It's that time of year again, with excitement building towards Christmas and the traditional end-of-year work celebration. If you're in charge of planning your office Christmas party, getting organised now will mean you're well ahead of the game. After all, you want to be able to enjoy the party, knowing that all the hard work is done and everything will run smoothly!

Here are our top tips for planning your office Christmas party.

1. What's your budget?

It’s important to determine your budget from the outset, and then stick to it. This also means deciding what format the event will take, for example whether you will offer live entertainment, incorporate team-building activities or hold an awards ceremony.

Once you know how much you have to spend overall, and what you need to spend it on, you can allocate funds to each aspect of the event in order of importance.

You can maximise your budget by shopping around for group discounts, and package deals.

2. Get in early to book an appropriate venue

Depending on where you'd like to hold your office party, getting in early is the key to securing a fantastic venue. Organise the guest list and decide whether a day or night event is more appropriate. Search your local area for venues or areas that are capable of hosting the number of people who will be attending.

Make sure that everyone is catered for. If children are invited, an outdoor space may be more suitable, so you can organise structured activities. When the majority of your staff members are young, consider hosting the event in a central city location, so the party can continue after the main event.

3. Pick a theme

If you really want to get into the Christmas spirit, choose a themed party. Having a theme allows you to generate excitement in the lead-up, and gets the event off to a great start. Consider asking everyone to come in costume, or have themed entertainment for added fun.

For office parties geared more towards networking and award ceremonies, you can still have a theme by incorporating a colour scheme, dress code and decorations that highlight your company's vision and fit in with the style of the business.

4. Christmas party catering Sydney

Now that you've chosen a venue and the theme, the next item on the list is the catering.

Investigate party food catering in Sydney to determine the best choice for the style of your event and the mood you’re looking to create.

For example, if you're holding an outdoor, family-friendly function, a hot dog stand combined with a coffee cart and ice-cream is a fun option that will definitely keep kids and adults alike happy!

Make sure you cater correctly for the number of guests as well. The annual Christmas party is a way of thanking staff for all their hard work throughout the year, and there’s nothing worse than running out of food and drink before the event is over!

5. Ask for extra help

Though planning an office Christmas party can be exciting and fulfilling, it also comes with plenty of challenges – especially when you have your usual workload to complete as well.

If you're having trouble staying on top of the details, get some help. This is definitely one event that will be easier to organise with a small team involved. Even being able to delegate to one or two others will assist you in pulling everything together into a cohesive event that everyone will love.

Lastly, but most importantly, remember that it's your party as well, so don't forget to relax and let your hair down once the hard work is finished!