Although you may be aware of the saying ‘business before pleasure’, that is not to say that the two should never be combined. Business parties, in fact, can deliver a host of benefits, not just for your own organisation but also for clients.
To get an insight into what business parties can do to help your organisation, read on.
A business party offers a great opportunity to develop positive working relationships with existing clients. Whether you choose to have a business breakfast meeting or hold a canape and cocktail reception, these events enable you to put faces with the names of people you may have only interacted with before by email or telephone.
Hold a party in the build-up to Christmas and you’ll have a fantastic opportunity to thank clients for their loyal custom during the past year and encourage them to continue to do business with you over the coming months.
It is also well worth hosting business parties for employees, as it gives your whole team the chance to celebrate any recent successes, socialise with one another and encourages a sense of togetherness within the workplace.
The annual Christmas bash is probably the most obvious business party you could put on for staff; it’s certainly one thing in the working calendar that many employees look forward to. Just having a single function a year can be somewhat disheartening for employees, so you might also want to have a party in the summer months. You could also host gatherings to highlight specific milestones, such as the anniversary your company was founded or to mark the day that your particular office opened.
As is the case with any party, it’s important to have it in the right location. That may be a local bar or popular restaurant. Alternatively, if your budget is a little tight you could decorate the office canteen and arrange for a catering company to serve food and drink.
Regardless of whether you have hundreds or thousands to spend on your party you should consider whether corporate gifts could be distributed at the party. For clients, a gift like a hamper or executive pen could act as a token of appreciation for their business over the past 12 months. For employees, you could use corporate gifts like a photo frame or mp3 player as long service awards, a raffle prize or an award for those who met certain financial targets during the year. If you opt for a photo frame, why not include a team photo for posterity? Or maybe a photo of the recipient on their first day at the office – or even an embarrassing snap of them at a previous shindig!
Arrange for the gifts to be printed with your company logo and a personalised message. On an executive pen the message could be engraved for a really high quality finish. For clients, branding is particularly important as the recipient should recall your company and brand every time they use the gift. Research from the British Promotional Merchandise Association indicates 87 per cent of people who receive promotional gifts keep hold of such items for over a year – which may be long enough for your brand to resonate in the minds’ of recipients until your next business party!
Are you planning to host a business party? We’d love to hear about your plans!
