10 Items You Should Rent for Office Christmas Parties
Rent these items for your upcoming office Christmas party!
Although there’s still some time left before the Christmas holiday arrives, you’ll want to start making certain plans very soon, so you don’t get too bogged down all at once. For instance, if you’re planning to have a Christmas party at your office or at a remote location, you should start figuring out all the details as soon as possible.
Like other business events, you’ll need to organize several different types of equipment. Since an office Christmas party is a somewhat big affair, you won’t want to go out and buy everything you’ll need. Today, we’re going to look at several items you can rent and then provide you with some easy-to-follow tips to ensure successful festivities!
Rental Items for Incredible Office Christmas Parties
Renting items instead of purchasing them will not only save you money, but it will also save you a lot of time and effort. A professional rental company can help you figure out what you need, decide to drop things off, and will even set up certain items as needed. There are many different types of rentable items that are perfect for office Christmas parties, and we’ve compiled several of our favorites.
Tents and Accessories
Whether you decide to have your office Christmas party during the day or at night, it’s never a bad idea to consider holding it outdoors. This will give your workers a refreshing change from being inside an office building all day. By renting a tent, you’ll have protection from the elements. You can also add tent accessories such as a tent liner, double glass door, and sidewalls. If you’re concerned with inclement weather, you can add a heating or cooling option.
Tables and Chairs
You want plenty of areas for your workers to sit during the party, so be sure to rent some tables and chairs. This is a great option even if you have some of these items in your office already because it allows you to improve the appearance of the party by matching styles, designs, and colors. Plus, you won’t have to worry about forcing employees to help carry them from many areas of your building or clean up afterwards because the rental company will handle those tasks.
Fancy Lighting
Christmas is a very happy time of the year, so you always want your party to reflect that. One way to do this is by providing plenty of illumination so that you can have a bright, vibrant party for everyone who attends. To standard office lighting, you may also want to rent a few fancy lighting options such as a chandelier, market lights, globe lighting, or other styles that will add something special to the event.
Dinnerware and Flatware
Like tables and chairs, dinnerware and flatware are two items that you can’t do without. Instead of trying to cobble together enough for everyone from your company’s own supply or asking co-workers to bring some in from home, these are other items are ripe for renting. This is also another opportunity where you can get everything to match so that the party looks more festive and professional. Linens can also be rented, so there’s very little guesswork involved.
Catering Equipment
If you’ve decided to hire a professional caterer for your office Christmas party, then you won’t have to worry about picking up any equipment because they’ll bring their own. If you want to save some money, you can have employees bring their own food or order some catered items from a restaurant and then rent your own catering equipment to serve it. There are several different items you can rent such as a chafing dish, carving station, coffee maker, serving bowls, drink dispenser, beverage fountain, and more.
Audio/Video Equipment
Christmas office parties are always better when you include audio and video entertainment. First off, make sure you rent audio equipment so you can provide everyone with a variety of festive songs from both classic and modern artists. Another great way to keep people entertained is to set up an area in your building or in a separate tent where video equipment such as an HDTV or rented projector has been set up to play holiday movies throughout the event.
Dance Floors
Dancing has always been a favorite office party activity and it’s a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday. Instead of sectioning off an area of your office for people to get their groove on, you should consider renting a dance floor for the festivities. Dance floors come in many sizes which means that you can create a small area for dancing or dedicate an entire room to it. You can also split up the party between adults and kids by renting two smaller dance floors.
Tasty Concessions
Whether you’re planning to have a huge Christmas dinner or provide a few holiday snacks, every party is better when you add in some concessions. There are several different types available such as a hot dog rotisserie, popcorn machines, cotton candy machines, pretzel warmers, snow cone makers, and soft serve ice cream machines. These are especially enjoyable when children are attending but rest assured that many adults will love these items, too.
Games and Bounce Houses
Another thing that can make office Christmas parties even better is sprinkling in some fun games for your guests. In most cases, children will be invited, so you can plan a party game like a scavenger hunt or gather up some board games or video games to help keep them occupied. If you choose to have your party outdoors, renting a bounce house will give the children something to do that is not only safe but will also help them get rid of some of that Christmas cookie energy.
