A member of your team is leaving to pastures new or retiring and you want to send them off with a bang, right? Yet no one likes drinking tea from styrofoam cups and eating a sad cake while someone makes an awkward speech - so this is the perfect time to find the right venue and give them a send off they deserve.
If you want to organise a leaving party that everyone will remember then we have just the list to help you do it.
Choose the Date
Firstly, you're going to want to choose the right date. The key to choosing the best date for a leaving party is to not have it too early, but not have it too late either. Sometime during their last week works perfectly, but ideally not their last day as there will already be too many things happening.
Timing is particularly important if it is going to be a surprise party – they may have other plans for their last day of work, as well as a final handover to colleagues. You don’t want a party to get in the way of this, regardless of whether or not you've secured the ideal venue.
Decide on the Guest List
Who is going to be invited?
If your company is large, you may not want to invite everyone, but it’s important to include all key team members. Consider whether you're still in touch with past colleagues—especially for a retirement party, they might enjoy a surprise invitation, bringing old friends together to reminisce about the good times.
Pick a Venue Around Popular Areas (perhaps look at bars or halls?)
Are you keeping the party in the office? Or will you be going out for lunch?
Perhaps the party would take place after working hours so that everyone can let their hair down, and if this is the case, deciding upon the right venue is imperative, as is the timing. Leaving party venues for hire in London range from a cosy private room or cocktail bar to a traditional venue for a truly memorable party, so be sure to know the type of atmosphere that you’re trying to create before searching.
Then, be sure to make sure that you've chosen a strong venue space in a good location so that everyone can return home safely afterwards. You might consider Hackney, Oxford Circus, Soho, Covent Garden, Liverpool Street, or explore venues around Islington or West London: this all depends on what exactly you're looking for, and where you can find the best transport links.
Order Food
No party is complete without food, full stop.
Whether this is pizza ordered on to the office or a meal out, everyone attending will expect some sort of food. This is also a great chance to show how well you really know your departing colleague by choosing something that you know they love to eat.
Perhaps you might ask around for hints about their favourite dish, or try to gather intel by beginning to pay extra attention to their food habits now - but regardless, note that the person leaving shouldn’t be asked to pay for their own meal.
Get Others to Contribute
You shouldn’t do this all by yourself, so
ask others to organise some parts of it and delegate tasks out. While one
person sorts the decorations, another can be sending out the invites. It’s important
that everyone attending chips into the cost as well – leaving parties don’t
always come out of the company budget. The more contributions that you have,
the more that you can do. Make sure you ask people early for their donations
and lay out your plans for the party, so they know exactly what they are paying
for.
Organise a Leaving Gift
A leaving gift is essential at this type of
event, but it can be really difficult to know what to buy for someone. The type
of gift will depend on how long they’ve been with the company, and whether they
are retiring or moving on – as well as their personality. If in doubt, a gift
card is always well received, but a joke present can be included as well so that
there’s something for you all to have a laugh about. Again, everyone should be
making a contribution to this, even those who can’t attend the actual party.
Make Time for Speeches
Is it even a leaving party if there aren’t
speeches? Maybe even a few tears? Make sure hen that you pick a time for these
to happen. Whether it’s before dinner or after you present the gift, make sure
that the person who is thanking your colleague knows when to expect it. Schedule it in and stick to it. While you
might all be having a great time, you’ll regret it if you miss out the
speeches!
Take a Group Photo
It’s a great idea to get a picture taken of the whole group so you can have a memento of the night, especially if it's a casual gathering or relaxed venue with personal overtones. This is something that you can send on to the colleague who’s leaving, as they might not have another picture of themselves with their work colleagues. If someone amongst you has a good camera, this is even better. Don’t forget to take some more snaps throughout the night as well!
Keep it Fun
While it’s a leaving party, it’s still a party, and no one wants it to be gloomy. Keep the talk centred around funny moments, and even organise an activity like karaoke or a bar 1st floor if your venue permits it. You want to ensure that the only tears at this leaving party are tears of laughter (or if they would enjoy a spooky party or like Halloween venues, surprise!).
At the end of the day, we want no more sad office parties! If someone is leaving your company, they are going to know that all of their hard work has been appreciated due to the epic party that you have thrown them.
No matter what venue you decide on, the atmosphere is what counts the most, so keep it upbeat: there really is no budget on hospitality.
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