Russian corporate culture stands out sharply from other European countries - we have “New Year’s corporate parties.” In Europe, New Year is a joyful, but secondary holiday, inferior to Christmas. Christmas, on the other hand, is a quiet and family holiday; it is not celebrated very widely among colleagues. In addition, on the eve of Christmas, employees take time off to visit relatives. In general, there are no big holidays.
In Russia it's the other way around. The New Year celebration is either the most important corporate holiday, or one of the two or three most important. This is what employees prepare for and remember later throughout the year. Ladies prepare their outfits; for them this is the most important “going out”. The management has another reason to show off and confirm its reputation as a leader, and not just an administrative boss. For a team, this is a set of gradually established traditions. However, it must be admitted that for many, a corporate event is still a burdensome duty from which they would like to escape.
One way or another, the organizer of the corporate New Year bears a great responsibility. The work entrusted to him is important for very different people, with different tastes and interests.
To make the holiday a success, we have prepared several rules for organizers of the corporate New Year. Here they are!
Rule 1.Do not overwork your guests with official speeches on a holiday
The shorter the leader's speech, the better. The fewer leaders on stage, the better. It would be more correct to create an area for informal communication than to allocate time for pretentious speeches from the stage.
Rule 2.Choose time so as not to “burn out”
If employees are planned to perform during the New Year's holiday, it is important not to let them “burn out.” Participation with a creative program, for example, involving employees with dance or vocal performances, will require rehearsals. Let them start 2-3 months in advance, not six months. Otherwise, employees will get tired and lose motivation.
Rule 3.Plan reserves
The team that has been preparing the event for several months gradually exhausts its mental and physical strength. Plan for “fresh forces” to join the team at the final stage, for example, in early December. Managers who will still be full of enthusiasm and energy. They will be able to infuse new passion and dynamics into the project.
Rule 4.Fix agreements
After you have booked a venue, agreed on a date for the artist or presenter to perform, it seems to you that everything will now work out. But, this is just an illusion. To really guarantee that the service you need will be provided to you, and provided on time, make sure that you have signed the contract and that you have made an advance payment (at least partially). Without this, your contractors will assume it is a “pre-booking”. They may cancel arrangements at the last minute if someone else pre-pays. And before the new year this is very likely.
Rule 5.Different zones
Not all event participants want to celebrate the holiday in the same way. Some will want to dance, others will want to have a heartfelt conversation. It is important for organizers to plan zones for both some and others. In addition to the main hall, we need both a dance floor and a “chill-out”.
Rule 6.Security briefing
It must be admitted that it is on the corporate New Year that people often get drunk. Well, a person is weak and can lose control of himself. To prevent an angry employee from ruining the holiday for his colleagues and his own career, he should be stopped in time and helped to get out. However, security guards should be given convincing instructions on behavior and correct manners. The person who has lost control may be a high-ranking employee.
Rule 7.The later, the more expensive.
When to order a venue and artists? It's like with airline tickets. If you order at the last minute, you can save a lot. But the choice will be very organic, they say, take what they give. For example, a venue’s reservation has been canceled and they are ready to rent out a free date at half price, just so as not to be idle. But, frankly speaking, the likelihood of such an event is low.
Most likely, the closer to the New Year, the more you will have to pay for the venue and artists. It is optimal to do this in advance, for example 3-4 months in advance. Yes, there will be no “hot ticket” effect, but the price will be more or less reasonable. In addition, you will be able to bargain, since there will not yet be a queue of agencies waiting for a certain date for the artist or venue.
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The article was written for Event.ru magazine
