The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Creative

Christmas chaos can be avoided

By Michael Feeley, Founder and chief exec

Jackanory

|

The Drum Network article

This content is produced by The Drum Network, a paid-for membership club for CEOs and their agencies who want to share their expertise and grow their business.

Find out more

September 25, 2015 | 5 min read

It's getting close to the time of year that can strike fear into the hearts of many...the Christmas party season. Your liver starts to hurt at the mere mention of the word, but there's also that little ‘elf-like’ excitement that's bubbling under - 'IT’S CHRISTMAS'!

Christmas party

Christmas party

How many parties do I have? Which one’s going to be the best? Am I going to the important ones? And what determines the best and important ones?

What's the story of the season that you're going to tell again and again? Which experience did you enjoy most?

Hopefully all your memories (or lack of) are of great, positive experiences had during this festive time. At Jackanory, we believe in the story behind experiences, creating something that will be talked about again and again; something that will go down in history. Nothing is worse than a party where everyone leaves early or one that goes down in cringe worthy embarrassment…. Parties can be very positive experiences, they can create those tales you want to tell and tell again and become very much part of a company’s makeup. They can shape a culture. You mingle with people you wouldn’t normally get a chance to, and you can find yourself embracing that person you might not have thought was your cup of tea. It can be a great employee morale booster. If a company gets it right and rewards its staff well, it has been proven that work productivity can increase as well as loyalty. But what happens if you’re the one responsible for organising this much-anticipated Christmas experience?

There are lots of things you can do to ensure you get it right.

Time is of the essence. If you don't plan your Christmas party well in advance then you won't have anything worth remembering. It takes time to put on a good show, so think about the story behind it: Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? And when do you want to do it? Don't be the team that has to do Christmas in January due to lack of preparation, that's no fun for anyone! Think about your budget and use it wisely. Just because you can afford to build Cinderella’s castle and have an ice skating rink outside it, doesn't mean you should. You don't have to spend millions to put on a noteworthy event. Think simple and really focus on what you can achieve for your event/night within your budget. That leads nicely to the next point - theming. Stories are created around memorable characters, moments, plots and endings. Think about your employees too – what would they love to do, what’s your company about? It’s generally a reward for the year’s work, so make them the focus, not your own preferences. If you have a continuous thread through your event then people will have a long-lasting experience to remember and talk about. Humans remember the little things; did I really walk through a candy cane forest? Were there candy canes on the table? Have I got one as a reminder of my night? All these little touches serve a greater purpose - to create a story.

As it's Christmas party season, we can't really forget the main reason we’re here, to celebrate!

So think fun, fun, fun. Think differently. What are the essential ingredients that will create a fun night? No, not necessarily an unlimited bar for the evening (!) but simple things like bonding over a joint experience; good food; good atmosphere; doing something that creates a talking point. Don't over complicate it, think about the real reason why you’re having the party. It’s not about talking all night about how Q4 ended...everyone’s here to celebrate, to let their hair down and for the company to say thanks for the year. So remember that.

At Jackanory we love to have fun, we love to create events that are steeped in creativity and that leave you with a great tale to tell.

An event memory is for life, not just for Christmas.

Whether you’re planning a Christmas party for 50 or 500, we’d love to hear from you. At Jackanory we believe in the power of stories to create memorable and unique parties and events – for Christmas and beyond. Call us on 020 7470 8847 or drop us a line at lucy@wearejackanory.com

Creative

Content by The Drum Network member:

Jackanory

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin.

We are Jackanory and we are brand experience and live events specialists who believe in the power of stories...

Find out more

More from Creative

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +