Those 15-year-old holiday decorations in your company storage that you bring out every season. The employee who shows up and plays his favorite “Christmas mix” on his MP3 player to everyone standing around the punch bowl. Let’s not forget the employee who is so bad at Karaoke, but won’t give up the stage. All signs that it’s time for a holiday party makeover! Thankfully, Bright Ideas has your holiday party reboot covered! We turn same-old, same-old’ boring corporate holiday parties into the kinds of events employees will remember for the entire year!
Here are some of our top “Bright Ideas” for this year’s holiday event:
Charity is big. Parties that give back are even bigger.
Choosing to incorporate charity into your company Christmas party creates good karma and a sense of harmony throughout your party. Many companies have always incorporated charity into their holiday parties. Some of the most popular options include donations to toy drives, food drives, and winter clothing drives. Team-building games such as building bikes together and donating the finished products to a charity, or a team challenge to see who can produce the most pocket change for a charity can boost spirits, increase team skills and communications, and improve morale and productivity. Employees benefit through experiencing a sense of accomplishment in working as a group to complete a challenging task and learning ways to improve communication skills.
Main acts are out – smaller entertainment and social activities are in.
Gone are the days of the “main event,” unless, of course, the main event is a speech by the President or CEO of the company (those days are still very much alive). Smaller acts can make a space seem more vibrant and performances seem more intimate and inviting. Where there used to be one big performance, forward thinking companies now request smaller, wandering “acts,” or interactive games and events for guests to enjoy. Popular entertainment choices include a caricaturist, a solo actor dressed as a roving buffet table, or a Social Media Photo Booth.
Food stations are hot…and cold.
Just as interaction is crucial to the party’s entertainment factor, it’s important for the food and catering factor as well. Hot and cold food stations, chef-carving stations, and design-your-own stations are very popular this year. Gone are the days of a buffet dinner, after dinner show, and dance. Participation is really the name of the game and food stations continue to top the Holiday Parties Most Wanted list. We live in the age of customization, after all, and this concept really fits the bill!
Around the world cuisine remains a go-to for many corporate events.
International cuisine is all the rage and the holidays are no different. Of course, many organizations prefer to go the traditional route, serving ham or turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, etc. Some press on – incorporating exotic twists on holiday classics. Still others opt to go global, utilizing Moroccan, Mexican, Mediterranean, Brazilian or Japanese-inspired themes and their accompanying dishes. It’s a fantastic way to make a holiday party stand out from the numerous other holiday parties that dominate guests’ social calendars during this season of merriment.
The holiday party is a corporate tradition for a good reason. It’s the perfect time of year to look back and celebrate successes, unwind, and build camaraderie for the year ahead. But just because it’s a tradition, doesn’t mean you have to stick with the traditional. Contact Bright Ideas and let us inspire you with innovative holiday event ideas!
-You might also enjoy:
4 “Bright Ideas” for Corporate Event Christmas Themes
