San
Diego for Company Holiday Parties
By Joan Burns, Event Planner Extraordinaire,
San Diego Events Specialist
School is back in session, football has
taken back the television on Monday night and the holidays are going to
be here before we know it.
The San Diego area in Southern California
offers an array of venues to hold the Company Holiday Party. And now is
the time to begin planning! You can choose from the beach, elegant
historic hotels, fascinating museums and even military venues where the
party can take on a patriotic theme. With the Pacific Ocean and great
beaches, the company Christmas Party easily can become a “Holiday Picnic
on the Beach”! And it is easy to have a Christmas Fiesta in San Diego.
There are many venues in Old Town where the original city was founded
and Cultural Centers in Balboa Park. The Hotel Del Coronado offers an
ice skating rink during the Holiday time where your guests can ice skate
with the waves of the ocean pounding the shore in the background. San
Diego’s downtown Gaslamp area has many unique restaurants that will
cater to your imagination and budget.
Companies and Corporations should certainly
take advantage of this festive time of year to host holiday events that
say thank you and show appreciation to clients, associates and
employees. But the thought of planning and executing a party of any sort
can be overwhelming, especially during seemingly hectic months.
If the responsibility of the holiday event
falls on your shoulders, here are some helpful hints to make your
planning go a little smoother and help you shine as the host:
1. SET YOUR BUDGET
Decide on how much you can spend
for your event. This will determine on how much you can spend on a
venue, food entertainment, gifts, etc. If your budget is tight, you may
have to use some creativity.
2. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Choose a venue that is convenient
for your guests and desirable. Make sure that parking is available or
least arrange for valet parking or a shuttle if parking is inconvenient.
(There are companies that you can hire for any period of time.) If you
are planning a themed holiday event, make sure that venue is conducive
to your party.
3. CREDIBLE CONTRACTS
As with any business agreement,
take the time to read the contracts you sign with vendors for your
holiday event. What is the deposit? What if you have to cancel, is it
refundable? What are your obligations? What are the vendors? Are there
any extra set-up charges? If you pay for the beverages, are you also
paying an extra bartender’s fee? What about venue clean-up? The bottom
line is making sure that you are aware of the details and you know what
you are signing.
Your holiday events should be hassle free so
that you can enjoy them just as your guests will. If your budget allows
outsourcing for the event planning, I strongly recommend that you use a
professional event planner. Then you can really enjoy the party without
the pressure. There is enough stress during the holidays. Your parties
and events don’t have to be. And San Diego has some great venues and
locations to make your Corporate Holiday event very memorable.
