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Holiday tips for throwing the perfect office holiday party
Holiday tips for throwing the perfect office holiday party

RISMEDIA, November 30, 2006?GameWorks the high-tech entertainment, restaurant and bar experience that hosts over 1,500 holiday parties for companies across the United States each year, has offered the following tips to insure your holiday party is memorable for every guest that attends.

Holiday Party Tip #1: Save Money by Booking Multi-Functional Venues

Choose a venue that has most of what you need on site as opposed to paying additionally for services that need to be brought into a venue. For example, choosing a restaurant or bar that already has big screen televisions installed will save your company money if you are planning a video montage or presentation – you won’t need to rent the items and can put the money you save into something else.

Holiday Party Tip #2: When It Comes to Food & Drinks, Make It Fun!

Elaborate sit-down dinners do have appeal if your event is primarily based around the dinner. But if your company is looking for a more casual and fun approach, discuss these fun, interactive alternatives with the venue you book:

-Martini-Making: Your guests visit the bar and stir up their very own martini, choosing their glass, their liquor and their garnish.

-Passed H’orderves, Celebrity-Style: Instead of having regular service staff pass around the h’orderves, ask your venue to hire celebrity impersonators to feed them. Imagine getting a Thai Roll from Marilyn Monroe, or a mini-cheesecake from Elvis. Regardless of who you choose, it makes for a great conversation and photo opportunity- and still gets the work done.

-The Ultimate Scavenger Hunt: Up the ante on these Christmas bonuses. Prior to the event, hide numbered envelopes under tables, throughout your buffet and give one to each employee as they arrive. Each envelope has a number. Guests may trade, switch and collect them throughout the party. At then end, bring out a board with all the numbers, pre-determined with a gift card, cash from $1 and up, and have one big prize like a big screen television as the grand prize for one individual number. This insures everyone leaves with something, and no one feeling left out when bonuses and gifts are awarded.

Holiday Tip #3: Letting your employees invite a family member makes the party more appealing- and inviting.

Everyone has photos of their family on their desk because they are proud of their accomplishments. If you are looking for a different approach to a holiday party, booking a facility such as GameWorks and allowing your employees to bring a family guest makes the party even more appealing. These types of venues have a family-friendly environment with built-in entertainment, but you can still add on the food and bar offerings. If work-life balance is a company focus, then this is a great way to go. Nadine Archbold, who works in Human Resources for Citigroup in Tampa, Florida, has booked GameWorks for their 500-person holiday office party for the past four years. “It is always a pleasure having an event at GameWorks, because it is a venue that is appropriate for the whole family.”

Holiday Tip #4: Make your CEO, COO or Senior Vice-Presidents touchable- and human.

Involving the top executives in your company is important. Employees feel more connected when they can interact with someone they may get very little face time with. At GameWorks, CEO’s are often seen racing employees in the Indy 500 zone during their holiday party. After a string of brackets, the CEO invites the winner to lunch in the Executive dining room.

Holiday Party Tip #5: Extend the Holiday, Extend Your Party Budget

Consider moving your Holiday Party to January or February. Venues have far less demand and this allows the venue to be more flexible. You may even get lower pricing. Plus, during the middle of winter, people will welcome a chance to celebrate. If your business is one whose peak activity period occurs in December, moving your holiday party out of December lifts the burden of yet another commitment during the busiest time of the year.

Utilizing these tips can change the dynamic of your office holiday party. With a little creativity, and a lot of fun, employees will be looking forward to next year’s party before the New Year even begins.

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