The truth is, very few party-goers look forward to corporate holiday parties in New York City or anywhere else. Corporate holiday parties are often stuffy affairs where co-workers are forced to socialize with one another while spending most of the time checking their watches and eyeing the open bar. Want to make a real impression on your employees at this year’s holiday party? Here are 5 tips for hosting a fun, exciting and truly over-the-top holiday party.
Surprise Your Employees With an Exciting Location
New York is full of event spaces and attractions that will make much more of an impact on your holiday party than bringing a caterer into the conference room. Whether you choose a historic venue like Guastavino’s or 583 Park Avenue, or a more out-of-the-way, exotic locale, your employees will relish the opportunity to get out of the office and try something new.
One idea that many party planners love is to keep the location a secret until the moment the event begins. Allow your employees to believe that they are just attending another drab office party before loading them into shuttles and bringing them to your special venue. Just be sure to be conscious of everyone’s transportation options and make sure you provide a way for them to get home safely at the end of the night.
Share an Exotic Taste
New York is full of celebrity chefs, trendy treats and unexpected culinary adventures. Turn your holiday office party into a tasting for your employees to enjoy a bit of what the city has to offer. A few great options are:
- Bring in a well-known chef to provide a variety of small plates to try
- Hire local food trucks for a more “down-to-earth” culinary tasting
- Host a beer or wine tasting
- Treat your employees to a cooking class (sushi and desserts work best)
Make an Employee’s (Or All Of Your Employees’) Dream Come True
Does your organization have an employee who has been going through a particularly hard time recently? Is there someone who is always going out of their way to help others around the office? Is there a team member who everyone just seems to love, who dreams of taking a trip to Hawaii?
As part of your holiday party celebration, make that person’s dream come true. It could be something fun like a trip or functional like a scholarship. Whatever it is, use your holiday party as an opportunity to show them how much the team appreciates them and congratulate them with a holiday gift that goes beyond their wildest dreams.
Invite The Kids, But Keep Them Busy
There is plenty of debate among party planning professionals about whether or not corporate holiday parties should be kid-friendly events. On one hand, employees should be able to take a night away from the kids to party and relax. On the other hand, many employees would love the opportunity to share an over-the-top holiday party with their families.
The solution? Invite the kids, but give them an area to themselves (not too far from their parents) and keep them busy. Hire a crew to keep them entertained with activities, art projects or even something as simple as a movie. Offer them a kid-friendly menu and goodie bags or small gifts to take home. Truly impressing an employee’s children is a great way to make them feel great about your corporate event.
Spring For Big Name Entertainment
Want to really make your employees say, “wow!”? Bring in a big name comedian, musician or even magician to entertain at your corporate holiday party. New York is full of celebrity entertainers that would be happy to work a local event. You may even surprise yourself with who you find to play at your party. Not only will you be able to impress and entertain your team, you will also be pleasantly surprised with how far word of their appearance will spread beyond your organization via employee social media, the entertainer’s own social media and possibly even coverage by local and national press.
Would you like more details about hosting a Corporate Gala or Holiday Party in New York at 583 Park Avenue? CONTACT US today to find out what makes 583 Park Avenue the best event space on the upper east side. One of our event coordinators will be in touch with you shortly.