How to Plan a Holiday Party that’s Worth People’s Time

The end of the year brings on a frenzy of work parties, get-togethers, school events, holiday shopping and more. Creating an holiday party that breaks through all the noise takes careful planning and execution, with great consideration about your audiences’ time, preferences and needs.

Getting Started with Holiday Party Planning

The sooner you can get on people’s calendars, the better. So, determine a date, budget and timeline for the holiday event and planning process, and quickly.

Remember, venues book up fast, with just a handful of Fridays and Saturdays to work with before the new year. You may need to consider other days or times that might work for your particular event and audience. Remember to prepare for any weather or other unforeseen circumstances that might affect your plans.

After you’ve locked in you day, date and budget, it’s time to conduct market research. This will help you understand the types of events your holiday party will be competing against:

Check out community calendars and competitor’s websites for other holiday events.
Start a spreadsheet to record information about each event’s theme, target audiences, planned activities, ticket prices, etc.
Review the marketing of competing events, such as event websites, social media posts on and offline promotions.

When you understand what your holiday party is up against, you can consider offering a unique differentiator, such as a theme, special activity or exclusive sale. This will be key in persuading your audience to register for your holiday event. So, be sure to emphasize it in any marketing or promotions.

Holiday Event Themes and Activities

A themed event provides an anchor for planning your event. But, be mindful of how any activities or themes could impact who can attract to your event. For example, if you’re planning an event for a general audience, you may be more successful if you stray away from religious traditions. Incorporating these elements could be beneficial, however, if they align with your audience’s values.

Here are some themes and activities for inspiration:

Winter Wonderland
Holiday Hoedown
Holiday Movie Night or Series
A Light Show
Ugly Holiday Sweater Party
Pajama Party
Fun Runs or Polar Plunges
A Gift Exchange
Christmas Tree Auction
A Visit from Santa
Black Tie NYE
Candle Making
Christmas Cookie Bake Off
Holiday Bar Pop-up
Gingerbread House Competition
Crafting Classes for Wreaths or Ornaments

If successful, the holiday party you plan may provide your organization brand power year after year. Take for example the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For nearly a century, people have looked forward to the annual event; and thus, have positive associations with the brand and those tied to it. In fact, the three-hour holiday spectacle has become so successful over the years that companies will shell out $120,000-300,000 to sponsor the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade .

Boost Ticket Sales with Marketing and Promotions

Cross-channel marketing campaigns are a must when promoting any event. So, create a robust plan for direct invitations and email, social media promotion, digital and print advertising.

Reflect on your initial competitor’s analysis to evaluate successful ways you might market your holiday event. And remember, holidays are about cheer, giving and savings. So, consider how you might incorporate these elements within your promotional messaging.

Themed Marketing Campaigns:
Get inspired by the traditional advent calendar or the “12 days of Christmas” to create a countdown to the event. Each day, you could host a giveaway, encourage engagement, share photos from past events or teasers for the upcoming event.

Referral Codes and Gifts:
Incentivize people to invite friends, family, and contacts to your event. With Ticketbud, you can issue unique referral codes to those who’ve already registered for your event. Event organizers have the ability to track these codes. So, if the code is shared and used, the person who shared it could be entered in a raffle or receive a discount from the organizers.

And while it’s fun to receive gifts, the holidays are a time for giving. Using ticket sales to raise money for a meaningful cause or local charity may also influence people to take part in the event. So, make sure you have the ability to add donation options with your ticket sales.

Sales and Discounts:
Early bird sales are an effective way to get people to commit to your event before their calendar fills up. These sales are enticing because they offer discounted ticket rates for a limited amount of time, forcing the buyer to act fast.

To motivate a greater influx in sales ahead of your event, you might also incorporate specialty promotions in conjunction with Black Friday or Cyber Monday. For tips on hosting holiday sales, check out “Tis the Season to Save: Hosting Holiday Sales to Sell More Tickets to Your Events.

How Ticketbud Can Help Plan Your Holiday Party

Ticketbud allows event organizers to create a free event website and host registration for free and paid events. Our site offers a suite of ticketing and communication tools to make event coordination easier before, during, and after the event.

The Ticketbud ticket editor can be used to create and sell a range of ticketing options, such as individual or group tickets, early bird or regular sale tickets, general admission or VIP tickets, and more. Organizers are also able to edit and automate sales timelines, so they can set it and forget it.

Ticketbud also allows event organizers to communicate with attendees via email directly from the ticketing platform. Use it to send important information about venue access and check-in leading up to the event, or to issue thank you emails and gather feedback after the event. Learn more about how Ticketbud works and how we can help ease the stress of holiday event planning.

