No one wants to spend more time at the office than necessary. Especially over the holidays, people want to get away. A hotel is the perfect place for a holiday event.
Hosting a business event at a hotel requires a bit of planning. You don’t have the same resources you would have at the office.
Here are steps you should take before hosting your next big event.
- Plan Ahead
Planning is necessary for any event.
However, offsite events require more planning than usual.
At the office, you have everything ready in case things go wrong. You know where the paper towels are. You probably have the number for your favorite pizzeria saved in case the food doesn’t show up.
That’s not going to be the case at the hotel.
You need to think of what you need to bring and what you need from the hotel. Make a list of everything before you book.
If there’s anything you can’t bring, communicate that beforehand. The hotel should try their best to help.
But even they can’t make things appear like magic.
- Find a Good Hotel
A good location is the most important piece of the puzzle.
You should book at one of the best business hotels. They are used to hosting events like yours. They probably know what you need better than you do.
It’s good to leave these things to the professionals.
Using a booking service that specializes in business travel will save you money. It will probably end up saving you a lot of extra work, too.
You have enough on your mind planning the party. You don’t need to put more on your plate. That way you can focus on what really matters.
Business events can always get group rates. Hotel costs are not as fixed as you would think. They will be willing to negotiate. Send the hotel a request for proposal and see what they can do for you.
You don’t need a five-star hotel to have a great event. Even motels can offer great group events. You don’t even need to spend the night to host an event at most hotels.
Ideally, you want a hotel that has a fitness center and a good breakfast rate. The motivated members of your staff can get up early and hit the gym.
- Plan Activities
You should do more than just host your event.
Take advantage of everyone being in the same place at once.
Plan team building activities like going to a sporting event. Or get athletic yourselves and play a friendly game of kickball or ping pong.
If you’re in an exciting city, plan a night out on the town. Find out what the best restaurants are and invite the staff for a good night out.
Not everyone has the same interests. Come up with a few different options and let people decide what they would like to do.
That way no one feels left out.
- Host a Banquet
There’s nothing better than a nice dinner party.
The classic thing to do is to host a good holiday banquet. The key to having a good banquet is the menu. There are more options than the usual chicken.
Get creative and do something nice for your team.
Change things up every year and add something new to the menu. To make it even more fun you can do some cooking yourself. You can start by making some delicious dishes that people usually like including cakes or other sweet recipes. Don’t forget to bring with you some compostable plates and red cups to serve the food you cooked and make the cleaning process easier after the banquet.
Make sure you always have a vegetarian option and ask about dietary restrictions. It can be hard to find an option for everyone, but it’s possible.
Send out a survey to ask what people want beforehand.
- Buy Gifts
Treat your team to something nice.
Tell them that you appreciate their work. You don’t need to buy something expensive to let them know that you care.
But it’s good to get something other than the usual gift card.
A secret Santa or white elephant party is another way to get people involved. That way the costs won’t get too high.
Food is always a good gift to give. Everyone loves food, and they’ll be able to use it. Other good gift ideas are scarves, hats, and small accessories.
Conclusion
You should hold your next holiday event at a hotel. It’s so much more practical than at the office, and it’s a lot more fun.
