Joe Dodwell’s Post

🎄 How to Plan the Perfect Corporate Christmas Party 🎄 There's no getting away from it, Christmas is just around the corner, and if you haven't already, it's time to start planning your company’s Christmas party! A well-organized event can boost team morale, encourage camaraderie, and show appreciation for your employees’ hard work. Here are some tips to ensure your corporate Christmas party is a hit: Set a Budget 💰 Determine your budget early on to guide your decisions on venue, catering, entertainment, and decorations. Remember to allocate funds for special touches like employee gifts or raffle prizes. Choose a Theme 🎨 A theme can make your party more engaging and cohesive. Popular themes include Winter Wonderland, Retro Holiday, and Masquerade Ball. Let your theme guide your décor, entertainment, and dress code. Pick the Perfect Venue 🏢 Select a venue that reflects the tone of your event. Consider accessibility, capacity, and amenities. Whether it’s a chic hotel ballroom or a cosy restaurant, ensure it can comfortably accommodate your team. Plan the Menu and Drinks 🍽️ Decide whether you’ll have a sit-down dinner, buffet, or casual finger food. Ensure there’s a variety of options to cater to different dietary needs. Don’t forget festive drinks to add to the holiday cheer! Organise Entertainment and Activities 🎉 Keep your guests entertained with activities like a photo booth, live music, or a fun game. Consider hiring a professional entertainer or DJ to keep the energy high throughout the night. Don't forget, this is where we can help! Check out www.daubney.agency to find your perfect party act, or give us a call and let us help guide you. Send Invitations Early 📅 Send out invitations well in advance to ensure maximum attendance. Include all necessary details like date, time, venue, dress code, and RSVP instructions. Plan for Employee Recognition 🏆 Use this opportunity to recognise and reward your employees’ hard work. Consider giving out awards or small gifts to show your appreciation. Capture the Memories 📸 Hire a photographer or set up a photo booth to capture the fun moments. These photos can be shared on your company’s social media or in a year-end newsletter. By following these tips, you’ll create a memorable and enjoyable Christmas party that your team will talk about for months to come. 🎅🎁 #CorporateEvents #ChristmasParty #EventPlanning #TeamBuilding #EmployeeEngagement

🎄The Christmas party countdown is on🎄 I’ve been there… Juggling an ice machine that seems to produce 1kg ice per day (😱), folding 100’s of napkins, polishing 1000’s of forks a week, a team that consists of casuals or agency team members who feel like they lay tables slower than a 🐌 , driving average spend up via that extra shot, beer, or bottle of wine (whilst of course making sure we don’t break The Licencing Act!), keeping the energy up, AND making sure every guest leaves with a smile… 😮💨 Christmas party season in hospitality is intense, but with the right prep, it can be a huge success. And a LOT of fun too! I’m excited to share more details about my upcoming workshop, Leading The Ultimate Party Night, designed specifically for your HODs, Assistant HODs, and Supervisors. This is all about setting your team up to shine during the busiest time of the year! Here’s an outline of the topics we’ll cover: 🪄 Essential ops top tips for Christmas party nights 📋 Anticipating and mitigating common challenges 👏 Crafting engaging, inspiring briefings 💨 Delivering fast, efficient service with Christmas spirit 🧘♀️Handling difficult guests with professionalism 💷 Upselling stategies for maximum impact 🥳 Recognition and rewards: Keeping morale high during the festive season ❤️🩹 Supporting team member wellbeing throughout the festive rush If you're looking to ensure your team is ready to deliver The Ultimate Festive experience, this workshop is for you. 🫵 Available throughout November, it’s the perfect way to prepare your team to handle the holiday hustle like the pros they are! More details coming soon! Stay tuned! 👀 #ChristmasPartyNights #HospitalityLeadership #FoodAndBeverage #GuestExperience #TeamTraining #HospitalityExcellence