A Complete Event Planning Checklist

Planning an event can be an exciting but daunting task. Whether you’re planning a fundraiser, corporate conference or a private gathering, making your event a success requires meticulous planning. Below, we offer a complete event planning checklist to help you plan and execute a memorable and successful event.

Pre-Planning Checklist: 4-6 Months Before the Event

Before diving into the details of your event planning checklist, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your event’s purpose and objectives. Ask yourself what you aim to achieve with this event. Are you raising funds for a cause, celebrating a milestone, or launching a product? Consider who the right people are to help achieve those goals – think: partners, vendors, sponsors, staff, volunteers, etc. Having the right people in place and clearly defining your objectives sets the tone for the rest of the planning and process.

In this stage, be sure to:

Identify goals and objectives
Identify key audience
Pick a date
Pick a venue
Outline a budget and set KPIs
Put together a planning committee
Develop a timeline
Create branding for the event
Determine pricing strategy
Determine a marketing strategy, including social media, email, web and any print or broadcast advertising
Identify and reach out to potential partners or sponsors
Begin negotiations with entertainment or speakers
Select a registration software or ticketing system
Announce event and registration dates to audiences

Get the Ball Rolling: 3-4 Months Before the Event

At this point, the event date is set and you should be rolling full steam ahead with planning. It’s important to secure partnerships, such as sponsors and collaborators, early on. These relationships will help amplify your event promotions as you build interest and anticipation for your event. Consider hosting early bird sales to lock in audiences that are already engaged with you. These folks can also help spread the word about your event.

In this stage, you’ll need to:

Develop workflow for planning committee
Balance the budget with potential spending and expected revenue earned from sponsorships and ticket sales
Secure early sponsorships and funding to cover early event costs
Create an event website and open registration
Execute marketing and promotions strategies
Finalize agreements and pay deposits for venue, vendors and entertainers
Launch early-bird registration
Boost marketing efforts
Monitor sales and determine if any other special sales or promotions are needed

Ramp up Sales and Promotions: 1-2 Months Before the Event

It’s time to spread the news far and wide about your event. Finalize and use event details, such as partnerships or novel experiences, to pique interest and build interest in your event. Tease your audiences with news about what they can expect and encourage those who have already committed to refer others to your event.

During this phase, it’s important to:

Lock-in sponsorships, partnerships, entertainment
Develop run-of-show to share with planning committee, event partners, vendors, entertainment, etc
Update event website with more finalized details (speaker/entertainment/partner info)
Incorporate all finalized details into event promotions to pique more interest and sales
Organize marketing campaign around sponsors, entertainment, speakers, etc
End early bird sales and activate general ticket sales
Meet with all sponsors, partners, vendors and entertainment to lay out plans and expectations for the day of the event
Encourage referrals to boost registration
Finalize any design or printing projects for day-of event (programs, posters, etc)
Develop contingency plans in case of weather, vendor or other planning issues
Send out event reminders to contact lists and other audiences

Tie Up Loose Ends: 1-3 Weeks Before the Event

The last month leading up to your event is your chance to review your entire event planning checklist thus far. Start thinking about what your event will look like from start to finish, run it by all who are involved and ensure you have all the people and mechanisms in place to execute it successfully. Additionally, if your ticket sales have become stagnant and you’re worried about attendance, it may be time to consider last-minute sales or promotions.

During this time period, complete the following:

Review and edit run-of-show
Regroup with event committee
Recruit and prep any event volunteers or staff
Check in with all vendors and review day-of plans (catering #s, tech needs, seating arrangement, etc)
Review all technology or presentation needs and materials, print copies and save on multiple devices
Send event reminders to all confirmed ticket holders with any pertinent information within a week of the event
Identify any photo-ops
Organize any day-of or post-event marketing strategies
Prepare for check-in and on-site registration (name badges, ticket readers, etc)
Invite media – issue media release
Close sales or run last minute promotions if needed

The Calm Before the Storm: 1 Day Before the Event

Today is the culmination of all of your preparation, when all the pieces come together to show the exact potential of the event you’ve been planning. During set-up, work closely with your event stylists to create a cohesive and visually appealing atmosphere that matches the theme and purpose of your event. Pay attention to details like table settings, lighting, signage, and seating arrangements to enhance the overall experience.

To prepare:

Communicate last-minute needs and expectations with planning committee, volunteers and staff
Set-up physical space
Hang/display signage
Ensure you have copies of important materials
Test technology and ensure you have a back-up plans in place in case of loss of power, internet,etc

It’s Showtime: the Day of the Event Checklist

Take a deep breath. The day you’ve been preparing for is finally here. And because of your careful planning, you’re ready for it. On the day of the event, coordinate with your team and vendors to ensure everything runs smoothly. Assign someone to manage logistics, oversee the schedule, and handle any unexpected issues that may arise. Be prepared to adapt and make quick decisions as needed.

