Are you on the planning committee for your office Christmas party? If you’re not one of the lucky ones with an unlimited budget to splurge on seasonal fun, no doubt you’re wondering how to bring the cheer, without breaking the bank.

One thing that doesn’t cost anything is a festive spirit. With this, and a few simple tips, you can dazzle your guests, regardless of how much money you spend.

Tip 1 - share the costs

Think about all the people and businesses that you collaborate with on a regular basis. Perhaps everyone from your office gets their morning coffee at the cafe next door, or you work with a variety of suppliers within your industry. What are those people doing for their Christmas parties, and could you combine resources for an amazing event? The more the merrier, after all!

When you share the costs for venue hire, entertainment, decorations and party food catering in Sydney, your budget will stretch so much further. Best of all, everyone will get the chance to network with others in your industry, and start forging great working relationships for further success heading into the new year.

Tip 2 - find a free venue

Finding the right venue at the right price is perhaps the biggest headache associated with office Christmas parties. Especially when you can’t or simply don’t want to hold the event at the office. However, you don’t need a fancy venue to impress guests, you just need to make it ‘look’ fancy, in whatever form that takes for you.

So check out parks, recreational areas and community centres. Reducing this cost significantly enhances your ability to go for gold with decorations, entertainment and everything else that creates an atmosphere that has nothing to do with whether the venue is expensive or not.

Tip 3 - keep it simple with Christmas party catering in Sydney

Food is among the top highlights of any office Christmas party, so we all tend to overcomplicate catering. Forget about trying to impress with outrageously expensive gourmet, trendy or over-the-top menus and keep it simple.

A hot dog stand is a one-stop catering solution that’ll have everyone’s mouth watering from the smell alone. Or, why not opt for a wholesale relish supplier in Sydney and create scrumptious yet simple sandwiches and burgers?

If you want to provide alcohol, there are a few ways to reduce costs, along with any safety issues associated with having one too many. If you usually do a secret Santa gift exchange, ask everyone to contribute one bottle of their favourite wine or craft beer, instead. Create a signature cocktail that says something about your company, to serve alongside cheaper, non-alcoholic beverages.

Tip 3 - think outside the box for entertainment

You don’t need pricey entertainers to get your party started. Place interactive games on the tables, like Jenga, Scattergories and cards. Hire a photo booth and stock it with costumes to suit your company or event theme. To bring the sense of live music to your party, make use of a large screen TV or a projector to showcase a compilation of famous concerts, complete with screaming fans and everyone’s favourite tunes.

Finally? Remember that it’s the thought that counts - your office party doesn’t have to come with a huge price tag to ensure everyone has a spectacular time!