🎄Elevate Your Company’s Holiday Spirit with Established Drinks! 🎄 Is your team ready for a memorable holiday celebration? 🎉 Established Drinks is here to make your corporate Christmas party unforgettable. Now is the perfect time to start planning to ensure a spectacular event that everyone will be talking about well into the New Year! 📅 Why Book Early? 1. Prime Dates: Secure the best dates to avoid conflicts with personal holiday plans. 2. Venue Selection: Gain access to top venues before they get fully booked. 3. Customization: More time means more personalized touches to make your event unique. 🎁 Planning Tips for an Unforgettable Party 1. Set the Date: Avoid the week of Christmas to maximize attendance. Consider late November, early December, or mid-January 2. Choose Your Theme: Whether it's a festive photobooth, chocolate fountains and sweets, or a lip sync battle, make sure your theme is engaging and fun 3. Budget Wisely: Allocate your budget for venue, catering, and entertainment. Don’t forget transportation if alcohol is involved 4. Engage Your Team: Involve your employees in planning. Activities like scavenger hunts or reindeer games can boost team spirit 🥂 Established Drinks Services: The Unique Touch We specialize in creating bespoke cocktail experiences that will delight your staff. Our expert mixologists craft cocktails tailored to your theme, using the finest ingredients to ensure every sip is a celebration. Here’s why you should choose Established Drinks: - Expertise: Our professional bartenders and mixologists bring flair and creativity to every event. - Customization: Personalized cocktail menus that reflect your company’s style and preferences. - Engagement: Interactive cocktail-making sessions and tastings to keep your team entertained and engaged. 🎄Let's Get Started! Don’t let the Christmas break sneak up on you. Start planning your corporate Christmas party with Established Drinks service's today to ensure a joyous and stress-free celebration. Reach out now to book your unique cocktail experience and start organizing an unforgettable event! Tag your event planners and HR managers below and share your favourite Christmas party ideas! Let's make this one the best one yet! 🎉 #CorporateChristmas #HolidayParty #EventPlanning #OfficeFun #EstablishedDrinks By planning ahead with Established Drinks, you can create a magical experience for your team that fosters camaraderie and celebrates the year’s achievements. Let’s make this Christmas truly special! 🌟

🎄Did you know? Santa is 1,753 years old!🎄 📣 Announcing the season hospitality hates to love. We plan for a year, and it’s over in a flash! I bet you’ve been busy selling, but how much thought have your Ops leaders put into party night service? Are your leaders setup for success? Are your Team Members going to be ready? I’ve worked in hospitality since I was 15, and have served or managed WELL over 100 Christmas parties 🎉. Then add the weddings and events. 💪🏼 I know what the a great party/event looks like in a hotel. 💪🏼 I know how to run a strong team briefing. 💪🏼 I know how to get a F&B operation organised. 💪🏼 I know how to get an event space setup EFFICIENTLY so you can get 100s of guests in and out without a hitch. Introducing 🥁 Leading The Ultimate Party Night 🤩 A highly engaging, convenient, virtual workshop for your HODs, Assistant HODs, and Supervisors! This is all about setting your team up to shine (and drive revenue 💷!) during the busiest time of the year! Here’s an outline of the topics we’ll cover: 👏 Crafting engaging, inspiring briefings 📋 Anticipating and mitigating common challenges 💷 Upselling stategies for maximum impact 💨 Delivering fast, efficient service with Christmas spirit 🧘 Handling difficult guests with professionalism 🥳 Recognition and rewards: Keeping morale high during the festive season ❤️ Supporting team member wellbeing throughout the festive rush 🪄 Essential ops top tips for Christmas party nights If you're looking to ensure your team is ready to deliver The Ultimate Festive experience, this workshop is for you. 🫵 Tune in tomorrow for dates and details! #ChristmasPartyNights #Hospitality #FoodAndBeverage #GuestService #Banqueting #Christmas

Here’s some info on the new workshop!! Check it out!

We’ve worked with many of the country’s leading hospitality brands for the last 17 years and are acutely aware of the importance of advance planning for key campaigns. It’s interesting to see how different companies approach these key calendar events, particularly the big one; Christmas. We worked with one huge business who started planning for the festive season in January, as soon as the previous campaign ended! Talk about hit the ground running. We’ve also worked with businesses who’ve not contacted us about Christmas until 2 months before. A little late to take advantage of the company Christmas party bookings unfortunately. How are your plans for the festive season looking? Drop us a line if you need some inspiration and help delivering your key calendar events. #christmas #keycampaign #planning #hospitality # festive #calendar #season

The Corporate Christmas Party Chronicles 🎄. I know it's only October.......we haven't even got through Halloween yet 🎃 but I was driving home from a client today and started to panic as the person on the radio said Christmas was only 11 weeks or so away!! What?? I'm usually organised and everything sorted by the end of September, but this year - nothing, nada!! There's been so much going on!! But then, I just chuckled to myself and realised that owning my own business now means no Corporate Christmas planning and I can squeeze in some Amazon Prime shopping deals today/tomorrow surely?!! I certainly don’t miss the days of juggling the logistics for these events, where I was the unofficial party planner for multiple locations across the country. "What gifts should we do?" "Should partners be invited?" "What about dietary restrictions?" And don’t even get me started on the alcohol debate—"do we serve wine or stick to sparkling water because someone might be sober?" 🍷❌. Then there’s the communication overload: polls to see who wants what, endless emails about preferences, and trying to cater to every belief and tradition. All while secretly hoping no one whispers through the grapevine, “Is that all we’re worth?” 😅 With only 11 weeks and 1 day until the big day, I can only imagine how many parties have already been booked and gifts decided, and if you're still working through it all - Good Luck - I don't envy you at all!! I’m so glad I’m out of that whirlwind! Now, I can treat myself to what I want, when I want. No more worrying about pleasing everyone else; it’s all about me! 🎁✨. I've been invited to some client Christmas events, and meeting up with like minded professionals to do some "festive brainstorming" 🍾 🥂 which will be fun!! Cheers to self-care over corporate chaos! 🥳 ✳ What have you got planned?? #CorporateChristmasParty #PartyPlanning #OfficeParty #HRChallenges #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceFun #ChristmasInTheOffice #LogisticsNightmare #TreatYourself #HRConsulting #ThriveHRM

