The first thing you need to know to make your end-of-year party a success is that it has a particular flavor that makes it a highly anticipated event. Because after months of work, it is now time for fun and thanks. This article will help you make your teams have fun and feel valued, so you can start off on the right foot for a new year!
1. Analyze the previous evenings 📃
Albert Einstein rightly said that “Insanity is behaving in the same way and expecting a different result.”
So, the only way for your next evening to be even more successful than the one of the previous edition is to be aware of What worked and what didn't for the latter.
If you did not send satisfaction questionnaire following your final event, take this reflex for the following ones in order to gather feedback of your guests. At the end of the article, we give you two platforms to create your questionnaires in a few clicks.
2. Take care of your invitations 📫
Don't expect to get attention with a simple invitation email. Like you, your employees are in demand from all sides. It will therefore be better to bet on an original invitation and/or a Video teasing. The golden rule is to make you want!
Remember to send your invitation early — between 2 and 3 months in advance - so that everyone can save the date. Also define a recovery plan thanks to which we will not be able to tell you “I did not see the news” or “I forgot”.
3. Find an unusual place 🎪
As explained in the introduction, an end of year evening is An opportunity to escape. We therefore do not recommend organizing it in your premises — no matter how beautiful they are — or even in a place that is too classic, soulless. Instead, go looking for a surprising place, one that puts stars in your eyes!
Are you in the Paris region? In that case, UNEXPECTED has already done the hard work for you. Discover:
For practical and ecological reasons, book a central location, easily accessible by transport. Put on if necessary A shuttle in place.
4. Define a theme 🎉
Here it could be a evening theme (Christmas Party, Winter Party, Arabian Nights, Funfair, White Evening...) or a more general concept related to values of your company (the human, transparency, conviviality...).
Be that as it may, make sure to respect your theme from A to Z. This must be reflected in the invitation, in the scenography, in the selected location, in the dress of the guests and even in that of the staff. Don't leave anything to chance!
5. Find original animations 🎠
They must be original while being in line with your theme. Suggest 2 or 3 animations to allow everyone to find something for themselves. While some will enjoy adorning their body with an ephemeral tattoo, others will prefer to participate in the blindtest while others will have fun like crazy with the ski simulator.
The animations will help you Set the pace of your evening : people should not have time to get bored. In addition, the animations facilitate exchanges because they are easy to find topics of conversation.
6. Prepare a speech 💬
It is essential to set aside time for a quick speech from management. The purpose of this speech is to thank the collaborators, to value them in order to commit them to the coming year. We avoid long blabblah: 15 minutes maximum before moving on to the rest of the evening, by launching the cocktail or opening the dance floor for example.
Once again, the aim of the annual evening is above all to enjoy!
7. Hire a great caterer 👩 🍳
A good caterer is recognized in particular by the originality and the diversity of its menus as well as by the elegance of his creations. The quality and freshness of the products must also be at the forefront.
When you observe the dishes of some chefs, you immediately understand better why we speak of “culinary art”. Moreover, some even go so far as to offer a Show Cooking by preparing the dishes directly in front of the eyes of your guests.
Do not hesitate to check references caterers you are attracted to or simply look at their Instagram account.
To combine quality and responsibility, read our article presenting you 6 high-end and eco-responsible caterers.
8. Create a Wow ✨ moment
What distinguishes a fun evening from a memorable event? That little something extra, this spark that we take pleasure in designing for you at UNEXPECTED! Thanks to her, we will talk about your event in the long term. We'll remember that we saw it here, and nowhere else.
Create a surprise with a show animated by dancers, trapeze artists, fire-breathers or mentalists... Make an impression by making artificial snow fall, why not... If your guests need to remember a moment, it will be this one!
9. Hire a great DJ 🎵
A good end of year evening must end on the dance floor! In addition to allowing the body and mind to free themselves, music and dance bring people together. Do not miss this opportunity to strengthen the links between your employees.
Same as for the caterer: take the time to take a look at the referrals DJs of your choice and listen to DJs of your choice if possible examples of their compositions.
If your budget allows it, why not hire a celebrity DJ?
10. Follow up after the event ✅
By being on site, you will know how to put the cursor on the success of your event. Seeing your guests dance, chat, and laugh are, of course, good signs. However, they are not enough to grasp the subtle nuances of their feelings.
Creating questionnaires is now very easy using tools like Typeform or SurveyMonkey. Think of address all aspects of the evening throughout your questions (menu, atmosphere, location, events, etc.) and don't forget that it is thanks to this feedback that you will be able to do better next year! The more feedback you get, the better prepared you will be.
Bonus: call on UNEXPECTED to make your end of year party a success (with almost nothing to do) 🦸 ♀️
As you can imagine, these 10 tips are just a summary of everything you are going to have to think about...
Do you prefer to have a lighter mind and ensure the success of your evening now? The UNEXPECTED agency takes over by imagining and then implementing every detail of your event. You don't have to do anything but give us the green light!
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