11 Christmas party must-do's

It’s only September but Christmas is looming and if you haven’t yet organised your corporate Christmas event in Melbourne then now’s the time to get cracking. The problem with leaving it too late is lack of venue space and booked up corporate caterers in Melbourne’s CBD. Brisk still have a few spaces left to help cater Christmas events, whether they’re lunches or evening cocktail parties.

So what do you need to think about when organising your Christmas party for staff? Here are Brisk’s top party planning tips:

1. Numbers, first things first, what are your numbers? You can’t plan a party without knowing how many people you’re going to expect – you need an idea of guest numbers before arranging the venue.
2. If you’re not planning to hold your Christmas party in your Melbourne offices then you need to find the right venue to fit the number of people and the type of party you’re planning.
3. Think about accessibility too, some clients wont’ want to travel too far unless you organise transport or accommodation. You don’t want a great venue in a place that is impossible to get to and from – no one will turn up.
4. Your catering is key, possibly more important than venue because if you have a fantastic venue but terrible food, your party will be remembered simply for nothing good to eat. If you have an average venue but the food is amazing then you will be remembered for a fantastic party. Remember, you can always dress up an average venue so it looks incredible. You can dress food up too but if it doesn’t taste good, it just won’t cut the mustard! To guarantee a sublime spread of food, you’re well advised to choose Brisk, we make almost everything fresh in our kitchens and deliver to you direct so you don’t need to worry about your catering plus we have some incredible ideas for Christmas parties.
5. Choose your canapes wisely or your guests will just fill up on booze which could make your Christmas party more than raucous. Try The Brisk sumptuous canape selection of Arancini, Be Banh Mi, Be Cuon, Beef Skewers, Brioche Sliders, Calamari Skewers, Mini Gourmet Pies, Meatballs and Frittata to name a few of our goodies that people can’t get enough of!
6. Of course, on the subject of drinks, you do need to have alcohol so make sure there’s a supply of different types, cocktails, spirits, wine etc. and have plenty of soft drinks too. Allow for three or four alcoholic beverages per person (some people won’t drink alcohol at all).
7. Take into account value for money. If your guests are paying for their ticket, think about whether or not you’d be happy to pay the amount set for the party?
8. Charity – if you’re not charging for a ticket, consider a nominal charge to go to charity. People are happier to spend their money on a ticket if they feel the money is going to a worthy cause rather than other people’s pockets!
9. Think about the timing. Don’t end it too late if there’s work in the morning, better to start it earlier. Finish on a high, so don’t drag it out to the last moment. Better to finish at 11.30pm on a weeknight with everyone there than 12.30am and there’s only a smattering of people left.
10. Choose great entertainment, bad entertainment is always embarrassing. However, if you don’t have the budget, then skip it and just get some good music playing in the background.
11. Give guests notice, there’s no reason why you can’t send out a save the date in October – after all, most Christmas events start in early December. This gives guests to make arrangements such as childcare etc.