It's your job to throw this year's office party.
No pressure!
You’re only trying to create a memorable night for the team of crucial staff members that you rely on and spend all of your working hours with.
We all know good team building is vital to a thriving office culture and business, and that your office party is an important step towards making that happen.
Okay. So, maybe, there is a little bit of pressure!
Don’t freak out, we’ve got you covered.
A killer office party is an event that lets your team relax, bond, and feel appreciated. In our fast-paced working world, it’s important to make the time to have these experiences.
Throwing a killer office party is about creating moments of camaraderie your team shares and treasures all year. Create memories that will last and become the talk of the office (spoiler alert - a photobooth rental does all of the above!).
So first things first. Where to start?
Choose The Date and Venue Details
Set A Good Date, and Avoid Weekends!
Let’s not forget: weekends are sacred. Good office parties are a treat and should feel like a reward — not a duty!
Give the crew a break from work, and throw your party on company time or as a great way to finish the week early.
If there is going to be alcohol at the party, think about the next day — some people might want the weekend to recover!
Don’t Have A Party In The Office
Good office parties DO NOT happen at the office. If you want to throw a killer party, you need to create a killer atmosphere. This is best achieved with a change of scenery.
Having your party at a location outside of the usual work environment signals your team that this is a time to let down their hair a little and relax.
Parties are about playing, not working — workplaces are called that for a reason, right?
Choose A Venue That Best Suits the Overall Theme And the Number Of People
Your choice of venue is going to depend a lot on the theme and activities you want to encourage at your office party.
A good starting point is to think about capacity. A party should feel fun and bustling, but not claustrophobic — don’t put a small team in a huge venue or a huge team in a tiny one!
Try to put yourself in the shoes of your team members. Where are they going to feel comfortable, happy, and relaxed?
Avoid Choosing Expensive And Fancy Clubs
Throwing money at a venue is not the way to make a party memorable. People go to parties to enjoy themselves, have good conversations, and make memories!
It’s best to invest in making your killer office party exciting and unique with contest prizes, good entertainment, and fun activities.
Choose The Party Theme
This is the fun part. You don’t have to be clever or witty, or think of something obscure — don’t try too hard with picking a theme! Go with something goofy the whole team can understand and join in on.
Choose a theme that lets people drop their guard and have a fun time. Costume parties are great for this!
Swapping your work duds for a silly costume puts the whole team on the same level and cues everyone to relax.
Alternatively, you might have a team with a taste for glamor! A black tie event gives people an excuse to wear their favorite gowns or designer shoes. It’s nice to have an excuse to dress up fancy every once in a while.
Choose The Entertainment
Get A Photo Booth
You’ve spent all this time orchestrating the perfect party, and the team is looking great — this is your opportunity to capture that moment! Photo booths are the perfect way to remember your event, and crucially, playing with the booth itself is a fun bonding activity for your team.
Getting an affordable and high-quality photo booth shows your team that you appreciate the effort they’ve made to get into the theme.
It lets people have fun and goof off together, or have their 15 minutes of fame and strut their stuff like celebrities on the red carpet!
There are many different types of self-service photo booth rentals — like the ones provided by us— such as Regular booths, a GIF photobooth rentals, a Black & White photo booth or a Green Screen photobooth with fully customizable backgrounds. These booths allow you to set themed party images or company logos as unique backdrops to your photos. If that sounds too complicated than keep it simple by just adding a colored backdrop or photo booth props.
Take a peek at this photo booth rental checklist to make sure you've got everything covered.
Dance Floor
Make your dance floor fun — the last thing you want is people feeling self-conscious.
Set the mood by opening the floor with something silly like a game of limbo or teaching a line dance. Once people are relaxed, you can throw on your bangers-only playlist or let a DJ take care of things!
Play Games
Plan some games for the start of the evening. This is just about loosening people up and getting them talking. Physical games are best, where people can team up and get moving and laughing!
Don’t plan anything too hard or too serious. This is just about creating a chilled-out vibe where everyone can participate and have fun.
Contests
If you have a large enough group in your office, a ‘pub quiz’ style contest can be very entertaining.
Get the head of your office, or a particularly extroverted staff member, to MC the quiz. Plan teams ahead of time and think about adding a prize into the mix!
This kind of contest is a great way to keep the event moving and allows lots of time and space for eating, drinking, and conversation between the people in your office.
Add Some Drinks
We all know that a few responsibly enjoyed drinks can do a lot for the mood of a party.
An open tab, or a cooler full of refreshing beverages, is guaranteed to lift morale amongst your teammates. Be sure to have options for sober drivers or people who prefer not to drink alcohol!
The Wine and Dine
If you’re gonna wine ‘em, you better dine ‘em! It’s always best to make sure that when people are drinking, they’re eating too.
That doesn’t mean you need to plan a five-course, sit-down extravaganza!
Contact a caterer to organize cocktail snacks and finger foods, throw together a charcuterie board, or fire up the barbeque — it’s all about the experience you want to give your team.
The Music
Whether you hire a DJ or put together your own playlist, you want to make sure you are picking music that supports the party theme or has broad appeal.
This is not the moment to play your favorite indie band, or prove your credibility with deep cuts. Pick music that people can sing along to — the cornier the better.
Alternatively, think hard about the theme. A 1980s-themed party is begging for a playlist full of 80s bangers. On the other hand, a black-tie event might require something a little more tasteful. Cover bands or live musicians are great options too!
Make Sure to Document The Party!
Don’t let all your hard work disappear at the end of the night!
Forget about a pricey photographer, or blurry selfies, and get yourself a photo booth with some fun extra's. Remember, we’ve got a bunch of good options and simple deals to suit you!
The Bottom Line
There’s no reason why planning a killer office party has to get the better of you. Refer back to this cheat sheet while you’re planning your party — it’s this simple:
- Pick a workday or a weeknight for your party
- Find an affordable venue (not the office) that is on theme and has an appropriate capacity
- Pick a theme
- Organize the entertainment (music, games, contests, photo booth)
- Provide suitable beverages and relaxed dining.
And that’s it! For a fun activity and lasting mementos of your killer office party, check out the options on our website. And please, please, remember — you planned this party, so don’t forget to enjoy it!
