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There are many great entertaining company holiday party ideas, even on tight budgets. Company holiday parties often unite office cultures and allow light representations of ideal cultures. Additionally, they provide opportunities for recognition and employees to interact with upper executives. As a business manager, boost your team’s morale with a high-quality company holiday party in an affordable manner. Read on to discover the best entertaining company holiday party ideas on a budget.
Hosting On-Site
Hosting company holiday parties onsite significantly reduces party costs, since you’re not renting a venue. Start your party before the workday ends to maximize employee enjoyment due to finishing early. However, still being at work tends to put a damper on the enjoyment of an onsite party. You can mitigate this by holding the party in a room separate from where everyone works. For example, you can hold the party in the cafeteria, lounge, or conference room. This way, you create a degree of separation between work responsibilities and your holiday party. During COVID-19, consider hosting a virtual conference for your party. Surely, hosting your party onsite provides significant cost reductions, but requires some preparation considerations.
Use Company Time
Scheduling the party on company time maximizes the number of attending employees. Daytime holiday parties provide the biggest opportunities for employees to relax, unwind, and get into that holiday spirit. Many companies schedule parties on Friday afternoons, with catered lunches and half-workdays. This way, employees are recognized for their efforts while the workday isn’t completely lost. Additionally, paying staff for their time at the party often significantly increases their satisfaction with your company and management skills. Absolutely, schedule the party on company time to increase employee satisfaction and take advantage of work opportunities.
Virtual Invitations
Sending virtual invitations saves significant costs compared to physical ones. There are many internet services or invitation designers that create beautiful, professional, high quality personalized invitations, and several of them are free. Additionally, many of these services track RSVP’s and let you create various lists. For example, you can maintain a list of who is bringing what to the party. This way, you know exactly how many people will be attending, who they are, and what they’re bringing so you can plan accordingly. Certainly, sending virtual invitations saves costs and provides useful insights into who’s attending.
Potluck Luncheons
Lunchtime potluck parties are one of the cheapest parties to throw. Since everyone is bringing food of their own, you don’t have to cater. Work potlucks are also typically held onsite, so you won’t need to rent a venue, either. Host the potluck at lunchtime and give everyone the rest of the day off. Additionally, host a little contest for best dish and provide small prizes, such as a gift card. This way, you incentivize and maximize employee participation. Definitely, host a potluck luncheon to save significant costs and drive maximum employee participation.
DIY Decorations
Creating your own decorations reduces costs and demonstrates your dedication to your staff. Start by determining a theme for the decorations. For example, you could go with a nature theme and gather various holiday-associated natural items. These items could include pine cones, red berries, and evergreen boughs. Arrange the items in bowls, flower pots, or baskets to create elegant, professional decorations. Alternatively, you could use small candles and tea lights to establish a professional, elegant lighting atmosphere for your party. Of course, making the decorations yourself reduces party costs significantly and demonstrates your dedication to throwing your staff a great holiday party.
There is a myriad of entertaining company holiday party ideas on a budget. One idea is to host your party onsite, eliminating the costs of renting a venue. Hosting the party on company time significantly increases the number of employees that can attend and their satisfaction with the company. Sending virtual invitations instead of physical ones saves more costs and provides insights on the party’s attendants. Hosting potluck office lunch further reduces costs and drives employee participation. Finally, making your own decorations reduces costs and demonstrates your desire to get employees in the holiday spirit. When searching for the best entertaining company holiday party ideas on a budget, consider the ideas described above.
