Holiday Party Trends for 2013

Many companies host end of year holiday celebrations for their employees. If you've been tasked with planning your company holiday party, time is running out to come up with ideas! If you want your party to be up to par with this year's trends, follow the tips below:

Food Should Be Your Focus 

When people think about holiday parties, they often envision a nice dinner. That still holds true, but nowadays people aren't interested in a generic, one-size-fits-all meal. Food should be your priority when planning the budget. Your guests probably aren't expecting caviar and filet mignon, however they'll appreciate you taking the time to create a custom menu with lots of options, including seasonal dishes, especially if you can put a new twist on a classic dish or present them with something new and exciting. Most importantly, don't forget to have options for vegetarians.

Room Decor

Red and green are the two colors the probably come to mind when planning a holiday event, but they aren't at all a requirement. Many event coordinators actually try to avoid the combination to prevent from making it seem like they're favoring Christmas over other holidays like Hanukkah. With that said, using red, especially when it's paired with silver, gold or black, is a classic choice that still gives a nod to the holidays. White and gray winter tones also invoke the same snowy, holiday idea.

Make Seating Flexible

Holiday parties often have table seating for 8-10 people, which means guests only get to interact with a small group of people they're stuck with for the whole night. Parties like this should give guests the opportunity to mingle and catch up with people at the company they may not get to see on a daily basis. A free-flowing setup of high-top tables in various sizes and cozy lounge areas are much more likely to encourage interaction. 

Show Employee Appreciation

A company holiday party should be all about showing your employees that they're appreciated. Many companies hand out awards during their holiday parties to give the event a business focus and emphasize the appreciation message with an optimistic future. Some companies show their appreciation by giving guests a gift, which could just be something simple like an ornament. Even something like putting money into a photo booth so that employees can take home a memento shows employees that you care.