Thinking Holiday in the Heat of Summer
Some early steps you can be taking now in preparation for your company’s end-of-year holiday party
This June, we’re already thinking about in-person end-of-year celebrations and virtual holiday party ideas
As summer kicks off, we’re sharing our suggestions for the holiday party entertainment questions event planners should be asking now
We recommend that early prep include determining the focus for the occasion, thinking about how you can address burnout prior to this celebration, and considering whether you want to get together virtually or in-person
We’ve had a front row seat for the roller coaster ride of workplace culture changes from the start of the pandemic till now. One thing has remained clear throughout: the annual company holiday party is an integral part of many teams’ cultures. In 2020, we led over 30 virtual holiday parties in the span of one week. “That was a clear sign that, no matter what, people were still going to take time at the end of the year to celebrate,” says Laugh.Events Founder Kevin Hubschmann. “They weren’t going to let any kind of changes in their workplace environments dictate if they were going to celebrate their teams.”
With that big event on the horizon, here are our tips to get the ball rolling on holiday plans early:
1. Determine the focus
Ahead of every event we host, we ask the Event Organizer to fill out a brief survey and provide us with the context and goals for the event. For teams planning end-of-year events, “Celebration” is the most widely used descriptor for the occasion. Organizers mention team accomplishments and sharing wins as major highlights for these events. A close runner-up is mentions of challenges from the past year, indicative that the corporate holiday party often also serves as a time of reflection. For remote teams in particular, we see a fair amount of references to getting to know each other, gathering together, and team bonding. We suggest starting your brainstorming process now so you can use the event focus as your north star when you get into the later planning stages.
2. Be thinking about stress and burnout beforehand
We believe that combatting stress and burnout in the workplace requires year-round commitment. Because the end-of-year holiday party is often a time to put these concerns aside and celebrate, we suggest reviewing what you’re doing to address stress and burnout early, and planning shorter, consistent events leading up to the big end-of-year bash. Keep in mind that we offer discounts for teams looking to book 2 or more events in a year with our Laugh Breaks Membership - contact our team to learn more!
3. Select the setting
One major factor to start discussing internally is the setting for your event. Do we need a venue, or will you be staying in your office? If some team members are virtual, what’s the plan for ensuring they still have an enjoyable experience? In-person, hybrid, and remote entertainment each have unique benefits and different sets of challenges, so this is one of the first things we recommend weighing pros and cons for in the decision-making process.
Need a little assistance brainstorming holiday party ideas? Reach out to our team!