5 Tips for a Great Team Night Out!
So, your company has been absolutely on fire recently and raking in record profits, your team smashing their individual targets, and you are planning on having a proper night on the town to reward your staff. You all need a break, to let your hair down and relax a little, a good night out, the sweet reward for all of the hard work. You need a session expert, a pub crawl specialist, the oracle of information and experience with regard to the best party, so...who you gonna call? Goho!!! Ok, we’re not alcoholics or the ghostbusters, but we do know what makes for a great night on the town, so here are five simple tips for helping you achieve a great work night out with your team.
1. Maximise attendance
Plan your night out the best you can. That doesn’t mean create a military style list of names, times and events that must take place, far from it, you need to allow the night to flow naturally. The best memories are those of spontaneous ideas, and nights out are no different, but at least have a rough plan of how you expect the night to unfold. Give plenty of time for everyone to plan. By giving ample notice, it ensures the highest possible turnout, as ideally, you want everyone to be there, the entire workforce. The idea is not to get blind drunk and forget everything, a work night out is both fun and a way for everyone to relax outside of work. We’ve spoken about the impact socialising outside of work can have, so try to give every staff member plenty of time to prepare to ensure the whole team can participate.
2. Plan your venues
Choose your venues wisely and make reservations early. Check local listings and social media for the latest and best events for your chosen date, and think about whether it is a good location for everyone to reach? Is there live music? Do you need to buy tickets? What's the food like? It’s always a good idea to choose a good central location, to start with at least, and it makes it easier for everyone if the initial meeting point has good transport links. The first venue on the list is where you are all going to meet each other and catch your first glimpse of what people wear outside of the office, - make it a casual and comfortable establishment, where your colleagues can gather and chat over a drink while waiting for everyone to turn up. Traditional pubs or small bars make a great setting to start your night, cheap and cheerful and cosy, it doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to serve its purpose, a great night out should be one that gets better and better as the night goes on.
After your initial meeting venue, the standard practice is to go for food, with a reservation in place at a great restaurant it ensures a smooth arrival. But remember, don’t get too full, eating gets in the way of drinking ha. Once you get the eating part of the night out of the way, you can move on to the main event, the party venue. Make it special, ensure your names are on the guest list, maybe book a VIP table for your party, and provide the venue with an estimated arrival time to ensure a smooth arrival. Ice buckets, table snacks and drinks waiting for your party when you arrive will create a special and memorable experience.
3. Book transport in advance
There’s nothing worse at kicking out time, than having to wait around in the rain while watching every woman and her dog disappear into the refuge of a nice warm cab before you. Get organised and book your travel in advance, this may be a night out away from work, but you should at least take responsibility for your work colleagues' welfare. Booking safe and suitable transport for the journeys to and from venues, then home, is a great way of ensuring the safety of your staff, and also giving them the best possible experience of the work night out.
4. Document it
Either encourage people to take lots of wild photos or do it yourself, perhaps even employ a professional to help document the evening? Taking photos and videos together is a great way to remember your special evening, and the photos can be used in future for funny Christmas and birthday cards, or even hung on the office wall (of shame)! The video footage can be used for PR, marketing or social media purposes, a funny video or photo montage can be created and watched when you’re all back in the office, bringing everyone back together to remember the great time you had, as well as promoting future nights out for new employees or anyone else who missed it. Professionally documenting the night is a great way to generate further fun down the line, and will also create an alternative experience for everyone, making them feel part of something different and special.
5. Have fun!
Work nights out are primarily for having a good time, letting your staff unwind mentally and relax while having fun. Don’t just stand around and talk about work, try to engage with your staff and let them see a personal side of you, encourage colleagues to invite their friends and partners, make an effort to try and spend time with everyone, and make sure everyone feels welcome.
So, there we have it, 5 simple tips to take into consideration when planning your work team night out. Remember to be flexible, the last thing you want is your workforce viewing you as a boss and trying to control everything - even on a night out. Try not to put too much expectancy on events, if the night doesn’t go as planned, or isn’t as crazy as you envisaged, don’t worry, not everything is within your control, and there’ll be plenty more nights out in the future. Besides, the best nights are usually the ones that don’t go as planned anyway, so relax, let go of the reins and go with the flow. Just do your homework, put the rough guidelines into place like we have suggested, and let the fun night out take care of itself.
