by Olha Romaniuk

Created on: December 18, 2011   Last Updated: December 22, 2011

A well-executed office Christmas party requires a lot of advance preparation and planning. It is for this very reason that many people feel like it is not worth all of the effort to organize a holiday party at the office. There are too many people with different personalities to please, there is too much work involved that can cut into one's actual work time, and there are way too many options on how to approach the party-planning aspect of it all. It is for these very reasons that, even though planned in advance, some holiday office parties fail to amaze or even mildly amuse its attendants. It is for these very reasons that a lot of employees feel like they are being forced to attend rather than wanting to attend their office's holiday parties.

But it does not have to be this way. With careful planning and determination of what the ingredients for success might be, it is possible to organize and execute a great office Christmas party, without having to order any fancy ice sculptures or having to spend days and days in non-stop preparation.

The number one tip for a successful holiday party is to figure out the key component, a theme, a setting, type of food, that will appeal to the most number of people attending this party. If a company is corporate, or laid-back, or fun-loving, it is worthwhile to not deviate from the main gist of the corporate culture setting and theme the party accordingly. For example, if a company is very corporate, it is probably not the best idea to rent out a rowdy bar as a locale for the party. If a company is hip and laid-back, the party cannot require a dress code of suit and ties, as it will dissuade a lot of people from attending.

It is important to think about various employee's dietary needs and be able to include the basic food groups on that catered table that will ensure that no one is walking around hungry. Having a variety of dishes (vegetarian, kosher, healthy options) is important to make everyone feel included in the festivities. If a budget is strict, there is still a way of having a variety of food by asking the employees to contribute one small dish of their choice to the overall holiday meal palette. This can keep everyone involved in the party planning process and can ensure that each dish brought will appeal to at least one person.

Drinks should always be served in moderation. It is nice to have a drink or two and loosen up a bit at the party, but having an overabundant flow of alcohol can be a recipe for disaster.

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