10 Tips for Organising a New Year's Eve Party

New Year’s Eve is a key social date in the year and so organising the perfect evening of celebration can seem like a daunting task. Follow these tips to help in your planning to create a fabulous evening to welcome in the New Year!

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We provide Event Insurance in addition to cover for event cancellation, including cover for those hosting a New Year’s Eve Party, to thousands of event organisers and stallholders each year. Our policy provides a range of cover options, such as public liability for events. If you are putting on a New Year’s Eve party this year, you can purchase your event insurance online from Protectivity in minutes.

1. Budget

As with any event that you plan, it is important to identify the budget available and then stick to it. You might want to manage the budget as a total pot or monitor spending on a cost per head basis. However you decide to manage it, it is essential to keep a close eye on costs to stop spending from getting out of control.

Don’t forget that a key time of year such as New Years Eve might well attract a premium price for some elements. When putting together a budget, you will need to include all the components listed here. It is important to also factor in whether you as the organiser needs event insurance for your New Year’s Eve party. Protectivity’s Event Insurance gives financial protection to event organisers and those taking part, such as a stallholder or food vendor, should an incident occur that results in a claim.

2. Venue

There are several things to consider when booking a venue – size, location, facilities, catering, parking and accommodation to name just a few. Think about the type of party that you will be holding, who will be attending and therefore what you need from the venue. It might be that your venue needs to be big enough for 40 people to have a sit-down meal or have good transport links. Be sure to pick a venue which ticks all the boxes for you and your guests!

3. Invitations

Make sure that you send your invitations out in plenty of time ahead of the event allowing your guests to have the event in their diary and to make any childcare, transport and accommodation arrangements. Include an RSVP date with your invitation and make sure that you give yourself enough time to confirm the number of guests and catering arrangements with your venue.

4. Catering

The food and drink available at a party is often what is remembered most. Whether you are providing a sit-down meal, a buffet or canapes, design the menu that will create an impact for New Years Eve. If you have a theme, then you might want to design a menu which fits it. When it comes to what is available to drink, be sure to offer a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and you might want to consider feeding your guests once midnight has come and gone to soak up the alcohol that they are likely to be consuming.

5. Tickets

Depending on the type of event that you are planning, you might be considering issuing tickets. Whether you are simply looking to cover the costs of hosting the event through the ticket prices or raising money for charity, be sure to charge the appropriate amount, considering the costs that the event will have generated.

6. Theme

It is becoming increasingly common to have a theme for a New Year’s Eve party as it is not only a good way to mark a special event but also to provide your guests with some suggestions about the evening that they should expect as well as dress code.

Be sure to communicate the theme and any dress code clearly within your invitation so that whether you are planning a fancy-dress party or a silver and sparkles party, your guests have plenty of time to plan their outfit.

7. Transport

When selecting your venue, you should consider the transport links available. Or, you might expect most of your guests to arrive by taxi or by car and then stay overnight. Whatever the most likely arrangements, it is important to give transport some thought and make things as easy as possible for your guests. Whether you find a venue near a train station or ensure that there is plenty of secure parking available.

8. Accommodation

If you find the perfect venue but it is in the middle of the countryside, you are likely to need to consider that a lot of your guests will be looking for overnight accommodation. If you can find a venue that includes this then that is one requirement ticked off the list. If you are selling tickets for the event, then you could include the accommodation costs within the ticket price. Alternatively include some suggested hotels and B&Bs in the area with your invitation. You should include accommodation at a range of prices to make it easier for your guests to book somewhere within their budget.

9. Music/Entertainment

Entertainment for New Year’s Eve is another important factor. You might want to provide live music, a magician at the dinner table to keep your guests entertained or fireworks at the stroke of midnight. Whatever you choose, keep your theme and budget in mind and get everything booked in plenty of time.

10. Midnight

Possibly one of the most important factors to consider for New Year’s Eve is what will happen at midnight. From the countdown to the minutes immediately after, think about how you will mark the occasion and then create the perfect party atmosphere to celebrate a new year. Whether you play the perfect song or have fireworks set to go off it is a moment worthy of preparation time.

So, follow these tips to ensure that you have considered everything when organising a New Years Eve Party to be remembered!

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