Count how many weeks left until Christmas—surprise! If that’s any clue, the holiday season is approaching faster than you think. The time to start planning your holiday party is now—you’ll want enough time to secure a location, organize vendors like catering, and give employees enough time to mark it off on their calendars. Here’s what you need to keep in mind.

There’s Competition

There’s a limited number of venues, and a limited number of desirable dates surrounding the holidays. Do you want to plan for a weekend or weekday evening?  Both of these options have their pros and cons, but don’t expect your desired space to be available, even if you choose a date you believe may be unpopular. The Holiday season is short!!  Rather than waiting and losing your best options, plan now and get the perfect venue for your group and budget.

Give People Time to Plan

The entire point of the holiday party is to reward employees for a year of hard work and show them that you care. If you give them notice on December 1st that the party will be December 10th, many employees may already have plans and obligations lined up. Rather than create resentment, give them as much time as possible to mark it off in their calendars.

Find Vendors

Many employee parties today, especially for bigger companies, may make use of a number of vendors, such as design and decor companies, catering, DJs, or even show performers. Regardless of the vendor you’re looking for, it makes sense to line them up as soon as you can. Why? Not only are you competing with other holiday parties, but you’re also competing with a popular season for other types of receptions. The city’s best catering options won’t still be accepting orders two weeks before your party date.

More Time to Get Creative

It’s 2018. Does your holiday party reflect that? Coming up with creative ways to keep your holiday party engaging will have everyone talking about it for months to come.  Make your event experiential — this means giving your employees something to do during the event that will not only make it memorable but will help your team bond. Also important: think of social media-friendly setups. Custom design elements will get a great deal of photo ops.

When your employees are happy, retention rates soar — and that’s something that gets everyone in the holiday spirit. To find out more about organizing your next holiday party, contact the event planning design experts at Art of the Event for additional info.