How to Make Your Company’s Holiday Party Interactive

When you think of the annual company holiday party, do you get excited about mingling cheerfully with co-workers and their dates – or do you secretly wish the party included a few Roulette wheels, gallivanting throughout Chicago or channeling the holiday spirit by giving back to the community? Well, folks, the good news is you can have a more interactive holiday party and keep all the things you love about a standard event, too. The sky is the limit when it comes to holiday events, so to help you navigate all of the options, we’ve got a few tips to keep in mind as you work through the details.

Think About Your Goals

Company holiday parties are great opportunities for people to engage with one another, yet it doesn’t always happen organically. If you want to encourage camaraderie, you might enjoy a Casino Night or a charitable activity for your party. To get people talking to others outside their normal circles, consider a holiday-themed scavenger hunt where partygoers are teamed up ahead of time. If you already have your event booked, but you want to make it interactive, then you can always add on these events to coincide with existing plans. Again, consider your goals first, and then match them with the best-fitting activities.

Allow for Enough Time

Interactive holiday parties may take more time than traditional events, so you want to plan ahead for it. If you have a venue in mind, you’ll need to make sure the number of hours you want matches what’s available. Some interactive events – like escape rooms, for example – can lead to longer timelines if you plan to have dinner or cocktails afterward. If it turns out the event will run longer, you’ll want to consider whether a weeknight or a weekend is a better time.

Get People Excited

Once you decide on an interactive holiday party, you’ll want to do all you can to generate buzz around it. If you’ve never done an interactive party before, then be sure everyone knows what to expect. Not only will it give people something to look forward to, but it can also increase attendance for your event. You may want to create a short series of emails leading up to the event, create an event website, or even a private social media group where employees can publish posts leading up to the event and share pictures afterward. Bottom line: get people excited and involved early on.

Don’t Do It Alone

Expectations for the annual holiday party can be overwhelming. Thankfully, you don’t have to do it on your own. WCF Events has been planning company parties for almost 20 years, and we’re veterans when it comes to interactive events. Let our team guide you through the planning and execution of this year’s company holiday party, so you can enjoy the event instead of working it. For more information, head over to our section on interactive parties or give us a call at (773) 486-7403.