If you want to host a holiday party that guests are actually excited about, you need to start now. Wait too long and the best vendors, venues, and caterers are booked. Here’s our guide to getting ahead:‍

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HOW FAR OUT DO YOU NEED TO START?

In full transparency, the earlier the better.

For a corporate holiday party in Orange County, planning needs to start in the summer months. Somewhere in between July and August is the best time to start booking if you want the best of the best. It sounds early, but the highly sought-after venues and caterers in the area are typically booked by this time.

You also need to consider the size of your event. If it is smaller and more intimate, you have a little more flexibility with your timeline. If you are going big, you require the best of the best in the industry who can handle large numbers of people.

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6+ MONTHS OUT: THE DECISIONS YOU SHOULD START MAKING

At this point, the essentials such as budget, venue, and event planner need to be locked down.

• Start by identifying your goal. What’s the end result you want out of this holiday party? Once you have the answer to this question, it should guide every other decision you make moving forward.
• Next, define your budget. Making this clear at the beginning ensures that costs don’t add up unexpectedly.
• Lock in the venue. This is arguably the most important step in this phase of the process. Having a beautiful, show-stopping venue is the first step in wowing your guests. And trust us, the good ones go quick.
• Hire your event planner. If you are working with a corporate event planner in Orange County (and you should be), this is the time to bring them in. The sooner they can take the coordination off your plate, the better. This is their specialty.

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3–4 MONTHS OUT: DECIDING ON THE DETAILS

Now that you have decided on your venue, it's time to start nailing down the nitty-gritty details.

• Finalize your vendors. From catering to floral, entertainment, signage, AV, rentals, photography, and more, the best vendors in Orange County go fast. Start these conversations now.
• Decide on the flow of the event. Start to consider the timeline of the evening. Ask yourself what a beautifully executed party would feel like.  
• Think through every touchpoint the guests will notice. From the welcome sign to the seating arrangements, and any custom touches, begin to think about what will wow your guests and make them feel important.
• Send out save the dates. The holiday season is busy; don’t let your event slip through the cracks of people’s end-of-year celebrations.

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6–8 WEEKS OUT: TIME TO IMPLEMENT

At this point, most of the creative choices are made. This next phase is all about executing.

• Write out your finalized guest list. Your vendors will need this exact number.
• Double-check that all of your vendors are confirmed for the day of the event. Your event planner should be reaching out to each of them individually. Remind them of the date and time and give them any other information they need to ensure smooth sailing.
• Make the run of the show. This day-of timeline includes every minute of how the event should run. Once complete, it should be distributed to any staff working the evening.
• Logistics finalized. From parking to transportation, dietary restrictions, and first aid, these details are important; don’t forget about them.

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THE WEEK OF: IT'S SHOWTIME

By this point, every detail is carefully planned out. Here are the last few steps you should take:

• Walk through the venue. Do this with your event planner and make sure your vendors have seen it too. Coordinate where the load-in will happen, electricity access, and any other venue-specific details you should be aware of.
• Brief your team. Have a meeting with everyone who is involved in the execution of  the event. This includes your speakers, greeters, etc. Everyone should know what is expected of them.
• Make a contact sheet. Every vendor’s name and phone number needs to be in one place. Give them your phone number only to be used in case of an emergency. Otherwise, all decisions should be run through your event planner.
• Let your event planner do their job. If you’ve hired one, sit back and relax. You should not be managing logistics.

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ARE YOU READY TO START PLANNING?

If you want to elevate your holiday party this year, we are the team to help you do it. Here at Westhaven Events, we have years of combined corporate experience, so we understand the difference between memorable and dull corporate events.

If your holiday party is on the horizon and you want a partner who handles the timeline so you don't have to, we'd love to connect.