Altameroy Blog

“Holiday entertainment planning is a serious business - a lot
happens behind the scenes, long before the CEO says thanks for a
job well-done”, says Incredible BORIS (Boris Cherniak). Around
this time of the year, human resources managers and company CEOs
are asking the age-old question - How do we make our holiday
event an affair to remember? After all, we are simply trying to
thank the employees, suppliers and their families for a job well
done throughout the year. We also want this event to motivate
the group to be happy and productive in the future. This is a
more difficult task that may appear from outside.

“The people planning functions have an enormous task of fitting
into the ever-shrinking budgets while keeping party-goers
satisfied,” says Boris Cherniak, corporate event planning
professional, comedy hypnotist entertainer and motivational
speaker.

Here is a helpful checklist of planning an affair for the
holidays (as provided by Boris Cherniak): 1. Budget. Break down
all the amounts allocated to each task then you can have a clear
view of how much room you have to play. Spend it wisely and know
what your limitations are. The old rule of thumb is you get what
you pay for. If it appears too inexpensive, it may be the
inexperience or you will not be getting what you expected. Get
the best value possible with the resources you have available.
It is easy to spend ANY budget. You may have to make a few
sacrifices. What gets eliminated first and what should be kept
at any cost? Always keep in mind of what the overall impression
by the attendees will be. Leave a lasting impression. 2. Number
of people in attendance - estimate the number of people expected
at the party. Keep in mind that a small percentage may not
attend due to lack of babysitters, illness or vacation. 3. Book
banquet hall facilities, venue location. Pick a location that is
convenient for your group with amenities like transportation,
parking, etc. 4. Food and catering - dinner / lunch, drinks or
buffet - most halls will offer you different choices of meal
options, hors d’oerves, desserts and per person amounts. Make
sure there are enough choices for all tastes. 5. Schedule and
timing. It is easy to under-estimate the amount of time a
function will take due to many unforeseen circumstances. Factors
such as how long the speeches will take, time to bring out the
food or attendees arriving late due to a freak snowstorm or
traffic. This can change the dynamic of your event - plan
accordingly and have a contingency plan. 6. Entertainment -
comedian, hypnotist, juggler, psychic, magician, DJ and dancing,
party games. Entertainment is a wonderful way to make your event
memorable. Entertainment comes in many budgets and styles. Pick
a solution that will not only make the company and event planner
look good, but will leave a lasting impression on the attendees.
Explore different options best suited to your group. Local or
national performers can be considered. Many are available on the
web and could be your first place of inquiry. Many agencies have
a roster of people they can suggest. Never forget to look within
your company for entertainment suggestions and talent (in every
company there is a band or a disk jockey that would be more than
happy to accommodate your budget and show off their talents).
Keep in mind that entertainers are extremely busy during the
holiday season - leaving booking your entertainment until the
last minute is not a good idea as your date may no longer be
available. 7. Sound, lighting, projection equipment and audio
visual materials - Have a run-through and make sure everything
is in place before your audience arrives so that you don’t have
to deal with “technical difficulties”. 8. Accommodations for any
out of town guests and transportation to and from the airport.
9. Taxi cabs for anyone that over-indulges in the open bar
concept and to avoid liability. 10. Registration - name cards
for your guests, open seating or pre-arranged seating plan. 11.
Awards, door prizes and giveaways. Many of these can be donated
by your suppliers or provided to you at their cost for your
holiday event. It shows good faith, and don’t be surprised if
the suppliers return the favor. 12. Party theme and décor -
color scheme, chair covers, centerpieces, flowers, ice
sculptures. One of the more unique ideas I saw recently was a
sports theme, where instead of elegant centerpieces, sports
memorabilia was placed in the center of the tables, which was
available for the guests to take home - these included running
shoes and football helmets. 13. Dress and attire. Let the
attendees know what to expect to wear - formal, casual or
business attire. We all heard a story of a prank where a person
is invited to a pajama party when it’s a formal affair. 14.
Invitations or a simple announcement in the company newsletter
and bulletin board. 15. Contracts. Commit to the people you will
be doing business with, since it usually is done on a first come
basis. Halls, performers and caterers have limited availability.
Be decisive and direct. Most people will give you a price range
that would depend on your choice of options. Many event
suppliers will require deposits to commit. 16. Presentations -
keep the speeches brief and to the point. Number of speakers
should be kept down to a minimum. After all, people are there to
be social and not to be lectured. 17. Everyone wants to have a
party on a Saturday. You may find that having an alternate day
of the week may greatly reduce your expenses and make it easier
to hire entertainment and book your venue. Also, consider having
your function early afternoon. A lunch is less expensive than a
seven-course dinner. 18. Include a table for the crew,
entertainment and other behind-the-scenes people. They, at times
forget to eat to make sure your event runs smoothly. Show them
the spirit of the holiday season and include them in your
celebrations. 19. If your business is busy during the holiday
season, consider having your event earlier or later. It should
not make a difference if your function is held in November or
January instead of December. 20. Have a cell phone handy for any
last-minute emergencies the day of your event. If a cell phone
is not an option (no signal or simply unavailable), make sure
your suppliers have the venue address and phone number. Your
function will be attended by people from many walks of life and
backgrounds - politically correct term is Holiday Party. Make it
chic, memorable and fun. Have people walk away saying - I had a
great time, that was incredible.” He is a wordsmith comedian,
observer and commentator on society quirks, obsessions and
stereotypes. Incredible Boris is not just a stage name, but also
a way to describe a positive attitude and a constant state of
mind. The Incredible Boris is an expert in psychology, hypnosis,
body language, power of suggestion and human behavior. He
authors a popular ezine “power words and phrases” through his
web sites www.comedywood.com or www.IncredibleBORIS.com or
www.HypnotistShow.com Boris has been featured on numerous
television programs, including Montel, Howie Mandel Show and the
prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Boris’
self-hypnosis Relaxation and Motivation CD is available through
his web site or as a giveaway to complement his performance at
your company’s function during this holiday season. Happy
Holidays.