Planning a summer party for your staff

Everyone likes to be out and about when the sun is shining, especially those who have been cooped up in an office all day. Organising a day out or evening party for your staff is a great way for them to embrace the good weather while also providing time for some team bonding.

Here’s what you need to know when planning such an event…

Agree a budget
First of all, you need to find out who is coming. Then you can go to your boss and sort a per head budget. This will let you know what kind of event you can organise. The budget should cover transport, venue hire, food, any entertainment, possibly a drink or two and something extra for emergencies.

Get everyone involved
This is their party after all, so let the team have a say during the organisation process. Provide them with a selection of venues, food types, themes, music and entertainment so they can vote on their preferred choice.

Timings are also important, so ask around. If you’ve got a small team who all have kids, they might not want to go clubbing. Likewise, a young centrally-based team might just be happy with a trip to the nearest beer garden.

Book an adaptable venue
When you’re looking for a venue, it’s tempting to go for somewhere outdoors. After all, it’s summer. But, it’s the British summer, so you have to be prepared for all weather types.

Any venue you book should have room enough both indoors and out for all your staff. If it is sunny, everyone will want to be in the garden or on the terrace – make sure they can all fit.

Ease interactions
One of the main reasons for holding such an event is to get your staff interacting. But getting staff chatting can be hard – especially if they don’t all work together day-to-day or are split across different offices.

Have some tricks up your sleeve to get the conversation flowing. This could include a board with photos of your staff in their younger days, name tags so everyone knows each other’s names, or simple games like table tennis.

Keep in touch with the venue
Avoid last minute emergencies by keeping an open line with the venue. Check in with them regularly to make sure they can meet your needs, whether it’s disabled access or special dietary requirements.

As the date approaches, call them to make sure everything is going to plan, that nothing’s happened to the venue (flooding, electrical failure etc) and that they haven’t double booked.

Have fun
While it’s a lot of work and organisation, the end result should be that everyone – including the organisers – should enjoy themselves. If all it’s all gone according to plan, you should be able to sit back, relax and enjoy a G&T with your colleagues.

Posted by Ashleigh Sharp