In the third, and final part of this series on Raleigh business catering tips for planning a great corporate holiday party, we are going to introduce you to tips 13 – 20. If you are a new reader to this series, you can find part one here and part two here. By following these tips you should be able to plan a perfect holiday party for you, all of your coworkers, and upper management. If you’re still in the planning phase and need the very best Raleigh business catering service, check out our menus. Our menus are budget friendly and will wow even the toughest critics.
13. Flatter The Boss – Find something that you want to incorporate into the party but you can really live without. Make it something that you think would fit your theme but is not really necessary to have. Instead of spending that cost on the event, tell the boss that you have removed this item from the party and will be donating the money to their favorite charity. Tell them you’ll announce this at the event and include it in the follow up newsletter and press release. Something like this could really score some points for you for thinking outside of the box. Plus, donating to a great charity is never a bad thing, especially around the holidays.
14. Fun Facts – Keep something fun at each table for your guests to either read or play. You could have a scroll of company fun facts, or trivia items. These ideas are designed to spark conversation. TIP: Make sure to have something fun for the children in attendance, if they are allowed. This will be appreciated by both parents and non parents alike.
15. Budget Friendly Food – Depending on your budget, a great way to save money is to simply skip a course. Instead of having a full entree, have heavy hors d’oeuvres. Depending on the size of your company, you could incorporate family-style sides and salads instead of individual ones. Providing a take home dessert is also a cost saver. By sending guests home with a dessert, it is a single serving which is less expensive and the guests get a treat from a fun night for later.
16. Party Planning Committee – Find some trusted coworkers and make them into your superstar committee. Once you form this team of all-stars, delegate responsibilities to members you know will succeed. Having the extra help will be a blessing!
17. Entertaining Entertainment – The entertainment can kill your budget. To save money, get creative. Check out the local colleges, fairs, and community events to find upcoming bands or other talent. The local talent will carry a much lower price tag than the more popular artists. In some instances a local band can even be cheaper than hiring a DJ.
18. Plan Everything Early – The quicker you start your planning process the better. Some of our corporate clients start planning their holiday party a whole 12 months in advance to get the best calendar spot. Try to have a meeting with all of your vendors prior to your event. This way you can discuss all the details before you’re out of time.
19. Your Guests Should Feel Like VIPs – Most companies will invite some of their high profile clients to their holiday party. If your company is considering this, make sure to treat them like the VIPs they are. For those important clients, try to assign someone from your party planning committee to act as their host. Each VIP host should make sure their guest is taken care of and checked on frequently.
20. Save Big on Food – When it comes to saving budget money, you never want to cut corners on the food. At the same time, you cannot just go overboard with the menu. At Catering By Design, you get a customized Raleigh business catering experience. You can use one of our traditional menus, or we can work together to create a custom menu that will meet your budget requirements. We can also help you locate a venue, provide linens and help you with other services as well.
We hope this series has been helpful for planning your holiday party. If you need catering for your event, we can help you with several options. Our holiday calendar is filling up but we have a few dates left. Call us today. We’re your number one Raleigh business catering company.
