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.
Hosting one of these parties gives 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 considering the best time to start looking for corporate summer party venues, earlier is always better! And then for the company summer party itself, note that you probably won't want it on a date when everyone is off on holiday. 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 for a Nice Place in the City
If you’re planning a corporate party, you’re going to want it to be as high class as possible whilst still sticking to a budget. Without a budget ahead of time, you can easily splash out too much on food and drink, not leaving anything behind 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.
Then, begin looking at areas: perhaps you want a sky garden in west London, or are checking out a list of venues with a good outdoor space in north London. Alternatively, you might consider a brewery near the Thames, or a unique venue with a full bar and restaurant in Soho. Frankly, the options are pretty much endless!
Step 3: Picking a Venue for Events (perhaps a terrace or garden), near Pall Mall?
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. Plus, they should have 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 might want to consider a BBQ-style party on a roof terrace or at a park venue: 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 next 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 you enjoy London summer parties where everyone can relax, then you should consider bringing in some form of entertainment. Luckily for you, there are plenty 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 team-building 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 fire pits 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 'do at a top summer party venue where everyone can 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.
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