🎃🍁 It’s October, which means the Halloween decorations are out in full force, and before we know it, “All I Want for Christmas is You” will be playing on repeat. 🎶 As much as I love the festive vibes, it’s also a reminder that the holiday season is a prime time for meaningful connections—both personally and professionally. With the holidays right around the corner, now is the time to start being intentional about how you spend your time. It’s easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle, but strategic planning is key to making the most of the opportunities ahead. Here’s what I’m doing: Assessing My Valuable Time: Between personal gatherings and professional events, I’m thinking carefully about where to invest my time. Where can I both enjoy the experience and foster positive connections that will carry into the new year? Client Outreach: This is the perfect time to check in on clients, colleagues, and connections. A thoughtful message can go a long way—especially when it’s genuine and well-timed. Being Strategic About Events: I’m reviewing the groups and networks I’m part of and asking myself which events will bring the most value. Whether it’s a holiday party or an industry gathering, I want to make sure I’m showing up where I can truly engage and enjoy the experience. The holiday season is an opportunity to connect with purpose—don’t just fill up your calendar, be thoughtful about how and where you invest your time. What gatherings or events are you most excited for this season? Let’s share ideas below! #HolidayNetworking #BusinessDevelopment #IntentionalConnections #ClientOutreach #MaximizeOpportunities #SeasonOfConnection #StrategicPlanning

Leadership Scenario: Your company has asked you to host a party. Great! There is not a budget provided, no theme, expectations, or concern for how you have to pull it off. You must plan and accomplish results while doing your regular job responsibilities. In asking questions for clarity, you ask for a budget but are told to work within small means. You ask for expectations, a theme, and are told it has to be over the top amazing. Just get it done. You work day and night trying to plan this party to achieve maximum WOW. Countless phone calls trying to get the best food at a reasonable price. You create decorations by hand to keep down costs. You spend time with your servers’, bar staff, kitchen staff, setting expectations. You put the decorations up yourself. You sit on your floor putting together swag bags for hundreds of attendees. It’s the day of the party and you managed to pull it all together. People are eating, drinking, dancing and having fun. You are the perfect hostess bouncing around to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves and that every banquet worker has what they need. Of course, doing this means you are not able to enjoy the party yourself but that’s okay. It’s not about you. The people who refused to help you host the party are secretly criticizing your decorations, the food choices, your theme, what you wore, the music you chose, and that you did not spend enough time with staff and guests. You were so busy attending to everyone that you did not notice to whom these people were complaining. It’s the end of the event and you realize no one knew how many hours you put in, the amount of work you did, or that you spent your own money to accomplish the goal. No one even bothers to say thank you. That’s okay. You’re exhausted but proud of yourself. The next day you are brought into a room by the people who asked you to host the event. You are anticipating a thank you for all you have accomplished. Instead, they criticize everything you did or said. You asked too many questions, you couldn’t maximize your budget, you weren’t seen enough at the party and why did you not cook the food yourself? You delegated small tasks to others. You didn’t scold the server who spilled a few glasses. You let those that helped you throughout the prior night go home early. The list seems unending and it is in the form of a disciplinary action. They won’t provide you the opportunity to explain and by the way, where would you even start? The list is so long. They conclude by asking you to host another big party, starting today, with a quick turn-around. What is your first thought? Where did this go wrong?

In need of more staff last minute? As the festive season approaches, we know how hectic it can get, especially with seasonal colds and flus making the rounds. Imagine the relief of knowing that when illness strikes or staffing needs change at the last minute, you can count on us to step in. We're here to give you the peace of mind you deserve during this busy time of year, allowing you to focus on creating unforgettable experiences for your guests. So, if you find yourself in a pinch this season, remember: just one call to Chefs and Events Staffing is all it takes to secure the help you need. We've got your back! Save us on speed dial! 😉 📞 0330 1181 222 ✉️ personnel@chefsandevents.co.uk #ChefsAndEventsStaffing #LastMinuteStaffing #EventPlanning #CateringSupport #EmergencyStaffing #PeaceOfMind #FluSeason #Events2024 #HospitalityHeroes #StaffingSolutions #EventProfessionals #CateringIndustry #SupportLocalBusinesses