The Holiday (Business) Party Done Right

The typical holiday get-together is oft reserved for out of town guests, crazy 3rd cousins and awful ’80s sweaters (preferably worn ironically). But when you move beyond the eggnog and santa suits, a well-thought holiday soiree is actually an easy opportunity to connect with clients.
Make your party stand out in this busy season with something unexpected.
1. Get creative with the swag gifts and the decor
» Send guests home with something they’ll be dying to share (what works for your business, is it the latest gadget, a farm-to-market membership, a letterpress notecard set?)
» Set up something that encourages guests to document the evening like a photo booth, step & repeat or quirky photo pop (ie cardboard cutout, movie scene, etc.)
2. Prepare a multimedia presentation
» Do your clients fully understand your business, do they know all your available capabilities? Put together something educational, but also interesting. Perhaps it’s a video documenting your team members going out into the community to tell them about things you do (think Jay Leno’s classic “Jaywalking” series, get creative with the questions and the editing).
» Satire may not be the best way to speak to your clientele, maybe something more straight forward like an engaging Prezi, or a slideshow of previous projects. This can be running in the background, or you could create a special “viewing room” complete with cozy seating and snacks.
3. Encourage friendly competition
» Classic board games (think Hungry Hungry Hippo, Checkers, Sorry!, Taboo, Chutes & Ladders) are a great way to bring people together, and you can make it interesting by having a competitive series complete with bracket betting and a grand prize. Other competitions could include Lego building or giant Jenga.
Ultimately, you know your clients and your team, so pick something that will help them get to know each other and have some fun. After all, that’s what the holidays are for—togetherness 😉