Office parties – you either love ‘em or you dread ‘em. You want to put some much-needed space between yourself and your computer, kick up your heels (or loafers) and indulge in some off-the-clock fun with coworkers. But not every business bash is as much of a rip-roaring good time as the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Christmas conga.
Organizing a corporate party that isn’t a yawn isn’t an exact science, but it is an art. And it’s one Cheree Berry Paper & Design has refined over many years celebrating our annual holiday party, countless team members’ wedding and baby showers and even bittersweet farewells.
We most recently put our tried-and-true party tips into practice when we hosted an office-warming to toast our new homebase at 9370 Olive Boulevard in St. Louis. Everything went perfectly according to our four-pronged plan that you can easily apply to your next professional party.
Say goodbye to crickets, forced conversation and employees counting down to when it’s acceptable to head for the door and hello to camaraderie, a thriving company culture and, most importantly, a damn good time!
1. Go All in on a Party Theme
CBP’s new address – 9370 Olive Boulevard – inspired the party theme we picked. From a punny Paperless Post digital invitation to DIY balloon decorations to chocolate-covered confections, we squeezed all the fun we could out of our olive theme while avoiding the pitfall of going completely overboard.
2. Shout Out the Team
Cheree emceed our awards ceremony, bestowing a tiny trophy bearing a personalized superlative to each team member. More than appreciate our people for what they do, we wanted to recognize them for who they are, such as the person most likely to fill the office with laughter and the person most likely to see a silver lining in every situation.
PS... We recommend an inside joke prop (or two or three) for an even more engaging and memorable presentation.
3. Get the Conversation Flowing
We can all agree that forced chitchat is no one’s favorite. We prefer a party game – like CBP Mingle Bingo – that encourages participation rather than mandating it. By having guests go on the hunt for each other’s fun facts, we broke the ice without any of the awkwardness. And, of course, prizes for the most skilled sleuths were a must.
4. Don’t Forget to Capture Everyone Smiling
Good times go by in a flash, but you don’t need to rent a Glambot or tap a professional photog to immortalize the festivities. We relied on our trusty ole iPhones to capture the mems. Not only was it more organic, allowing us to live up the moment in the moment, but it also made creating a shared album among the office a snap.
Where Our Party People At?
At CBP, we subscribe to a work hard, celebrate harder mentality. Whether a professional or personal win, we cheer each other on loudly and proudly.
As veteran celebration enthusiasts, we’ve become well-versed in the art of the office party and have written the formula for a guaranteed good time on the company’s dime. The next time you’re tapped to plan the annual holiday soiree, corporate retreat, new hires-mixer, bonding activity, etc., keep our top four tips for an unforgettable office party in mind:
- Go all in on a theme
- Shout out the team
- Get the conversation flowing
- Capture everyone smiling
Our biggest takeaway? You don’t have to have to blow the budget to blow people away – it’s the creativity of thought that goes a long way.
Bonus! You can extend this creativity of thought to any upcoming celebration! Birthday parties, golden birthday parties, surprise golden birthday parties, surprise golden birthday costume parties, surprise golden birthday costume dinner parties – you name it, we’ll create it.
Tell us all about your next party project! Whether you already have a design in mind or are starting from scratch, we’ll help you throw a tailor-made bash for the books.
