Three Year-End Corporate Function Ideas That Shouldn’t See The Light of Day
The December holidays are just over the horizon. As everyone prepares for some much-needed downtime, companies across the country are celebrating with end of year corporate functions to reward staff and thank their patrons. Unfortunately, not all end of year corporate function ideas are equally advisable. Depending on the size of your staff, your location, and the all-important budget, planning an end of year soiree that leaves all parties with a smile on their face isn’t an easy task. While we can’t give you extra money to play around with, or magically transport your employees to a five star island getaway, we can provide you with some insight on the types of corporate function ideas to avoid at all costs.
If you’re still deliberating over several potential year-end corporate function ideas, read on to make sure yours isn’t one that’s set up for failure from the moment the canapes are served:
1. Hiring corporate entertainment that will leave your guests less than impressed
You’ve got the world-class venue, a mouth-watering menu and a group of guests who want to let their hair down – but no corporate entertainment to speak of. As most entertainers are already booked, you’ve settled on a stand-up comedian you eventually found on the seventh page of Google. We hate to break it to you, but opting for entertainment that you’ve never heard of is risky business. When it comes to corporate functions – events that are typically populated with stakeholders and influential guests – gambling on an act that you’ve never seen or heard anything about can end up in disaster. At best, your guests will be left cringing in their seats as they’re regaled with jokes that should never see the light of day. At worst – the audience will be left offended by inappropriate quips that go against your company culture. If you’re still on the lookout for an entertainer, we suggest foregoing this aspect and spending the budget allocated on other aspects of your event.
2. Hosting a cocktail party that’s heavy on the liquid refreshments is a recipe for disaster
Everyone loves a cocktail party. But forking out for drinks and leaving little budget left over for food is a corporate function idea that’s asking for trouble. Everyone wants to let their hair down, but no one wants to see their colleagues inebriated. If an evening cocktail party is one of the corporate function ideas you’re considering, proceed with caution. As with everything in life – striving for balance is key. Make sure that you’ve briefed bartenders to avoid any heavy-handed pouring, and have instructed catering staff to serve a steady stream of snacks throughout. A good way to safeguard against anyone having a few drinks too many is to serve non-alcoholic welcome drinks along with a hearty spread of carb-heavy canapes. Have sparkling water and soft drinks readily-available to further mitigate against any over-indulging.
3. A themed end of year function that can be misconstrued as a chance to don as few items of clothing as possible, or worse – an opportunity to make light of a serious issue or minority group
A dress-up themed function is one of the corporate function ideas that can often fall flat. Opting for a set sartorial theme can be a great way to get guests into the holiday spirit – but be prudent about your choice. We suggest refraining from any theme that can end up as potentially offensive to a cultural or religious contingent in your guest list. Instead, opt for a dress code that lets guests show off their own style, but plays it safe. Horror stories of Swine Flu, Cowboys and Indians and Toga-themed parties abound – so avoid these at all costs. Instead, choose something that lets your guests show off their own style, in a way that’s non-offensive. Black tie, blue-and-white or a roaring 1920’s dress code are all safe bets.
While we can’t tell you how to run your end of year corporate function, we can make it easier for you. Find out more about our corporate event planning software, here.