Arrive early (ask partners, volunteers, committee members to do the same)
Greet all partners, sponsors, vendors, volunteers
Distribute copies of run-of-show to volunteers, vendors, speakers, etc
Keep calm

Follow-Up Checklist: 1 Week After the Event

After the event, be sure to show gratitude to all of your attendees, partners and vendors while the experience is still fresh in their minds. This is important to preserve trusting, working relationships. Use your follow-up as an opportunity to gather feedback from everyone involved. This information will help you evaluate the success of your event, identify areas for improvement, and allow you to make informed decisions for future events.

Within the a week of your event, consider the following:

Send thank you email to all attendees, along with a short survey about the event
Send thank you to venue/vendors/entertainers and request any feedback about the partnership or the event itself
Send personal handwritten thank you cards to sponsors, entertainers or major partners
Post any highlights from event to website and social media – consider sharing these moments in your thank you letters and emails as well
Review spending and revenue

Post-Event Analysis: 1 Month After the Event

After you’ve had some time to decompress, take time to look back on the experience, measure your success and identify any lessons learned. What you determine in this phase will go towards improving events for years to come.

During your post-event analysis, be sure to:

Send survey reminders and review responses from those who attended your event
Meet with planning committee to debrief and discuss successes and failures
Evaluate event’s success (financial, attendance, experience), measured against KPIs set in the initial budget

Planning a successful event requires careful preparation, attention to detail, and effective teamwork. By following this comprehensive event planning checklist, you can create an event that not only meets its objectives but leaves a lasting impression on your attendees.

Remember that flexibility and adaptability are key, as unexpected challenges are a part of event planning. But through dedication, trusting partnerships and the right planning strategies, you can host a memorable and successful event.

Minimize Lines and Maximize Ticket Sales with Timed-Access Event Ticketing

As we look toward a season of haunted houses, corn mazes, and fall pop-ups, event organizers must consider how to manage crowd flow in ways that avoid bottlenecks and maximize ticket sales. Enter timed-access event ticketing, a Ticketbud feature that allows entry to a specific number of ticket holders during allocated time slots.

Incorporating timed-access tickets prevents everyone from showing up at once. A mass influx of people can cause issues with capacity restrictions, create long delays, and lead to turning people away. Also, timed-access event ticketing ensures the entire event runs smoothly, creating a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Benefits of timed-access tickets for attendees:

Convenience. Attendees get to choose a time and day that works for them.
Peace of mind. Knowing their time is secured allows attendees to calmly arrive for their booking at the designated time.
Easy entry. Attendees don’t have to waste time lining up early.
Enhanced experience. Because there are limits on bookings per time slot, attendees don’t have to worry about overcrowding.

Benefits of timed-access tickets for event organizers:

Sell more tickets early. Attendees will buy sooner to ensure they secure their desired time/day. Capacity constraints can trigger a scarcity motive, influencing people to buy in fear that they won’t get their desired time.
Maximize sales. As spots sell out, bookings will spill over to available times. This is much less likely to happen at events without timed-access event ticketing because people can’t see that limits have been reached until it’s too late.
No overcrowding. Timed-access tickets help organize the crowd flow, particularly at larger events and festivals that have multiple attractions. This reduces congestion, wait times, and potential risks.
Predictable staffing. You don’t have to worry about understaffing and overwhelming staff when you can plan for an exact number of people.
Guarantee a positive experience. Overcrowding or long wait times can lead to chaos, accidents, or negative incidents that may harm an event’s image. These issues could result in legal liability, or deter future attendees. But, timed-access tickets limit these risks and ensure a positive event experience.
Customize communication. If you have to close the event for a period of time or need to share alternative access or important event information, timed-access tickets ensure you can communicate with only those who are affected.

What event organizes are saying about timed-access event ticketing

“The Ticketbud team was a great support helping us create timed access ticket programming with scheduled drive-thru times. By limiting the number of vehicles able to enter each hour, attendees could secure their time and plan their evening without everyone turning up at once. This new programming helps us distribute and maximize tickets over our five-week event.”
Teri Smart, VP of Marketing at Forefront Networks, which produces the Austin Trail of Lights.

Examples of timed-access tickets

Below you can see an example event pages offering multiple time slots for events. Check out this video for a more detailed view on how organizers can set up their profiles and events with timed-access event ticketing.

Ticketbud’s event page calendar makes multi-day timed-entry ticketing much easier for ticket buyers to navigate to find the convenient date and time they need.

To learn more about working with Ticketbud visit the How It Works page.