The Ultimate Party Season Survival Guide

Take a deep breath. It’s that time of year again. Yep, just when you thought you couldn’t get any busier, the party season has kicked off. The start of November marks the official start of the end-of-year/ Christmas party season, so don’t expect to be getting too much rest between now and New Years’ Eve.

There are events to attend, outfits to pick out, people to see and lots of eating and drinking to enjoy – it can be tiring being a guest.

For those of you tasked with planning parties this season or those of you tasked with setting up, pulling down and turning around events night and day – the next two months are going to be busy.

So, to make life for party-goers and party planners just that little bit easier, we’ve put together the Ultimate Survival Guide for the Party Season. Be sure to have a read before fatigue sets in – you’ve been warned!

For the party-goers!

1. Be a party-goer not a party-pooper!

Having the right attitude when approaching party season is a must. If you are invited to an event – say YES! Think of all those people out there who sit at home miserably wishing to be invited to a party or social gathering – like Cinderella! Don’t grumble about having to go to a party where there is likely to be free food, drink and entertainment – say YES and you’ll be rewarded with good times. Who knows, you might even meet the man/ women of your dreams, your new best friend or make a career defining impression on the boss.

2. Dress for the occasion

When you get your invite to this year’s hottest themed party, be sure to make an effort and dress up. A little bit of effort will go a long way to impressing your colleagues, the hot guy/ girl in accounts and/or your boss. Best of all, it’s fun and you’ll have a much better time when you immerse yourself in the festivities.

If the event doesn’t have a theme – great! You will look a little less ridiculous walking down the street, but you still need to make an effort. Make sure you dress for the occasion, it’s a party after all.

NB. Ladies, no matter what you wear there is one party-goer sin that you must avoid – do not take off your shoes! Not only is this extremely unsafe (it practically rains broken glass during party season), it’s also just a massive social faux par. Persevere with the pain until you get home or hide a pair of flats in your bag – just do not go bare foot!

Gents – same goes for your shirt – leave it on please.

3. Pace yourself – don’t get too messy

No one likes being around a messy drunk. And, honestly, come the morning after, no one enjoys having been the messy drunk either. Sure there is a free bar, but we all know what happens to the kid at Sizzler who eats one too many ice creams – it’s not pretty. So to avoid that scenario we recommend the following:

1. Make sure you have several glasses of water throughout the evening.

2. Eat something! Preferably more than one arancini ball.

3. Don’t mix your drinks, i.e. don’t do this – a beer, a wine, a champagne, oh another beer, fine… a vodka shot, hmmm warm wine- don’t mind if I do…

4. For those extra big parties, put a bottle of water and two Panadol by your bed for when you get home.

4. Have an exit strategy

It’s a fact – there will be barely a cab in sight between 11pm – 1.30am on any Thursday, Friday or Saturday night between now and early January. Just like the drink driving ads suggest, have a plan B.

Make sure you catch that last train home, keep a timetable handy for those late night buses (or download the app), book a cab in advance or arrange a private driver – it will not be as expensive as you think and boy will you appreciate it at the end of a great night! Or, even better, cash in some of those brownie points you have been saving – ask someone to come and pick you up.UPDATE: We wrote this article back in 2014 – before Uber! (Boy, has a lot changed in 3 years…). If you’re not already a user, now is the time to jump on board and enjoy the Uber ride. Be warned, during peak times Uber rates can jump up to as high as 3x the standard rate… so factor in the extra cost when planning your way home.

5. Dance like no-ones watching

There is nothing better than letting loose on the dance floor. It’s a great way to let off steam and get into the spirit of things. After all, that is what the staff party is all about- letting your hair down and celebrating the year that was. Don’t be shy – say YES to good times and enjoy the party!!

Want to read more? Top ten tips for packing the dance floor

For the party-planners!

The silly season is a ridiculously busy time for anyone working in the events industry, so a little preparation and a positive attitude is needed to get you through to January. Here are a few of our top tips that should help you survive the busy season…

1. Stretch, rest and drink plenty of water.

Looking after yourself should be your number one priority! Otherwise, you simply will not survive.

• Before a big shift or long day on your feet, make sure you stretch – your entire body. There is nothing like a 15 hour day on the job to make you realise you had muscles in places you never knew!

• Take advantage of quiet days and rest – physically and mentally.

• Drink plenty of water. Do not consider a diet of Red Bull and Mars Bars – been there, done that, it’s not good. Nothing works better than H2O. So, stay hydrated and eat good meals when you can – your body will thank you for it.

Want to read more? Top five tips for avoiding stress & burnout in the events industry

2. Smile – no one likes a grump

If everyone took this advice, long set-ups, take downs and events would all be dream. Don’t let your stress or someone else’s get you down. We’re all here to work together and produce amazing events – be kind to each other!

3. Charm the pants off party-goers

If you’re working front-of-house, we suggest you charm the pants off your guests. Whether you’re serving drinks, food or ushering people around – if you’re friendly, helpful and enjoy a bit of banter – the guests too will enjoy themselves. Do this, and you’ll also find your long night of work will fly by and be a lot more fun.