How to organize a corporate cocktail party?

Steps to perfect organization for a corporate cocktail party

To organize a truly memorable corporate cocktail party, it's essential to have excellent organizational skills, and to know which steps are essential for success.

Before you start, you need to know why you should organize a corporate cocktail party
There are many reasons why you might want to organize a company cocktail party: to celebrate results, to bring all your staff together, or to celebrate the end of the year or the summer.
The key is to make it a festive occasion, while putting aside the serious side of the business and keeping it in a style that reflects the company's image. 
You may have one or more objectives in organizing this corporate cocktail party: reinforcing the quality of life at work and synergy between employees and teams, meeting customers or partners in a less formal way, creating new working relationships...

Step 1: define the cocktail budget

The first thing you need to consider is the budget you have available for the entire corporate cocktail party. To do this, you need to be aware of all the costs and expenses that will be required to make it run smoothly. 
The budget varies according to the size of your event (number of guests) and the level of service you wish to offer.

Here are the different expenses to consider:

- Site rental 
- Rental of event facilities such as a structure, if required.
- Furniture and decoration (tables, chairs, flowers, table decorations, seats...)
- Ambient effects (lighting, sound system, electronic equipment, etc.);
- Catering
- Entertainment during the cocktail party;
- Personnel required for the event (security guard, cook, service, maintenance, etc.);
- Invitations;

Step 2: defining the reception venue

Before you can start choosing furniture, entertainment and catering, the first mandatory step is to choose your reception venue for the cocktail party. It's the venue that will determine all your possibilities.

In fine weather, it's best to choose an outdoor venue, so that your guests can get out and enjoy the warmth and sunshine. The outdoor space can also be completely set up to accommodate the entire cocktail party.

You can, for example, set up several small nomadic stretch tents to accommodate the buffet and the evening's entertainment. Or you could install a more substantial structure to shade the reception area. Firmenich, for example, asked Atawa to install a stretch tent, a wood deck structure and then a deck structure on their office terrace over 3 consecutive years. 
Depending on the theme and mood you want to set, you can opt for Scandinavian or country-style furniture.

Most of the time, guests at a cocktail party spend more time standing than sitting, the aim being to socialize. However, chairs should be provided so that they can rest and even eat without difficulty. 
In cold or gloomy weather, cocktails can be held in a closed hall or marquee, if you can't find a large enough room, or if you want to take advantage of an exceptional setting or a beautiful view. 
In fact, the advantage of a marquee over a hall is that it's totally modular, allowing you to adapt it to the number of guests. What's more, it's possible to add heaters under certain structures to keep your guests warm throughout the cocktail party.

Don't forget that each of your guests, especially in winter, will have a coat. So you'll need to set aside an extra room to be used as a checkroom.
To hire the right high-end furniture for your corporate cocktail party, you can call on a professional events specialist like Atawa.

Step 3: choose your caterer

Unless you have a catering company, the simplest choice is still to use a professional catering service. Make a selection of caterers who operate near the reception venue and contact them to present the event you wish to organize. 
Caterers offer a wide range of catering options, from one-size-fits-all menus to mixed menus and buffets. Your choice will undoubtedly depend on the number of guests. For example, it's risky to impose a single menu on 100 people; a buffet would be more appropriate.

With a smaller number of guests, you may want to choose the menu option, asking everyone about their preferences and any allergies they may have. In this case, additional staff will be required for service.

Step 4: plan entertainment

At a reception like this, what's important is to socialize, spend time with your staff and share great experiences or ideas; cocktails and food will help you do this. 
Think about the guests: do they all know each other, are they close friends, are there any new people or children? These are all questions that will help you create the right atmosphere. 
There aren't really any rules when it comes to entertainment - anything goes, depending on your objectives when organizing this corporate cocktail party.

If you want to bring in musicians or a DJ, don't forget to provide the appropriate facilities. It's possible to install a customized podium and set up all the lighting and sound systems for a festive cocktail reception!

Let event professionals organize your corporate cocktail party

Relying on a professional event planner like Atawa is the perfect solution for managing a corporate cocktail party.

Even if you're perfectly organized and follow our advice, organizing a cocktail party requires time and attention to detail. The surest way to organize a perfect corporate cocktail party is to call on event specialists who are used to managing this type of event from start to finish.