If you’ve been tasked with organizing your company’s holiday party in Toronto, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the responsibility. Even if it isn’t your first time planning one, you may be having flashbacks to last year and what a hassle it was to plan, and are now just dreading the idea of it.

Hopefully, these tips will help you get through the experience a little easier, and will inspire you on how to plan a great holiday party that everyone will love.

Top Priority: Food

People love food – it’s a known fact that one of the ways to make someone happy is to give them something great to eat. This is why it’s important that you hire the right Toronto-based corporate catering company for your holiday event.

Should you use the same one that will cater your next corporate lunch in Toronto or should you search for a company that can specializes in large-scale events? The answer is that it really depends on the company that you go with.

Take a look at their website and see if they only do small-scale catering or if they have a reputation for doing larger corporate events. Check out their reviews online so you can to get sense of how well they’ve performed in the past.

If you have good food at your holiday party, then the rest doesn’t really matter. All everyone will be talking about was how great their meal was.

Remember: Don’t Do it Alone

You might not want to bother other people about planning, but it will be a huge help to you and will also ensure the success of the event. Put together a team of people willing to help you out, and be sure to delegate. Consider assigning responsibilities like:

• Someone to find a venue/designate space at the office
• Someone who will order and arrange decorations
• Someone to handle invites
• Someone who will arrange transportation (if the party is off-site)
• Someone who will handle entertainment

With this stuff out of the way, you can focus on the when.

When is the Best Time to Have a Company Party?

It’s generally thought that company parties are best held during lunch (though not everyone will always be able to make it) and on a Friday when there are typically less work responsibilities.

After-work parties that are held off-site are more expensive, as you need to pay the costs to rent out the space, as well as other factors like transportation options for guests. I.e. will you be reimbursing their taxi fare?

Don’t Forget IT

Your IT department is going to be your best friend during this time. Make sure to work closely with them so that if there is any presentation happening that you will be ready. You’ll need them to set up PowerPoint presentations, TV displays, or microphones, if there is going to be any speaking or entertainment.

If you work with them from the beginning and let your expectations be known sooner than later, you’re more likely to have a successful party without any hitches.

Just remember that it’s all about planning ahead of time to ensure a great event that people will be sure to love.