Summer’s officially passed and as exciting or as depressing as it may sound, the build up to Christmas is almost upon us. With the economic climate looking slightly less grey than last year, event planners seem optimistic about what the festive season has in store. Research showed that on average just one in four employees were lucky enough to receive an invitation to a corporate Christmas event in 2009 which was a worrying statistic for those involved in the events industry. This year however it appears that venues are already being booked up in advance which would suggest that things are in fact looking up.
It is fair to say that many organisations are still feeling the pinch of the recession and the thought of splashing out on a glitzy champagne fuelled Christmas spectacle is enough to turn ones stomach. This is however a burden that can be efficiently managed to be kept at an affordable cost without compromising a spectacular atmosphere. A couple of years back the industry saw companies splashing out 10s of 1000s on huge events, covering the costs of Limo hire and hummer hire expensive champagne and amazing entertainment. These last two years however have seen an increase in package deals to suit every budget which allow companies to put on an impressive corporate event without blowing the bank. When planning a Christmas event whilst working to a budget, it is hugely important to look closely through each package and make sure that there is nothing that inflicts unnecessary cost. Many event organisers now enable their customers to tailor-make their own packages to suit their specific needs.
Below are some tips that will help you keep your costs down this Christmas:
1. Be flexible with the date: The Saturday before Christmas is definitely the wrong night for your Christmas party unless you want to splash out and book way in advance, at least for a worth while venue. There are a lot of venues that offer great mid-week prices which is an option that is well worth looking at. Another option is to hold your Christmas party earlier on in the month as it’s quieter period and this is reflected in the price.
2. Choose your suppliers carefully: If you require outside caterers or external equipment such as furniture hire it is a lot more efficient to source these locally as delivery charges can work out to be very expensive. For example if you’re looking for crockery hire Surrey, type this search term into your search engine and it will come up with a list of local suppliers.
3. Tax Entitlements: As long as it is an annual event and open to all employees you are able to claim back tax on all expenses as long as the costs work out to below £150 per head. This means that keeping a close eye on costs will reward you even more in the wider picture. Anything over that amount and you will not be able to claim back a single penny.
4. Transport: Remember Christmas is a time for celebrations, alcolhol is a big part of getting in the party mood. Drink driving is a big NO, so to be able to relax and enjoy your festivities hire a hummer from Limo Hire Coventry part of American Limousine Company Coventry, they operate in The Midlands, covering Limo Hire Birmingham Limo Hire Leicester, Hummer Hire Northampton, Hummer Hire Rugby and throughout the UK, the Hummers and limos are amazing from 8 seats to 16 seater legal hummers with a COIF ( certificate of Initial Fitness ) all with mood lighting, Lazers, full Bars and VIP area
Follow these pointers and it is likely that you will be able to save some valuable pennies whilst being able to reward your staff for all their hard work in 2010.
