Company Party — the checklist

Before you book anything

• Have you agreed on the rough headcount — not final, but within twenty people?
• Do you know whether this is a standing event, a seated dinner, or a mix?
• Is there a programme (speeches, awards, a short performance) or is it social from the start?
• Have you checked the calendar against other company events, public holidays, school breaks?
• Do you know the budget ceiling, and who approves spending above it?
• Is there a theme, or is the evening itself the reason?

The venue

• Does the venue fit the headcount with margin — not at capacity, but comfortably?
• Can it hold the format: dance floor if there is one, stage if someone speaks, tables if people eat?
• What is included in the hire fee and what costs extra — sound system, furniture, staff, bar licence?
• Does the contract name a noise curfew, and does it match what you are planning?
• Is there loading access for a vehicle, or does everything carry by hand?
• Where does the crew eat, and is there a green room or back area they can use?
• Who holds the keys, and who on your side has the venue contact's direct number?
• If it rains, is there indoor capacity or does the event collapse?

The programme

• Have you agreed on a start time and a published end time, even if the bar runs later?
• Who is speaking, for how long, and in what order?
• Does the running order exist on paper, with a copy for the venue and a copy for whoever is running sound?
• If there is a performance or a DJ, have you confirmed the set length and the technical rider?
• Is there a defined moment when the programme ends and the social part starts, or does it blur?
• Who introduces speakers, and have they done it before?

The technical side

• Does the venue's own sound system work for what you need, or are you bringing a rig?
• If you are bringing sound and light, has the crew seen the room or at least the floor plan?
• Is there three-phase power where you need it, or are you running off domestic sockets?
• Does someone on your side know what time the crew arrives and where they park?
• If there are presentations, who is bringing the laptop and the adapters, and have you tested them?
• Who speaks to the venue about noise complaints if they come in during the event?

Food and drink

• Is this a full meal, a buffet, or passed canapés and a bar?
• Have you asked about dietary requirements with enough time for the caterer to adjust?
• Does the venue provide glassware and service staff, or is that on you?
• If there is a bar, is it open or ticket-based, and does someone track spend against budget?
• What time does food service end, and does the kitchen need the room back?

Guests and transport

• Have you sent the invitation with enough lead time for people to decline conflicting plans?
• Is the address on the invitation the loading entrance or the guest entrance?
• If the venue is outside the city, is there a bus or shared transport, and who books it?
• Is there parking, and if not, have you included that in the email?
• Does someone on your team have a contact list with mobile numbers for the day itself?

The last week

• Have you confirmed final headcount with the caterer and the venue?
• Does the crew have the running order, the contact number, and the access time in writing?
• If there is a theme or a dress code, have you reminded people?
• Have you walked through the venue access with someone who has keys?
• Is there a rain plan that everyone involved has agreed to?
• Who is the single point of contact on the day, and does everyone have their number?

The day

• Is someone on site an hour before guests to meet the crew and walk the room?
• Does that person have the running order, the guest list, and the venue manager's number?
• If something breaks or runs late, who decides whether to adjust or skip it?
• Who makes the last call to start, even if not everyone has arrived?

After

• Who is staying until the last guest leaves and the crew has packed?
• Does someone return the keys, or does the venue lock itself?
• If there was damage or a noise complaint, who handles the venue follow-up?
• Have you thanked the crew and the venue in writing, especially if you plan to use them again?

Two kinds of agency offer company events. One plans the evening and then sends the brief to subcontractors it has never worked alongside — sound from one supplier, catering from another, staff from a third — and earns a margin on each line. The other kind quotes, builds, and runs the night with its own people. The difference is not philosophical. It is who you call when the microphone feeds back at eight or the bar runs out of ice at eleven.

This checklist comes from the crew that loads in at seven and leaves at two. We are After 5 Events — the production and staffing side, not the performance side, though the DJ roster and the live band are sister brands under the same roof.

Before you call anyone, settle three things: the headcount within twenty, the date with no other company event within a week of it, and whether this is a standing party or something with chairs. Everything else negotiates. Those three do not.