One of the best ways to reward your team for doing a great job and help build camaraderie is by organizing office parties and happy hours. According to the findings of a recent poll where adults whose ages ranged from 24 to 40 were surveyed across the United States, 58 percent of them said that their companies regularly host happy hours in the office at least once every month.
If you are trying to figure out how to plan an easy, budget-friendly office party that’s still loads of fun, here are some top tips to help you serve up a happy hour of the century:
- Select Your Theme and Stick to the Budget
While a full-on tiki luau would be an awesome idea, that’s not what’s being referred to here. Still, it is always a good idea to have a theme whether it is around a quirky holiday or a particular genre of food, to make your event more fun.
Perhaps you could celebrate all the employees who had birthdays in that month’s happy hour or you do a beer and BBQ theme during summer. Whatever option you go with, having a theme will most likely translate to higher attendance since people will get excited about it. Having a theme also ensures that you remain focused when planning. Whatever your theme take a look at special deals from Premier Glow.
Here is a list of potential office party themes:
Oktoberfest: The real German Oktoberfest begins in the middle of September, but the theme can be used in either September or October. You can serve up all kinds of German beers as well as German white wine such as a Dry Riesling. You should serve alongside a pretzel bar with all kinds of dipping sauces. If you have a bit of more money to spare, you can buy pint-sized beer steins with the logo of your company.
Summer BBQ: A BBQ happy hour that’s summer-themed is the perfect way to beat the heat. You can serve up hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches without forgetting vegetarian options, and some watermelon for dessert. When it comes to drinks, you can serve up a keg of lighter beer such as a Lager or Pilsner and prepare a large batch of Fruity Sangria recipe served over ice.
Wine Tasting: It can be lots of fun to help your employees expand their horizons a bit during happy hour. You can host a wine tasting just before the holidays so that they can put all their knowledge on display in the presence of their families and friends. Order up several varieties of both white and red wine. Use a wine tasting guide to help your employees through a tasting. If you aren’t too comfortable about running the tasting, you can do a bit of research in your area. You will often find that a restaurant sommelier is more than happy to come into the office to facilitate the tasting. To complete the theme, serve some cheese, grapes, and crackers. It is worth noting that the tasting can be done for just about anything and not just wine. Try hosting a Scotch, Bourbon, or even Port wine tasting to help employees expand their palette.
- Send the Invites
Create a calendar invite and send it to the entire office. It should include the location, time, and theme if you already have that set. It is a great way to get people excited and help them plan if they have to make after work arrangements for their pets or families. Team leaders should encourage all employees to attend. Such events are the perfect platform for casual work conversations that allows employees of all levels to get to know each other better. It is also the perfect time to learn more about what you and your coworkers have in common outside work.
- Order Drinks Beforehand
Are you aware that it is possible for you to shop and order ahead with Drizly.com and get all the drinks to be served at your office party delivered straight to you? Companies and office managers that have used Drizly have raved about how convenient and easy it is to order on Drizly for work events. It is one less thing that you need to worry about when cleaning up the kitchen or prepping the conference room for some 5 p.m. fun.
When ordering drinks for Drizly happy hour, here’s what you need to do: Order at least 3 types of beer to appeal to different tastes. When it comes to wine, you should have at least one white and one white on hand. Dry wine is generally more preferable. It is generally advisable to steer clear of the hard stuff unless you plan to serve a pre-mixed cocktail.
Letting people serve themselves hard alcohol at a company hour is courting disaster and liability for the company. At all your company events, it is always important to ensure that you have non-alcoholic beverages on hand in plenty as well.
For all your happy hour needs, you should browse the available options and shop ahead on Drizly. You will also find mixers, limes, cups, ice, soda, and snack food on Drizly.com. All you should do now is head over to Drizly.com and enter your office address to find out whether we service your area.
- Order Food
You must never make the mistake of serving only drinks at the happy hour. You should research caterers in your area or simply head to the nearby market to buy some snacks. It is always advisable to have food on hand when serving alcoholic drinks, even if it is just chips and dip. Ensure that you are aware of any allergies or dietary restrictions of your employees beforehand to accommodate them.
- Ask for Feedback to Make the Next Party Even better
Follow up after the event for feedback from both team leaders and individual employees on what could be improved upon next time. Happy Hours are an important part of growing company culture. The more engaging and fun you make them the better.
