To sit or to stand?

I get many questions from people with absolutely no experience organising parties or weddings.  One of the first questions needed to be answered is, will it be a sit down or stand up occasion.  There’s much to consider and if done wrong can leave your guests with a lot to grumble about.

Sit down functions are most popular for weddings and larger events and are the best way to enjoy a fabulous meal.  The problem with this style though is the dreaded seating plan, an event organisers enemy!  

Corporate functions where businesses are allocated an entire table make this option easy, but for functions such as weddings when most guests will come in a couple, or worse as a single careful planning is needed to get the seating just right.

Stand up events, also known as cocktail functions, present none of these problems as guests are free to mix and mingle as they please.  Food options are restricted mostly to finger food, but if this is plentiful can still make for a filling meal.  

The biggest consideration with cocktail functions is to have adequate seating.  If guests are elderly this may not be the option for you and regardless a variety of seating options must be on hand for all. 

Get the answer to this question right and your guests will be full of fun and fresh to hit the dance floor!

Tell us what you prefer.. to sit? or to stand?

Help! My Boss Wants Me to Organise a Fabulous Party, Pronto!

Help!  My Boss Wants Me to Organise a Fabulous Party, Pronto! 

Come October, my phone rings with people saying this a couple of times a day.  

The hapless PA who does a great job with the bookwork is probably not the best person for the job of organising a fabulous company function but often the person delegated this duty.
Corporate events present a unique set of issues and should all be carefully considered, there’s a lot riding on making the boss happy!  Here’s my top 5 things you should remember when organising the company function:

Ask questions:  Talk to the rest of your colleagues about what they might like, better yet, rope some in to help!   Suggestions on venue and themes are always great ones to put out to an all-staff email to be voted on.
Entertainment:  Don’t rely on alcohol and a change of scenery to keep everyone amused.  For a party to remember have quality entertainment high on your list of priorities.  Karaoke, comedian, magician are all popular selections and are sure to cater to all tastes.
Be organised:  Write lists and have a rough running sheet of the evening prepared.  These small points of organisation will ensure the night runs smoothly and most importantly allow you to have a shandy and a boogie on the dance floor to “My Sherona”.
Food:  A make or break aspect and will be different dependant on the culture of each workplace.  It’s unlikely that a mechanics workshop would enjoy a fine dining experience or that a law firm would like an all you can eat carvery at the local RSL.   Being sensitive to the uniqueness of your workplace is key and if that means a BBQ  in your bosses backyard then that’s alright.
You will not please everyone:  Every workplace has a party pooper.   Your boss may dance a little too close with Kimmy from reception and at least a handful of people will drink too much and be the subject of office gossip for months to come. 

All these things are out of your control.  If you understand that from the start you will be certain of having a successful shindig!