It’s December and the holiday season is in full swing. This is the time of year when the magic happens. Couples get engaged at Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years Eve. Companies scour their financials to see if they’ve had a great profit margin. And everyone prepares for the road ahead. How is your holiday party planning coming along?

Celebrating the end of the year with a company holiday party is a great opportunity to boost comradery and morale amongst employees. A team that celebrates together, works well together. When you’re on the clock, you’re on your best behavior. You’re thinking about working and productivity. But when it comes to the company holiday party, it’s time to let loose with your co-workers and have some fun!

We’ve hosted HUNDREDS of corporate holiday parties over the years and this is what we learned from those experiences. Here are 10 tips to have a successful holiday party.

1. Consider hosting your holiday party offsite at a banquet facility.

Company holiday parties, much like weddings, are a big deal and require a lot of planning and execution. By having your holiday party at a venue, it takes a lot of the pressure off of your staff to handle logistics.

2. Open Bar Policy

Now while this one is optional, it’s recommended that if you’re hosting a holiday party, offer an open bar. One or two glasses of liquid confidence helps get people in a celebratory mood.

3. Let Them Eat Cake

In lieu of having a formal seated dessert service, consider a dessert station with an assortment. This ensures that everyone gets what they want and for those employees trying to watch their sugar, it’s optional.

4. Secret Santa

If you have a business with multiple departments, having a secret Santa is a great way for employees to get to know each other on a personal level.

5. The Tax Deductible Toast

Yep, you read that correctly. If you’re a business owner, you know that events like holiday parties are tax deductible as long as you’re utilizing it for business purposes. Having your year end wrap up speech where all of your employees are present is a great opportunity to connect with your staff. Having your speech take place DURING dinner service or even cocktail hour is the best time to do it so it keeps the timeline of the event moving and also ensures you will have a captive audience.

6. Who Doesn’t Love a Good Raffle?

If you’ve booked a DJ or a band for your holiday party, you’re probably expecting some dancing. As any great DJ will tell you, the flow is so important to keeping that festive vibe alive. Efficiency is everything. So consider doing your raffles and door prizes during dinner service so you can have more time for dancing.

7. Playlists are For Business Trips

Everyone’s got their favorite playlists. Some songs are great for enjoying a beer in a bar on a Thursday, some a great for the office, and some are meant for the dance floor. Your workforce is pretty diverse. With many age ranges, races, walks of life present at the company holiday party, limiting a DJ is a huge mistake. Let your DJ take requests and keep ALL of your team celebrating.

8. Don’t Over Drink

Alcohol can loosen people up and get them in a celebratory mood. But too much alcohol can make the Monday following the company holiday party awkward. We love a good party, but party responsibly and remember, these are your employees and co-workers. Keep it clean and respectful.

9. Dress The Part

Holiday parties are meant to be festive. If you’re the boss, don’t be afraid to dress a little louder than you normally do. This will help your team relax and help them to feel like they can be themselves. Save the executive color palette of Black, Navy, Tan, & Khaki for the board room.

10. Invite Your Favorite Vendors/Clients

Send your favorite vendors, suppliers, & clients an invite to your company holiday party. It’s a great opportunity to network and informally introduce the people behind your company.