Planning your corporate year-end function: If you’re planning to have a corporate year-end function, you should start planning the details now. Organising the event well ahead of time – especially if you’re hosting a company-wide event with a large number of people – means you’ll be in a better position to negotiate costs with suppliers. Perhaps most importantly, good advance planning means you won’t be stuck with last minute organisational headaches. So, what should you think about when organising your end of year function? We’ve compiled a checklist to help you through the process: 1. Budget – Firstly, get confirmation of the budget you have to spend on the event. The size of your budget will dictate the scale and type of year-end function you can have, as well as whether you can afford extras such as entertainment, transport, or party favours for each guest. 2. Day of the week – Will you hold your event on a weeknight or on the weekend? This will affect your budget (see point 1), and will also impact whether people who live far away will easily be able to attend if they’re not travelling to the event straight from work. 3. Time – Will your year-end function be an evening or day function on a weekday or weekend? This will affect the overall theme, what kind of food you’ll provide, and whether or not your employees can bring their children and partners. 4. Venue – If you’re expecting your employees to use their own means of transport to attend, make sure that the venue you choose is conveniently located. Also investigate the cost of hiring the venue and what this includes, such as catering, wait staff, a bar, and things such as tables, chairs, crockery and linen. 5. Food – Will you provide a full meal, just snacks, or a “bring and braai” if budget is really tight? 6. Transport – Will you provide transport for your employees? An easy way to do this is to provide buses or mini buses that pick up employees from your office and bring them back afterwards. If you’re not providing transport, consider promoting lift sharing schemes where several employees can travel together to save on petrol costs. 7. Theme – What will the overall theme be? Having a memorable theme can add to the overall ambience and feel of the event, and can encourage employees to socialise in a relaxed environment. Some theme ideas for end of year functions are: Academy Awards party Beach party Pirate party Circus party Casino party “Era” theme, e.g. 20s, 40s, 60s, 70s, 80s 8. Guest list – will your year-end function be for your employees only, or will their partners and/or children be invited? The day of the week and time that you hold your event will play a large part in this decision. For example, if you have your event on a weekend day, most employees will expect their families to be invited too. 9. Entertainment – Will you provide music, a band, a keynote speaker or specialised entertainment in line with your theme, such as a “mock” academy awards show for an Academy Awards themed year-end function? Armed with this checklist, planning for your year-end function will be a smooth process. A memorable function also shows your employees that you value them and that you appreciate the work they have done over the past year. This can do wonders to boost morale and productivity among your employees in the coming year. Thank you, Regards Kamburee Kahengava Kamburee.kahengava@gmail 0814310697 0813989368 0818236651
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 08:52:13 +0000