With the fall season starting to settle in, not many people are tuning into the holiday spirit. As an event planner, or simply one who plans holiday parties, try to use this down time to your advantage. There are so many benefits to placing yourself ahead of the holiday ball, so to speak. Here are a few reasons why you should start planning the holiday party right now:
The Early Bird gets the…
Best venue! Early fall, venues’ calendars are wide open, so pick your date. If you are looking for a deal, there can be deep venue discounts for the early planner, say planning 90 days in advance or choosing a Sunday through Thursday event date. Also, there could be a specific date that a venue is looking to sell, sort of like a clearance rack for days, and a holiday party might be a good fit.
Food and beverage is the second big component to planning the holiday party. A coveted caterer loves to have plenty of time to plan in advance. The time that you spend meeting and communicating with your caterer will ensure that you get exactly what you want. Seasonally sourced craft cocktails? No, problem. Corporate logo on a caramel drizzled cookie- a snap.
Timely Trends
By early fall you’ll have a strong sense of trending themes. Are moustaches still fun? What patterns and colors are on the top of everyone’s list? By planning early you’ll have ample time to research and special order unique decor that will place distinctive touches on your party and make your event everyone’s favorite of the year.
Calendar it!
Parties aren’t fun without attendees, right? Planning the holiday party nice and early gets it on everyone’s calendars, before all the other holiday festivities populate it. A well forecasted party date also gives people something to look forward to, and a chance for them to plan to attend with their best foot forward; well rested, well-dressed and ready for fun.
Pat Yourself on the Back
For a job well done! Taking the guess-work out of party planning early on makes the job a whole lot easier for the party planner. Sure, there are small details that might need addressing, but overall you’ll be able to sleep a lot better and enjoy yourself a lot more knowing that the big details are squared away. And isn’t having a wonderful time what the holidays are all about?