Corporate holiday parties are not just a time to celebrate the holiday season but also an ideal opportunity to recognize your team’s outstanding accomplishments. This is also a chance to reflect on the year as a whole, and you want to throw a party that shows your appreciation for everyone’s hard work and effort throughout the year.
Using AV to enhance your venue, messaging, and other points of engagement is an excellent way for your party to stand out and become a yearly event your staff members will look forward to all year. Here are some things to remember when planning your upcoming holiday party and integrating AV elements.
Assess the Venue for Potential Issues
Visit the venue with your selected AV partner to look for any potential acoustical issues and challenges, including high ceilings or hard surfaces that could impact sound quality and speech clarity. If any of these issues exist, you may need to incorporate acoustical treatments or review speaker placement to help minimize echo.
For lighting, take note of natural lighting sources, like windows, and decide whether these will need to be covered, especially if your party is during the day and you plan to use lighting, projection or other light based elements.
Set the Mood with LED Elements
Maximize various lighting fixtures to transform your party venue, whether you’re hosting your event in your office, a hotel ballroom, or a private space in a local restaurant. Using customizable Gobos, textured pattern or ambient setting uplights helps enhance the atmosphere, from an elegant sit-down holiday dinner to a celebratory dance floor.
Lighting is also an ideal way to draw attention to specific areas or points of engagement, including photo areas, bars, and food stations. You can even use LED lighting or LED screens to draw attention to your DJ, share personalized messages, or integrate your company’s branding.
Get Creative with Projection-Mapping
Projection mapping is an interactive way to enhance your party theme. Mapping onto various surfaces like walls, floors, and objects allows you to seamlessly include designs that enhance your party theme. This can be used significantly as part of your dance floor, and your event theme or company branding could be worked into the floor design. You could also use it to project videos or photos throughout the year to help highlight your employees’ personal stories and achievements.
Invest in the Audio System
Your audio system will be a critical element of your party, from your DJ relying on it to keep the beats flowing all night to having microphones that support speeches you want to make throughout the evening. When considering the microphones, think about using wireless options to allow your speakers to move freely throughout the venue, complementing the casual party atmosphere.
Also, make sure to select the right system for the size of your party. A party in a smaller space may only need a simple speaker setup, while a party in a larger space will require more extensive coverage. Too many speakers in a smaller space could make the sound overwhelming and uncomfortable for your guests, so it’s essential to understand the needs of your space.
Hire Onsite AV Support
Some people may think you can forgo having on-site AV support for these types of events, but having a team in place to manage AV logistics and address issues with the venue will allow you to deal with all the other party planning logistics while enjoying the party with your fellow team members. They will also help you focus on potential ideas or fun points of engagement and provide suggestions on how AV can bring those ideas to life.
Contact AV Chicago to discuss your upcoming holiday party!