Time to plan the Christmas dinner? It’s now!

1. It’s never too early to think about Christmas dinner

No matter how silly it may feel to start planning Christmas dinner with the air conditioning still running, someone has probably beaten you to it by reserving that ideal restaurant location you had your eye on last year.

The ideal time to start planning your Christmas company dinner is in September. Firstly, you’re still riding the post-holiday energy wave and haven’t yet returned to the hectic routine. Secondly, most of your coworkers likely haven’t finalized their holiday season plans, making it easier to choose a date without having to change it multiple times to accommodate everyone’s schedules. This brings us to point number 2

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2. It’s not possible to please everyone, so don’t even try

As December approaches, your options will become more limited as restaurants and venues fill up quickly, and the number of available dates decreases significantly. If you try to accommodate everyone, you may find yourself on December 15th without a set date, which is likely to lead to a disastrous situation.

Choose several possible dates and promptly share them with the invitees, setting a response deadline. This will help you identify the date that receives the highest acceptance. It’s statistically improbable to find a day that suits everyone unless you have a very small team, so it’s best not to attempt that

3. The budget (and the strategy of planning Christmas dinner in January)

The budget often acts as a barrier between intention and action, a common occurrence in any organizational endeavor. Furthermore, making an advance reservation allows for negotiations that can secure lower prices compared to the premiums associated with last-minute bookings. The ultimate cost will also be influenced by the choice of the event’s day; for instance, weekdays like Monday or Tuesday tend to be more cost-effective than popular weekend options. Keep in mind the potential for reduced attendance and productivity if you opt for an early-weekday event

For a festive beginning to the new year, some adventurous individuals host Christmas dinners in January, just after returning from their holidays. However, they do represent a small minority.

Another tip for those on a tight budget: instead of opting for the basic offerings at a high-end restaurant, such as lower-quality wine and a limited menu, consider choosing a family-run, perhaps traditional, or slightly off-the-beaten-path restaurant that focuses on showcasing local food and wine traditions. Last but not least, if you cannot accommodate the partners, spouses, and children of your coworkers, please inform them promptly and without embarrassment. While the purpose of the Christmas dinner is to express gratitude to the staff for their hard work, it doesn’t necessitate stretching your budget to accommodate twice as many people.

4. Entertainment

While entertainment isn’t obligatory, it can enhance the experience. Themed events are particularly effective in creating a convivial atmosphere. Of course, you may not be able to request your coworkers to dress as Elvis for a dinner party, but you can still introduce a thematic element to the evening. You can even ask the venue for suggestions, perhaps focusing on room decorations and a tailored menu

Creating the right atmosphere is key to ensuring that everyone enjoys the Christmas dinner, viewing it as a delightful opportunity to better acquaint themselves with their colleagues rather than a mundane obligation. If you have the option to include musical entertainment, consider it as a means to reinforce the chosen theme’s message. When organizing a dinner gathering for coworkers, have confidence that the enjoyment will naturally emerge through humor, playful banter, and friendly competition—diverting conversations away from business matters while sipping wine. These elements ring especially true for groups that have been working together for an extended period.

However, this sense of camaraderie can pose challenges for new members when they join a tightly-knit group. Being the newcomer at a table of close friends, trying to integrate into a group with its own established dynamics, can be intimidating. Newcomers might find themselves feeling isolated, scrolling through their phones, while their coworkers reminisce about past Christmas dinner events. On the contrary, organizing a themed event offers a focal point for everyone, creating shared experiences that enhance group cohesion

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