There are two parties in the office calendar that really count - the infamous Christmas party and the summer party. Although it hasn't always been a stalwart, it's quickly becoming more popular and some of the best venues for hire in London get booked out sharpish. Whether you're looking for a blank canvas space for your DIY summer party ideas, or a venue that comes fully furnished and prepared, check out our list of great spaces for your work summer party:
Oxford Circus
Sumptuous and unforgettable private dining room with natural light
North West London
A world class sporting venue in leafy St John's Wood.
Westminster
Stunning bright venue with 360° view and contemporary interiors
As the weather heats up, we invariably start to think of beaches, cocktails… and a day that we don’t have to spend in the office. Just like Christmas, summer is a time that has a natural holiday feeling to it, which is why more and more companies are hosting summer parties for their employees. It’s a chance for everyone to unwind and it’s always great to know that your boss appreciates all you do enough to let you have a day off work to enjoy the sun. Organising a party like this has its own pitfalls, so here are a few steps to help you plan.
Step 1: Choose Your Day
When to have your corporate summer party is
always the question. You don’t want it on a date when everyone is off on holiday,
but it still has to be in summer. The middle or end of July seems like a good
halfway point. The weather should be good, but hopefully won’t be at the scorching
highs that London can reach in August. One rule of organising a summer party,
is to always have it on a work day. While you might like the idea of everyone
bringing their family on a Saturday, the reality is, that no one wants to give
their weekend up to work, no matter what the reason. As it’s summer, kids will
be off of school anyway, so it’s still possible to invite them along.
Step 2: Budget
If you’re planning a corporate party, you’re
going to want it to be as high class as possible and knowing how much you
actually have to spend is the first step in achieving this. Without a budget
ahead of time, you can easily splash out too much on food and drink, and not
leave anything left over for hiring any entertainment. Planning is the key to
any successful event and this all starts with the person who holds the purse
strings. If your boss isn’t sure of a budget, come up with a working plan and
estimates so they can approve it for you in advance.
Step 3: Picking a Venue
Picking the perfect venue for a corporate
party is maybe the most important part of planning. As it’s summer, you’ll have
to carefully consider the type of venue that will be able to accommodate everyone
and still make it enjoyable. The best way to do this is to find a venue that is
a mixture of indoors and outdoors. There’s a wide variety of summer party venues
for hire in London, and the best of them have a large outdoor area for everyone
to congregate and enjoy the sun, as well as an indoor section that will be both
out of the direct heat, and a place to shelter in the case of adverse weather!
Step 4: Food and Drink
Without good food and a fair amount of
drink on offer, you’re not going to have any type of party. Secure your
caterers as soon as you have a venue and discuss with them ideas for how you
want to serve up. As it’s summer, you could go for a BBQ style party. This
helps to create a relaxed feeling throughout the group, which is perfect for
when you just want a day to wind down and not have to think about work. The
caterers will be able to look after everything, but you should also consider
hiring some bartending staff to keep the drinks flowing. Plenty of ice is of
course going to be needed if the day is extra hot!
Step 5: Do Something Good
Why not have your summer party be in aid of
a local charity? Have everyone give a donation and invite someone from the
charity to speak at your event. This is a great way to not only let everyone
have a day off to enjoy themselves, but also allow them to give back to their
community. There’s nothing better than knowing that you’ve done something that
will benefit others. It might even encourage some people to get even more
involved with the charity and organise more sponsored events throughout the
year.
Step 6: Entertainment
If this is a summer party for everyone to
relax, then they are going to expect some form of entertainment. There are
loads of unusual entertainment options out there, and many can be modified to
work in either an indoor or outdoor setting. A good idea is inviting your local
circus school to come along and not only entertain everyone with what they can
do, but host taster sessions to let people have a go themselves. This can be a
great way to unwind and can double as a teambuilding exercise.
Step 7: Night Time
Like most good parties, it’s likely that your
corporate event will still be going as the sun goes down. While it might still
stay warm and balmy, summer nights can be surprisingly cool, so you will need
to have thought this through. Introducing fire pits can create a great
atmosphere as well as adding warmth and are perfect to sit and chat around.
Providing blankets is also advised to keep the chill away. If you’re not having
firepits but heaters instead, you’ll still need to think about lighting for the
outdoor venue. No one likes to be left sitting in the dark.
The summer is made to be enjoyed, which is
why it’s so important to organise a corporate summer party for everyone to be able
to have a day out in the sunshine. Once you’ve finalised what day it’s on and
hired of the perfect summer party venue, you’ll be surprised by how easily the
rest falls into place. Giving you plenty of time to grab a drink and enjoy the
best of the British summer.
