Strategic Catering: Common Holiday Party Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Have the Best Holiday Office Party Ever!

Holiday Parties are a great opportunity for your staff to have a good time together. But sometimes those parties don’t live up to expectations, on account of a few common and easily avoidable errors. Here’s my list of what you can do to make yours the best holiday office party ever.

Make sure your whole team can enjoy the party
One of the most interesting things about the modern workplace is that it has so many different sorts of people, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. There’s no better occasion than your holiday office party to ensure that everyone feels appreciated and involved, in the workplace as well as in the celebration. Sure, it’s Christmas, but lots of cultures have other reasons to celebrate around this time of year. Talk with your staff and look for additional holiday and winter traditions from their religions, cultures or families. Find a way to include those in your celebration. The more the merrier!

Have a balanced mix of foods
For a really good time, you want to have something for everyone. Check around. Any special dietary requirements? You might learn about vegetarianism, lactose intolerance, wheat allergies and the Atkins diet. You might hear about religious restrictions, especially where meat is concerned. You don’t need to restrict everyone’s pleasure, but you should make sure every person at the party feels included.

Once you’ve done this, make sure the foods you pick out are balanced enough to make a meal, especially if you’ll be serving alcohol. Too many sugary treats can throw people off balance and make it more difficult for them to enjoy the good time. Too much bread or pasta can lead to yawning and early exits. We recommend a good mix of veggies, proteins and starches – bread or potatoes – to keep your party alive. If alcohol’s in the plan, make sure several fatty or fried foods are available. They help slow down the metabolizing of alcohol.

Keep tabs on the drinking
Not every holiday party has alcohol at it, but for those that do, planning is all the more important. Our best advice? Stick with beer and wine rather than hard liquor. They reduce the likelihood of out-of-line activities and post-holiday regrets. Also, the consequences of drinking can be kept in check by having the right foods around. If you spot an over-imbiber, encourage them to drink some water, eat some fatty foods and stay away from sugary treats. That should get them a bit more steady. Remember: there is no “magic fix” to make someone suddenly sober; the only cure for getting drunk is time. You can, however, help minimize the hangovers, embarrassments and apologies.

Let someone else clean up!
Planning, preparing and decorating for a party is hard work and takes time. Getting ready can be a lot of fun, but the work and time consumption don’t stop when the party’s done. All too often, we find that the same people who plan the party are the ones who wind up picking up the mess. That puts a serious damper on enjoying the festive event that they helped create. To sidestep this unpleasant situation, consider hiring a professional catering company, one that will not only bring in the refreshments but will also clean up afterwards. That way everyone at the party can go home and remember nothing but the happiness.

Talk to the experts
While the above four are the most commonly overlooked party-poopers, we know a number of other ways to help you make your holiday office party a success. We invite you to lean on us, at absolutely no obligation. Elemental Catering is currently offering a free hour of Event Planning Consultation throughout the 2007 Holiday season. Let us help you work out all the details of your event, from decoration to menu planning to any other supplies you may need to make your event a success. It’s a $300 value, but we’re offering it at no charge this year, to get to know you better and to help you have the best holiday party ever.