It’s that time of year again. You’re desperately trying to find time to wrap up various projects for the year, buy gifts, and plan the holidays with your family, but tradition dictates you must also dedicate a night to celebrating the end of another year with your workmates. It’s not only a chance to enjoy some well-deserved drinks but also an opportunity for social interaction with your colleagues outside of the office space. However, as we all know there are many ways Christmas parties can go off the rails, so I’ve put together some tips to ensure this is a merry occasion rather than a lump of coal. It may be too late for some of us already, but live and learn.
Choose a great venue
The venue is crucial to the vibe of the night and how it will unfold, and needs to be chosen to suit the people who will be partying within it. Does it have air conditioning? In Queensland’s summer this is a serious must-have. Are there smokers/teetotallers in your office and will it cater to them? Is it close to where people live or will they need to think about public transport? Is it too expensive, too hipster, or simply too big/small? And most importantly of all, once you have a venue in mind make sure you book well in advance otherwise you may end up disappointed.
Choose a theme/music and get involved
Got a venue pinned down? Awesome, now it’s time to generate some excitement and participation. A theme can be an easy way to get people involved with the party and dictates the dress code. At MyWork we often choose a decade, that way there’s lots of scope for imagination and everyone can put their own spin on their outfits. For example: there’s so many ways to interpret a 90s theme, just look at the pic from our most recent shindig above. We even made our own playlist of 90s classics to suit the theme and got the venue to give it a spin. Talking about each other’s crazy getups is also an excellent icebreaker!
Talk to people, dammit
I know, this is harder than it sounds. It’s so easy just to drown yourself in cocktails on that glorious bar tab and just talk to your long-suffering partner you dragged along. But if you don’t make memories and actually spend time with your workmates, you’ll regret it, especially when everyone is reminiscing on Monday about things you totally missed. If all other topics fail, there’s always work (!) Maybe even have a cheeky boogie if words fail you. Just don’t take your shirt off or jump on any tables, keep it fun but low key otherwise you’ll be ‘that guy.’
Don’t get too loose
Again, this easier said than done with that bar tab calling your name. When I say too loose, I mean feeling the Christmas spirit enough to hit on a co-worker, start crying, or say something you’ll regret. The easiest way to do this is by avoiding shots, and I tell you this from experience *cough*.
Roll with it and have a good night
The most important point of all. When people get together and drink, weird and unexpected things are gonna happen and the night may not go the way you want. Maybe your best mate went home early, or you lose your phone, or you don’t like the snacks that are served. Whatever happens just try to keep it posi and enjoy the night for what it is.
And bear in mind: even if things go bad, there’s a whole year before you have to do it again!