Stage and Accessories
With many offices Christmas parties, a company uses the time to have a year-end presentation of awards or announcements. If this is something you’re planning to do, then you might want to think about renting a stage for the party. This is also a good option if you’d like to schedule a live band. Also, to the stage itself, you’ll have the opportunity to rent accessories such as railing, ramps, and steps to make it more accessible.
Other Ways to Make Office Christmas Parties Awesome
Office Christmas parties will go a lot more when you rent some of the items listed above. If you’re not sure of the proper items, a professional rental company can help you make a few decisions. That’s not all you’ll need, of course, so we’ve put together some party ideas and tips that will help make your festivities an absolute success.
Create a committee
Christmas office parties often tend to go better when there’s a planning committee involved. These are volunteers who enjoy putting together a great event for everyone to enjoy. You also have the option of cycling out some of the members occasionally, so that everyone who wants to be on the committee can get a chance. It doesn’t hurt if you offer incentive for their hard work.
Host Before the Holiday
Despite what you may have seen in movies like The Santa Clause and Die Hard, most Christmas office parties don’t take place on Christmas Eve or a few days before the holiday. Many people have plans close to Christmas and may be taking a few days off, which means they won’t be able to attend. Unless you’re planning a very small party during business hours, you should try to schedule the event toward the middle of December or before.
Give Plenty of Notice
As stated above, many of your workers are likely to have plans for the holiday with family and friends. Although some people get bothered when Christmas is advertised too early, this is where it’s necessary. It isn’t a bad idea to notify every one of the ensuing plans sometime in November or very early December so everyone can start making arrangements if needed.
Lots of Decorations
When it comes to Christmas, you can never have too many decorations. Putting up holiday lights, a Christmas tree, snowmen, and other types of decorations will definitely get everyone into the holiday spirit. Many smaller items can be purchased at many stores while larger, more expensive decorations can either be purchased or rented depending on your budget and storage capabilities.
Final Secret Santa
Secret Santa has become one of the most popular office traditions and most people seem to love it. If this is something you choose to do in your own office, you should make it voluntary and keep the daily or weekly gift budget low. Then, use the office Christmas party for each Secret Santa to give their chosen person a final gift. This is a great way to end this enjoyable tradition.
Get Out of the Office
There’s nothing wrong with holding your Christmas party in your own building, especially if you have plenty of room for it. This is also a great way to keep your costs low so that you can spend more money on decorations, food, and other items. It doesn’t hurt to get your workers out of the office if possible and treat them to a party at a fancy hotel or other special location.
Plan an Office Potluck
Organizing a potluck will get your entire office working as a team. Plus, there’s a good chance that a few of the employees have a special dish that they love to prepare for others. You should always make this completely voluntary and plan to spend at least a small amount of money on any supplemental items. It’s also a good idea to put someone in charge of keeping track of who’s bringing what.
Ugly Sweater Party
We have no idea who started the ugly sweater tradition, but it’s a lot of fun. For some reason, the Christmas holiday lends itself to silly sweaters with crazy characters, flashing lights, fluffy add-ons, and other strange-looking items. If this is something that your office gets into, you can even make a contest out of it where people will vote for the ugliest sweater at the party.
Control the Alcohol
If your party is taking place after-hours, then there’s nothing wrong with making alcohol available, whether it’s limited to eggnog or a few office favorites. You don’t want things to get out of hand, so make sure that you don’t allow outside alcohol to be brought in and you limit the number of drinks per person. Also, decide to make sure everyone gets home and, if needed, set aside an amount of money for Uber or another rideshare service.
Contact Elite Events & Rentals for Office Christmas Parties
Office Christmas parties are an absolute blast, but they often take a lot of hard work. Elite Events & Rentals can take some of the burden off by providing you with several different types of rental equipment that will help everyone enjoy the festivities. We can also decide to set up and take down tents, tables, chairs, and other items. If you have any questions about our services or would like to reserve anything, reach out by calling us at (727) 791-7082 today to schedule a free consultation.