With Halloween behind us and the chill firmly in the air, people are starting to turn their minds to the upcoming holiday season. Unfortunately, if you’re the one planning your corporate holiday party this year, you’re already off to quite a late start! Other companies will have been booking and planning for months already, and you may find it a challenge to get everything organized on such a time crunch.
But don’t panic! It can be done, even if it will be difficult! We’re partying planning pros at Pop Events, and we’ve put together a list of tips for making your last-minute holiday party a success.
- Book Your Venue First
There’s no time to wait! Before you can even organize the music, catering and the decorations, make sure that you secure a venue first. One of the major problems of organizing the last minute event is that you’ll find that most venues or spaces have already been booked or rented. If you land one, the chances are high you’ll pay premiums.
This is where an event service (like Pop!) can help you out – because of their close relationship with different venues and their managers they’ll be the first to know about cancellations or other open spots that may come up.
- Don’t Skip the Entertainment
It may seem intimidating to try and secure entertainment so close to the holidays, but you don’t want to be hosting a dull affair! You can go the route of calling individuals from online ads or Craigslist, or make use of an event agency that has a large pool of entertainers that they can reach out to, saving you the trouble and time that you could spend making endless calls to individuals and bands. Whichever route you go, keep in mind that schedules around the holidays are tight for everyone, so you may not get your first or even your second choice of entertainer.
- Make Everything on Theme
A great way to tie an event together (and make sure it doesn’t look very last minute at all!) is to plan it with a theme in mind. Whether you’re planning a ‘Candyland’ styled party for kids or a winter wonderland for your grownup employees, coordinated entertainment, food, and décor makes you look professional and polished. It may be too late to order or buy everything you need, but if you partner with a good events company they will likely have themed decor in stock so you can rent everything you need for the party while organizing its set up and take down at the same time!
- Find Something Special to Stand Out
Once you’ve got a venue, theme, and entertainment lined up, it’s time to add something to give your event a “wow” factor that will keep guests talking about it long after it’s done! We’ve seen plenty of unique examples over the years, and keep a widely varied inventory of different rentals, games, and technology to make your event truly special. One of our newer favourites is a slow motion video booth, where guests can capture themselves jumping in their air, throwing confetti, or using one of our many fun props! Along with classic staples like our interactive candy cart and roaming entertainers, adding something special and different to your event is what will truly make it memorable.
Even if you’re not sure exactly what your event is missing, talking to a party planning professional can let you know what options are available to you so close to the holidays, and help guide your choices with what they have left in stock.
By following these four steps, you’ll be off to a great start planning your holiday event just in the nick of time! There is a lot more that goes into planning a party, so be sure to keep careful track of all the moving pieces leading up to the day – or even better yet, trust it in the hands of an event planning professional.
Pop Events is a FULL SERVICE Special Events Group that specializes in corporate events, kids parties, special & promotional events, and interactive rentals. We love to take your unique and imaginative ideas and transform it into a reality. For help with your last minute holiday parties and events, contact us at 416 665 3594.