Don’t Forget an Event Planning Checklist Before you Throw – or Attend – your Next Party

Pull out your event planning checklist, the holidays are finally here!

Many of us will be invited to or holding an annual work party. Whether you’re the guest or the host, holiday parties are meant to celebrate a year of achievements and successes. Of course, they can also be a lot of fun! What’s not to love about an all-expense paid evening with food and drinks? Or spoiling those who support you day in, day out? Aside from these work perks, holiday parties can be a great opportunity to network with fellow employees in a non-work environment and create a sense of community. They can also provide useful career benefits if you’re paying attention. How you ask?

Networking with Other Departments – they are a great way to connect with colleagues you otherwise may not have had a chance to meet in other areas within the company. This is your opportunity to share your talent and personality with those you don’t work with directly. You may even want to put together an event planning checklist so you don’t forget to meet or speak to someone important.

Get to Know the Boss Better – a company party is a place to get to know your direct report on a more personal level.

Meet with Company Executives – holiday parties offer a chance to meet with upper management, whom you may not see regularly. Remember – you have a brand to market (your own) and this could help you learn about new opportunities or help you land that promotion you’ve always wanted. Just like selling a product, you need to sell yourself by highlighting your talents and commitment to the company. You may just be in “the right place at the right time.”

Strengthen Relationships with Co-Workers – company parties provide a chance to socialize with colleagues and learn more about their lives outside of work. This can also help strengthen relationships with employees you don’t necessarily “click” with naturally.

Expand Business Understanding – office parties offer opportunities to learn more about the company and internal development strategies.

With holidays in full swing—try to take advantage of the many benefits but also remember to be wary of brand “wreck-ognition”. Each year statistics illustrate how having “one too many” at the workplace shindig can lead to infidelity, arrests, car accidents, and job loss—so let loose but keep things in moderation and remain professional.

If you’re responsible for throwing the party, an event planning checklist will help you keep things in order and ensure you don’t forget anything, or anyone. Venue can have a huge impact on how many people show up to your event so ask around. Find out what people would be interested in attending. Once you have this nailed down, you can work on your event planning checklist.

Be sure to include your guest list, RSVP’s, guests. Be mindful of dietary restrictions and allergies when it comes to food. Drinks are great but they can also be a liability so limited drink tickets or a cash bar are a good idea in a work environment. Think about what your guests would want. Outside of the usual, some special gifts or prizes are also a nice touch. Last but not least, don’t forget to bring a camera. You want to capture the highlights of the evening and ensure your guests have a good memory for years to come. This is especially important for team building in addition to employee relations.

An Event Planning Checklist for our very own Special Party

We know how important it is to show our OWN team the appreciation they deserve. And what better way to thank our roster of dynamic events staff than by throwing  a special holiday party? This year, we organized our 10th annual holiday bash at non-other than Toronto’s most popular Irish Pub – Grace O’Malley’s. Our event planning checklist was complete with a guest list, food, drinks and prizes! Our team rocked out to live music while enjoying refreshments and an assortment of appetizers.  The night was quite a hit – especially our raffle tickets!

Congratulations again to Artmiz who won $15 Starbucks card, Paulina for the $25 LCBO gift card and Vince for the $50 Keg gift certificate. We hope everyone had a blast because we sure did!

Tigris was founded in April 2004 so this year marked our 10th annual holiday bash – and as we head into the new year, our 10th milestone year in business. You can better believe we already have our event planning checklist out for that celebratory party, coming next summer!