Tips for Planning the Perfect Company Holiday Party in Lake Tahoe

As usual, summer seemed to fly by this year. That means the holidays are right around the corner. We’re already getting excited for the hustle, bustle, and merriment of the holiday season! One of the things we look forward to every year is helping companies in the Lake Tahoe area and beyond plan festive and fun corporate holiday parties. If planning your team’s corporate holiday party is on your to-do list, you’re in luck. We’re sharing some of our best tips to help you plan a holiday celebration that employees and guests will be talking about well into the new year!

Keep it non-denominational.

Between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and ringing in the new year, there’s a lot to celebrate during the busy holiday season. In the spirit of inclusivity, don’t limit your corporate holiday party to one specific holiday that may exclude some employees or guests. Consider it a time to celebrate a year of hard work and achievements or the holiday season as a whole, rather than a specific holiday. Thankfully there are a lot of fun holiday decorating ideas that aren’t necessarily tied to any religion or tradition that you can utilize at your event.

Take the event off-site.

It’s hard to get in the holiday spirit when you’re staring at your office walls and blinking voicemail light the whole time. Renting a venue and taking the holiday celebration outside of the office can be a great way to showcase how much you appreciate your employees. Working with an off-site venue also means you have additional space and amenities to really make your corporate holiday party sparkle. The venue may provide audio-visual equipment, catering, and other services, as well as assist with organizational tasks, such as set-up and cleaning. Here at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, we partner with PSAV for all your audio-visual equipment needs and have a dedicated on-site staff of caterers and event planners to help make your event a success.

Have great food and drinks.

Great food can make or break your holiday party. If you want to make your corporate holiday party really special, we recommend going with some delicious catering rather than a potluck-style party (which can cause additional work and stress for your employees). When working with the caterers, consider infusing the menu with some popular holiday season flavors, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin. Since it is a special occasion, festive cocktails are always a treat! A great themed cocktail or holiday drink can be a festive addition to a corporate holiday gathering.

The Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel catering staff is always willing to work with you to craft your ideal holiday party menu — from an early holiday brunch to evening hors d’oeuvres.

See our catering options

Embrace the “season of giving.”

There are plenty of ways to give back during the holiday season, and it’s easy enough to incorporate that spirit into your corporate holiday event.

• Volunteer as a team through the Salvation Army or other non-profit organizations before the party and then come together to celebrate and share experiences.
• Set up a craft station for guests to create holiday cards for military, police, and emergency personnel.
• Collect donations/gifts for those less fortunate in the community.
• Host special giveaways and raffles for employees to show your appreciation.

Of course, these are just a few of the ways to give back. Every community is different, so look for unique opportunities to spread holiday cheer.

Encourage relaxation

Did you know that 25% of Americans report feeling “extreme” stress during the holiday season and 45% would prefer to skip Christmas completely? Between the extra financial burden, family obligations, and meeting end of year deadlines at work, that additional stress comes as no surprise. Of course, stress and anxiety lead to increased health problems and decreased productivity at work. So, why not encourage a culture of relaxation during this extra stressful time of year? Companies like Lake Tahoe Yoga can bring the relaxation right to you and your team with fun group activities. An Association of Massage Therapists South Lake Tahoe will also travel and provide your employees with stress-reducing massages and spa treatments on site.

Infuse some Tahoe flair into the event.

If you have guests coming from out of town for your corporate holiday celebration, such as customers, donors, or employees that work remotely, it’s always nice to give them a little taste of the area. There’s something really special about Lake Tahoe, so we love infusing some of that magic into our events. Here are a few ideas you can try:

• Serve drinks from a local winery, brewery, or distillery, like Tahoe Blue Vodka.
• Serve locally-sourced foods from California and the Tahoe area.
• Give gift cards or certificates to local restaurants and cafes, such as Blue Dog Gourmet Pizza or The Beacon Bar & Grill.
• Hire local entertainers from the area to perform at your holiday even.
• Get outdoors with a team skiing, snowboarding, or ice skating adventure at Heavenly Mountain Resort. This can also be a fun family-friendly holiday party idea!

Other local vendors and our team here at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel can help you add a little taste of Tahoe throughout your event and support local.

Cut down on waste

Unfortunately, large corporate events produce a lot of waste. That problem compounds during the holiday season as numerous businesses host their company holiday celebrations and people all around the world deal with excess food, packaging, and waste without much thought. Thankfully, eco-friendliness and waste-reduction have become a bigger focus for companies, including here at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel. As we all look to do our part to keep Lake Tahoe clear and beautiful, consider ways you can reduce waste, reuse, and recycle during your corporate holiday event. It can also be a great educational opportunity to teach employees and guests more about sustainable and zero-waste methods. Join us in these green initiatives and learn more about zero-waste meetings here at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel.

Ready to book your corporate holiday party?

We’d love to host you and your team during the holiday season. With 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, top-notch catering, and all the a/v equipment you need, we can accommodate groups of all sizes. Let’s spread some holiday cheer together!

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