If you have been charged with the responsibility of putting on your company’s next corporate event, you will no doubt be hoping that you can throw the bash of the century and one which will be remembered for a long time. In order to do this, you have to get the basics right, before you start looking at something special to add to the party. I spoke with my good friend David Gordon Fried who used to regularly host parties for his invest broker friends, about what the basics are which you simply have to get right.
Location
The first aspect which you need to think about is the location of your event. The location which you choose should be relatively central for your guests and it should be of the capacity which you are looking for. Once you know how many guests you will be inviting, you can start searching for the perfect venue. Try to think about extras that you want the location to have, does it need a stage? An outdoor area? Hotel rooms? These are the considerations which you need to make before you settle on one location.
Music
The importance of the music for your party must not be overlooked, this is what will keep the party going through the night. Try to avoid simply putting a playlist on the stereo, this does not do much for your credibility. Instead why not look at hiring a DJ or a live band for later in the evening, this will prove to be a focal point of your party as well as providing great music.
Food
All great corporate events should have great food to accompany them, and there are lots of options ahead of you here. My recommendation would be that you don’t have a sit down dinner, this can be clumsy and it involves lots of waiters and waitresses buzzing around the whole night. The best course of action is to do a buffet or, if your budget can afford, have chefs on each abel preparing the food in front of the guests. In terms of what food to eat, the order of the day should be simple yet tasty.
Events
Every party needs and event to set it off, perhaps an auction, a comedian or anything else which you think will fit the bill. Try to stay away from any games as this generally doesn’t go down very well, given that you need everyone to buy in to what is happening. The best events have a stand out moment and whatever you choose will be the thing that people are likely to remember most.
Most importantly, make sure that you delegate plenty of tasks when planning the party, and make sure that you do your best to relax on the evening. Your job is to plan the party, not run the whole evening.
