The holidays are a magical, albeit hectic, time to connect and celebrate with your community. Planning a festive company get-together, attending events in your network, and pushing to accomplish your end-of-year business goals can feel overwhelming.
CANOPY’s dedicated Events teams, helmed by Suzanne Zadeh and Ami Alexander-Ponce, plan and execute diverse happenings weekly at our Jackson Square and Menlo Park coworking space locations.
As we look forward to closing out another phenomenal year, Suzanne and Ami share their top tips for how to plan a corporate party in the SF Bay Area.
Define Your Concept
A good starting point is to consider what’s appropriate for your company culture, team size and location, and budget. Engaging group activities like an escape room, a show, or ice skating are excellent ideas for employee appreciation and team-building.
It’s essential to ensure that events are inclusive. For instance, if your remote team members can’t attend festivities in person, consider sending them a gift card for a similar activity close to where they live.
We regularly plan events for Members and nonmembers at CANOPY shared offices, and our concierge team is brimming with fun company party ideas. We can stage a Great Gatsby Gala or glamorous Casino Royale-inspired affair for a large group. We can also help you host an intimate hot cocoa bar, relive the movie Elf in full costume, or level up your caroling with a jazz band or opera singer—Suzanne Zadeh.
Start Planning As Early As Possible
The best time to start planning an event? Yesterday! A skilled events team can quickly bring all the pieces together, but learning that your preferred vendors are fully booked can be disappointing. Always choose an experienced event planner with a robust network and access to top talent—they’ll be invaluable for finding backups in case of last-minute cancellations and managing day-of hiccups.
We work with innovative new companies alongside small, local businesses owned by long-time collaborators—we love grazing board firm Affinage, custom bar Pao Craft Cocktails, and Proxy AV—Ami Alexander-Ponce.
Choose The Right Venue And Set The Date
Size, scope, and ambiance matter. Choosing a venue that can accommodate all of your guests is important, but it shouldn’t be so large that it feels disconcertingly empty during quieter moments. CANOPY locations offer a range of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces that we can customize to accommodate small and large groups—a boon for event planners—and we host myriad events for Members and nonmembers within CANOPY’s Private Offices and design-forward communal areas.
At Jackson Square, CANOPY’s downtown SF location, our contemporary lounge area seats 20-40 guests on Herman Miller modular couches and low seats. Our lofty Communal Space has an indoor capacity of 100 guests standing or 50 guests seated, as does our Outdoor Terrace, where guests can mingle around the fire pit or marbletop tables overlooking SF’s iconic Transamerica Building and twinkling city skyline lights—Suzanne Zadeh.
Heralded as “Sand Hill Road 2.0”, CANOPY shared offices at Springline encompass Presentation Rooms with capacity for up to 150 standing or 80 seated guests, an inviting terrace, plus board rooms and conference rooms, all of which can be booked independently or in combination. We also love to host events within Canteen, an exceptional onsite café overseen by notable Camper Chef Greg Kuzia-Carmel.
If you’re unsure how many people will attend, we recommend opting for a slightly larger floorplan, ideally encompassing a range of spaces, so your guests never feel cramped and have room to mingle—Ami Alexander-Ponce.
Decide On A Budget, And Stick To It
When planning an impressive holiday party, it can be all too easy to go over budget—venue costs, decorations, entertainment, staffing, and food and beverage bills quickly add up. Before you start booking vendors or placing orders, we recommend defining your upper spending limit and letting the most important experiences to you and your company guide your decision-making.
It’s absolutely possible to throw a talk-of-the-town party without breaking the bank. It’s our pleasure to curate season-worthy events on time and budget with our clients—Ami Alexander-Ponce.
Festive Food And Drinks Are A Must
Your venue, concept, and budget will determine whether you offer a full sit-down meal or finger foods. Consider how to accommodate dietary restrictions best so everyone feels well taken care of, and define your alcohol and bar policies.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, we’re lucky to have the opportunity to choose from food and beverage providers that represent global cuisines and offer everything from hearty, affordable, family-style feasts to refined plates by restaurants with three Michelin stars, such as our neighbor Quince—Suzanne Zadeh.
Create Lasting Keepsakes: Host A Craft Table, Book A Photo Booth, Or Hire a Photographer
Take-home physical or digital goodies are an excellent way for your guests to reflect, year-round, on the good times you shared during the holidays and keep your brand top-of-mind.
Booking a maker to guide guests in making festive ornaments or accessories is a fun activity that encourages guests to express themselves and connect. Professional photography and videography are great ways for your guests to capture and share the moment, showcasing your event and company to wider audiences via social media—Ami Alexander-Ponce.
Send Invites In Good Time
The sooner you let your community know about your event, the better. Even if you don’t have everything nailed down, sending a “Save the Date” will help your community block their schedule and make any necessary arrangements. Include all relevant details on invitations: note the party’s date, time, and location, whether there’s a dress code, if guests can bring plus ones, and any valuable tips regarding parking or rideshare options.
You can email invitations via marketing platforms you’re already using in your operations, such as MailChimp or HubSpot, or via a dedicated online invite specialist like Paperless Post, where guests can see other RSVPs and post comments to build excitement. Eventbrite, Luma, and Gatsby are tried-and-tested platforms; Partiful was named Google Play’s Best App of 2024 for its free, user-friendly “Party Genie” tool, which sends RSVP links to individuals via text. No more convoluted group chats!—Suzanne Zadeh.
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Need help finalizing your holiday event logistics checklist or planning a party from scratch?
Reach out to CANOPY Events Managers Ami and Suzanne and book your event today.