A good office party does wonders for employee morale, and it sets a tone for the kind of environment everyone works in. no one wants a dull 9 to 5 every day with nothing to switch up the routine. An office party is an excuse to add some fun in the workplace to keep employees happy and safe from burn out.
If you play your cards right and plan efficiently, you can turn an office party into an incredible bonding event for the employees. Let’s face it – no one really gets to know each other at work. Everyone’s just hunched over their computers, doing their tasks, and hoping for the work day to end. No one’s really in the mood to chit chat.
But a party is the ultimate opportunity to be social. It’s potentially an ice breaking exercise that allows people to mingle and talk, and hopefully become friends.
And here’s an added bonus – the more fun you have in the workplace, the more people will want to join your company, so you’ll be attracting the best of the best.
So, ready to throw your best office party ever? Well, read on to find out how to plan and prepare.
1. Stick to the budget
All office parties have a budget, and it’s important that you stick to it so that you don’t face any problems later on. Plus, the added benefit of a budget is that it gives you an idea of what you can and can’t do at your party. This is good because it narrows down the list of ideas that you might have.
A good way to make sure you don’t go over budget is to keep a written record of everything. Be organized, and have an estimate of exactly what you want to spend on each item. If you’re getting cake, write down exactly how expensive it can be. And then stick to it.
2. Send out invites
The most ideal way to create hype around your office party is to send out a memo or a mass email announcing it. As boring as that sounds, it doesn’t have to be that way. Your party announcement should be big and flashy, and should get people excited.
Add colorful graphics and big, bold letters. Tell people everything that you’re going to have at your party – drinks, games, food, dancing, you name it.
Now you might think getting a fancy invite made would be expensive. After all, you do have a limited budget. Well, you’re in luck. PosterMyWall has tons of party flyer templates and a flyer maker that you can use to customize your flyer design to your heart’s content. It’s easy, takes no time at all, and is actually pretty fun to make.
Related: How a loan officer and social worker uses PosterMyWall to promote her events
We also have plenty of templates for themed office parties. For instance, you’ll find trivia night flyers for when you want to get your coworkers together and play some games.
You should also print out the flyers you create and put them up around the office for some added excitement.
3. Order food and drinks beforehand
One marker of a good office party is how well you’re able to handle the food and drinks. Parties can quickly go south if people run out of both. After all, you need energy to have a good party and that energy comes from food.
So make a list of how much food and how many drinks you’re going to need based on the number of people in your office. You don’t have to have a ton of food options. Most people will be perfectly happy with just pizza. Your main focus should be on the quantity instead.
You can order drinks online beforehand at Drizly. They have a good range of drink options you can choose from so go crazy. Just make sure there’s enough for everyone.
4. Pick a theme and play games
As a party planner, you have to put in some effort to make your party memorable. Doing the bare minimum is okay, but why not go above and beyond to give your coworkers an event that they’ll remember for a long time?
Give your party a theme that your coworkers can look forward to. A fun idea would be a costume party where you ask people to dress up as each other. Or if you want to make it fancy, you should host an 80s or 90s themed party. Or something classic like the Great Gatsby. The options are endless. Keep your coworkers in the loop by getting them to vote on the option that they want to go with.
Once you have your theme, come up with some exciting games to go with it. We would suggest that you play games that allow people to bond and get to know each other better. Keep them interactive so that everyone can participate. Do a small gift exchange or a drinking game that everyone can enjoy.
People also love board games and they’re a great way for coworkers to interact and have fun. Here are some board games you can choose from:
- Twister
- Monopoly
- Survive: Escape from Atlantis
- Catan
- Risk
- Coup
- Azul
- Qwirkle
- Dixit
- Scrabble
5. Create a fire playlist
Bad music can instantly put a damper on an otherwise great party. A good playlist gives people something they can dance to and enjoy. That’s what your goal should be with your playlist.
Spend some time creating your ideal playlist based on your theme and the vibe of the office. If you can make it a part of your budget, feel free to get a DJ, although that might be a little costly.
But worry not! Anyone can make a great playlist for a party. If you have Spotify, make a Spotify playlist that you can then play on shuffle on some speakers. It’s very easy and it’ll help your coworkers blow off steam and have a good time.
6. Decorations are a must
Most office parties have to happen in the office. And it’s difficult for people sometimes to let loose in the same place they have to act super professional every single day. So as a party planner, it’s your job to turn your workplace into a place fit for a party.
Apart from themed decorations that you should also get, some staples that all office parties must have are fairy lights, streamers, a banner, and confetti. The goal is to make it as festive as possible.
Final Thoughts
These are just some of the things you need to do to throw your ideal office party. Make sure your guests have a good time and are able to blow off some steam in a relaxed and fun environment. These strategies ensure that your planning is organized and that you leave no stone unturned in your mission to throw the best party ever.
New to PosterMyWall? Create exciting office party invites with PosterMyWall’s party templates and design tools.
Content creator at PosterMyWall.
