Like all event planning projects, planning a company holiday party and projects around the office should focus on the attendees. Organizing annual office holiday soirées should be fun, memorable and bring everyone together for the special gift of bonding and making everlasting team-building memories to share into the New Year.

The Early Bird Plans the Best Company Holiday Party
Start your holiday planning in October – this will give your team enough time to think about all of the different ways each individual at your organization can be involved in the activities you plan, and give your team ample time to make reservations if needed, scout event locations, make checklists, buy decorations, and most importantly create holiday activities that everyone will enjoy – remember not everyone celebrates the holidays, so be sure to keep this in mind when planning.

Spice Up Your Menu
If your team decides on opting for an internal potluck food celebration, as opposed to enjoying a meal and party at a restaurant, add a twist to the menu and have everyone bring a dish that celebrates a different area from around the world. Countries from all over celebrate the holidays with special dishes, so why not enjoy all of these amazing traditions together with your co-workers? Researching ways other countries celebrate the holidays will be a fun project on its own!

Incorporate a Charitable Cause
The holiday season is not the only time of year organizations give back, but it is a wonderful time to be able to get together with your peers and choose an extra cause to support. Work together to find local charitable organizations in need of volunteers, food drives you can donate to, or families who have a wish list this season you can lend a hand to. Giving back is a great way to involve everyone from your organization, and be reminded of what’s really important this time of year.

White Elephant – No Brainer
Setting up a fun gift exchange is a no brainer for any company holiday party. Be sure to give everyone a price range, and advance notice on when the exchange will take place. Also note not everyone may understand how white elephant gift exchanges work, so go over the rules with your peers as well. The best parts of gift exchanges are seeing the fun, corky gifts your co-workers bring! Plus, finding out what you end up with at the end of the game – it can be good, bad or just funny!

Lights, Lights and More Lights!
A decoration contest is a fun way to build teamwork during the holidays. You can set up a decorating contest by department or team or within cubes or desks to see who has the most unique holiday cheer! Find ways to make your office look extra festive – you can even go as far as setting a theme for rooms in your office. One could be a “winter wonderland” and the other a “trail of lights.” Holiday décor is always a cheerful way to get everyone in a great mood, and brings the whole team together to do some creative decorating to brighten up your office environment!

Enjoy the Moment
Besides the time you spend leading up to the holidays as a team, be sure to create a fun moment together offsite. This can be a holiday party at an event venue with a DJ and food, or just a simple get together after work one day to exchange gifts. You can even volunteer together as a way to spend time offsite as a team, rather than collecting charitable goods in the office. There are so many ways to spend time together during the holiday season, but be sure to stop and enjoy the moments you have together.

In Conclusion

Always keep in mind everyone in the office when planning holiday activities, and know there are so many fun ideas to choose from to make this season enjoyable for everyone. Take photos to look back on, and for your social media sites! You will want to capture those great memories you make as a team! Have a great company holiday party!