If you’ve worked for a company for a long time now, you will probably have witnessed more than just the one bad work party. Whether it was Christmas party that was as dull as work itself, or a corporate function that had less spice than a chicken Korma, chances are you’re sick to the back teeth of spending an uninspiring evening with your work colleagues. Well, with a little forward planning and an open mind, you’ll never have to attend a boring or tacky work party ever again. Here are just a few examples of ways to liven up your next corporate ‘do to make sure that everyone has a good time – even the quiet and slightly unnervingly mysterious Jim who works in accounts (every office has a dark horse, right?).
Winter Wonderland
If its late autumn and your boss is trying to drum up ideas for the next ‘Christmas party’, now is the time to step in and stamp out the monotony by suggesting an all-out winter wonderland theme. Don’t settle for a boring office party consisting of boxed wine, mince pies and irritating paper hats – why not make a real effort to create a winter wonderland for a genuinely Christmassy feel? You can get the whole team involved and the whole experience will bring you closer together… probably.
You’ll need to plan for this type of themed party well in advance and the office itself is probably not the ideal venue. Why not club together and book out a local hall? You’d be surprised how affordable venues can be if everyone is prepared to put some money in the pot. It is Christmas, after all.
A winter wonderland party would of course not be complete without the appropriate decor. This means you’ll need to at least prop up a Christmas tree and dig out some cheap or second hand decorations to match. If you’ve all organised a secret Santa at work, then place each other’s gifts underneath the tree and make opening your presents a proper occasion. This will also embarrass those who thought that a novelty keyring and a bag of Maltesers would suffice for a peer they’re not overly fond of.
Don’t forget about arranging winter-themed music to really set the mood. A good old Christmas carol sing-song is a great way to create a sense of occasion, especially if everyone’s had a bit to drink. You’ll also need to have a whip-round for a buffet – make sure you ask everyone what their food preferences are well in advance, and cater for those with allergies or intolerances.
Hiring a Photo Booth
If, as a workforce, you haven’t got the collective time or money to organise something as extravagant as a Winter Wonderland themed ‘do, don’t fret. Any drab work party can be spiced up in a matter of minutes by these two magic words – photo booth. Booths canbe hired for a few hours at a time or reserved for the whole night and can really add a fun and spontaneous element to any work party. Photo booths often come with unlimited prints, customisable options, a DVD of all photographs as well as a technician on-hand just in case things cease to work as they should. Photo booths are particularly great for fancy dress parties because each person receives a memento of the night wearing their costume – the easiest way to conjure up a bit of healthy competition between guests.
Paintballing
And if you’re really tired of the same work parties and you really want to shake your next one up, there’s always paintball! This type of work party never fails to amuse. A great opportunity for co-workers to blow off steam by shooting their superiors, paintballing is great fun for the whole office. From the burly security guards to the girly receptionists, this idea is a great way to buck the boring work party trend. There are even some quirky variations on traditional paintballing – why not ride around and fire balls at each other from the safe confines of an army tank, for example?
Jon McKeown is an events management enthusiasts and works on behalf of a company which specialises in photo booth hire in Essex.
