With the holidays upon us and Christmas little more than a week away, most people have probably attended a company holiday party (or will in the next week) this year. While an office party can be a great way for the company to boost morale and say thank you to their staff, often times those good intentions fall short leaving employees obligated to attend another boring company event. Some businesses notice lack of attendance or shortened stay times by staff. Others notice that morale doesn’t seem to change at all post-event. With the intention of an office party being such a positive one, businesses are finding themselves looking for new ways to give their employees more than another stale office party.
I’ve played several corporate events in the span of my DJ career, and have seen the full spectrum of company parties from those that go all out to those that barely show up. Budget aside, I’ve compiled a few simple trends that seem to add life to the average company party. Hopefully they’ll give you some ideas to add some zest to your next company event.
- Location, Location, Location! You’ve heard the phrase and it applies to more than just Real Estate. What’s more fun than an office party at the office? An office party somewhere OTHER THAN the office! Some companies have the budget to rent out an event venue. Others set up an employee “field trip” or employee day at a set location. (Office Top Golf Trip!) Either way, leaving the office instantly adds an elevated level of excitement. I even played a company holiday party recently that was held at the owner’s house! There’s so many options of ways to take your party off site. Try it for an instant event up-level.
- Theme It Up! Another fun way to add an extra level of fun to your office party is to choose a theme. (Ugly Sweater Party, Great Gatsby Party, Company Luau Party, Ho Ho Ho Down, etc) While this sounds a little silly, asking people to dress in a way that they wouldn’t usually while attending the event adds an additional level of excitement and fun. A theme can be a fun way to increase participation, increase morale, and just generally jazz things up.
- Want To Play A Game? A trend I’ve seen a lot this year includes game play to bring employees together in a way that exceeds the standard office party gossip. For holiday parties, some companies do this in the form of a white elephant gift exchange. A friend’s company did a Karaoke competition (with prizes for the winners), I’ve seen dance competitions, employee cook-off competitions, lip synch battles, scavenger hunts, and more. The great thing about company party games is that there is really no limit to what you can come up with and get people to do.
- Add Live Music! Add a cherry on top with an event DJ or live band! While someone hooking up their Spotify account to a blue tooth speaker gets the job done, nothing adds up level like your party having it’s own band or DJ. A professional that’s dedicated to the music allows the staff to all be present to enjoy the party and your company to get a customized performance tailored specifically for your event. I’ve played company parties with live musicians (violinist, percussionist, etc) as well as company parties where I was the main event. In all of these cases, having live music to help direct the flow of energy and set the vibe turned the average office party into a PARTY!
Use these tips together or choose one or two to help spice things up. And, of course, all tips can be modified to adjust to any sized budget.
Bonus Pro-Tip: BOOK YOUR ENTERTAINMENT AS SOON AS YOU BOOK YOUR VENUE!!! Don’t find yourself in the last minute scramble of trying to find anyone who’s available instead of someone who’s good and qualified. Not all DJs and bands are created equal, and by waiting until the last minute to book, you run the risk all of the good ones being gone. On that note, if you’re looking for some extra tips to help you find the best DJ, Band, Caterer, Photographer, or any other vendor for your upcoming event, check out A Guide To Find The Best DJ In Tampa (or any other city).
Happy Eventing,
