a key factor in deciding choice of venue. “If you don’t have a large budget, you need to find a good, cost-effective, workable space that will accommodate the number of guests attending your function.

“Remember, you still have to allocate budget for catering, beverages, hiring of crockery, cutlery, entertainment, décor, gifting etc.,” she explains.

Another potential for conflict of interest could arise from the choice of entertainment preferred. Kerbel advises companies to forego what has been done before, and conduct your own research to find an entertaining and fun solution.

Employers often turn a Christmas party into an award-giving ceremony by rewarding deserving employees.

In as much as this is not a bad idea, it is not a good one either, as deserving employees need to be acknowledged on the spot, not to procrastinate until Christmas. What if something happens before then?

Consumption of alcoholic beverages and the control thereof is a tricky aspect of such functions. Do you deploy a morality police to curb overindulgence?

One way out of this sticky situation is to close the bar at a certain hour and restrict the alcohol to beers and wine.

Otherwise, free-flowing alcohol has a habit of making morons out of ordinarily decent employees.

Employers should always use this occasion as a marketing exercise to its employees and guests. Their return on investment is in the form of goodwill and motivation generated.

There should be no limit in as far as interaction between staff is concerned. There should be as much of it as possible.

The idea, says Kerbel, is to have fun – the more fun guests have, the more memorable your event.

Etiquette in the form of dress code depends on company culture, nature of the event and whether you have a theme. If a dress code is desirable, it is very important that this requirement is communicated in the event invitation.

By extension, enforcing a code of conduct to ensure no one crosses the boundaries of decency depends on company culture. If it is more corporate, guests need to understand the guidelines before the event.

Kerbel insists that gauging the success of your end-of-year party is easy enough. Ask the following questions: Did everything go according to plan? Did your guests have fun? Did they talk positively about the function the next day? Did they thank the organisers? If you answered in the affirmative to all these, then your function made the grade.

Most importantly, there is a need to differentiate your party from preceding ones or, indeed, that of your competitors. This is achieved by:

• planning surprises at different times during the event i.e. do not give everything
  away beforehand;
• arranging exciting entertainment that will appeal to all and sundry;
• ensuring the food is easy to consume, plentiful and delicious; and
• giving guests something tangible to take home as a reminder of the occasion.

The last thing is to know when to stop, says Kerbel. A company Christmas party cannot continue into the early hours of the morning!

David Mwanambuyu