Party Like Santa! Save Like Scrooge!

November 2008, Vancouver B.C.
By: Deborah Wallace, The Finer Details Event Planning

Just because the economy is shaky doesn’t mean you should scrap the whole idea and cancel the Christmas Party. Holiday events are to thank staff for a great year, let clients know you appreciate their business, and send a message to your stakeholders your business has many reasons to celebrate. But instead of being wildly extravagant, plan carefully to make your celebration a delight–with the emphasis on light!

DO be economical and budget conscious about…

• Gift Giving – A few substantial door prizes being raffled off during the event can replace expensive individual gifts, and keep the energy level high.

• Theme – Pick one splashy element, such as funky ice luge for the bar with your company logo, instead of endless balloons and themed swizzle sticks that will get tossed at the end of the night.

DON’T look cheap by cutting the wrong cost…

• Don’t cancel the band and hire your accountant’s brother’s nephew to play at the party (unless he’s really, really good).

• Don’t rent a cheap room in a cheap hotel. You still want your party to stand out in people’s mind, and a boring room is not the way to do that.

• Don’t assume that cocktail receptions are cheaper than a full meal, unless you just serve veggies and dip. Choose a menu that fits the budget and create an occasion.

Finally, remember that an event planner, such as The Finer Details can help to bring your event in on target and budget. A professional event manager’s fees are worked into the event budget, while staff wages and time are often an additional and omitted expense. So, rather than burdening your office staff with party decisions when they should be attending to customers, allow a professional to focus on the party.

For more tips on how to be frugal this holiday season, check out our website http://www.thefinerdetails.ca