Have You Planned Your Christmas Party Yet? - Tip #2

Sept. 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Tip #2: Prioritize Your Budget

1) If you are given a budget from the get-go, decide on how much to budget for food and beverage before anything else.

   * Food and beverage costs should take precedence over all other costs. Decide on food and beverage cost, then use what is left over for entertainment.
   * The menu usually needs to be pre-ordered, so if you have budget constraints, spend more on food, because people can always purchase drinks if they run out of drink tickets or host alcohol, but it is usually difficult to ask for more food.

2) If you are not given a budget, start by looking into the past.

   * Christmas parties from previous years will give a good indication of how much to budget for in terms of food, beverage, venue rental, prizes and entertainment.

3) Time your event according to your food budget.

   * For events that begin earlier than 8pm, you will need to supply a dinner portion of food. A dinner portion menu, whether it be sit down or heavy canapes and food stations, average at $50 per person and up.
   * If the event begins after 8 pm, you can offer a light snack portion upon arrival for the few who are still hungry. Offering a late bite after 11 pm, it will help soak up the alcohol.  Budget $20 per head and up for the snack option.

4) Be smart about your bar options.

   * There are many options besides host bar, cash bar and drink tickets.  Consider other options such as: a host bar limited to certain beverage options, host bar limited to a certain spending limit and a host bar limited to a certain time.
   * If you limit your host bar from shooters, it lowers the bar cost quite a bit. It also keeps the party from getting out of hand with rowdy behavior.

5) Pick a full service venue to help cut costs and stress on your end.

   * A full service venue offers a one stop shop for food, beverage and service staff. This lowers costs by having service staff as part of the food and beverage package.

6) Pick a venue with decor and A/V built in to cut costs.

   * Why not pick a space that already has ambiance?  Restaurants and lounges are great spaces with decor and equipment. You don't really need to do anything more to dress up these spaces.

7) Break your budget down to cost per person.

   * An overall budget can be intimidating, by breaking down the budget to cost per person, it allows for a more personalized look into the details of each attendee.

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