hen tasked with organising the Christmas bash , knowing where to start isn ’ t always so easy . To get the bauble rolling , CN spoke to some choice professionals . Carrie O ’ Donnell , Right Angle Events says the venue is the right place to start . She says , “ The venue is one of the most important aspects to consider as it needs to be somewhere suitable for your activity , and easily accessible for everyone attending . The earlier you book your venue ; the better . How important is a personal stamp on the event ? O ’ Donnell says : “ You want your guests to leave your party thinking it ’ s the best one they have ever been to . “ The best way to do this is do something fun , do an activity and make it unusual . Things like personalised invitations with clues as to what might be happening on the

evening , personalised wristbands for the event and even festive treats for guests to take away such as branded cookies Jon Noonan , group sales director at Eventist Group , believes that there are no limits to what makes the perfect Christmas party . “ What doesn ’ t go into making the perfect Christmas party ?” he says . “ The nature of our business means we have teams specialising in everything from logistics to sound , lighting to food . We use all of them to help us create the best party ; expertise is important . Don ’ t be afraid to ask questions and bounce ideas and potential obstacles off your peers . “ You need a solid , interactive theme everyone can engage with . We find that themed festivities allow attendees to be more connected with the event rather than just merely drinking and eating . Clients often wonder how best to take the immersive theme across the venue ,

incorporating the catering and entertainment as well , so we will advise them on clever but effective time saving solutions , that have the most impact . Noonan adds : “ Another important factor is expert and efficient catering . Take your time choosing the menu , but at the same time , don ’ t overthink it , as the quality is the priority . “ Add to those elements the transport and location , and how easy it is going to be to get your guests home , and you have what can seem like too much to consider .”

Under pressure Joanne Whitmore , event manager at the Ricoh Arena , says : “ Booking

a Christmas party can carry great pressure , as the decision-maker has to strike a delicate balance between using their imagination while catering for everybody ’ s tastes and needs without breaking their budget . “ The majority of businesses will have employees with a variety of ideas of what a great Christmas party is whether that ’ s a nice meal , live entertainment or drinking with friends , so the secret is to bring all of those elements together . “ They will also take into account travel and how easy the venue is to get to , accommodation and post event entertainment . “ We hold our Christmas Parties in the 6,000sqm Ericsson