MICE Supplement: Planning The Perfect Annual Party

By Stephane de Montgros

Company loyalty and staff turnover are often considered problems in China’s workforce. The idea of growing within a structure is not as prevalent as it is in the west, which can prevent companies from holding on to their best elements and making it difficult to create a working environment with a strong company culture. Fun and innovative annual celebrations are one of the tools companies can use to reverse this trend.

Choosing Your Location

When planning an annual party, the first task for the decision makers is to agree on a venue. As most companies will be organising dinners and the choice of venues is not limitless, the sooner a booking is made, the better!

You will need to find a venue that fits your requirements in terms of size as well as branding. A luxury brand or company that throws its party in a suburban hotel won't cut it, just as a small industrial company may be seen as throwing cash out of the window by hosting its party at one of the top five-star luxurious downtown hotels.

Among the great options in town are the Kerry Hotel in Pudong and Hilton Hongqiao. Both of these hotels have the largest ballrooms on their respective sides of the river. As companies are always in search for novelty, the newly-opened Marriott City Center and Langham Xintiandi are also good centrally-located options.

Working with hotels saves the headache of looking for a catering company; however, hosting an event in a historical building or an industrial warehouse may give your event an interesting edge. You need to make sure the local authorities are well aware of your event though to prevent last-minute painful (and costly!) negotiations with the local law-keepers so they do not cut off your electricity supply!

Planning the Format

Once your venue is confirmed, it’s time to brainstorm on the event format. Chinese are accustomed to traditional round-tables and buffet displays, which give the impression of grandeur and opulence. This format is great to deliver formal speeches, but doesn’t stimulate interaction between employees. A standing cocktail party may generate more conversations between colleagues who are not used to spending time together. Make sure you plan a good buffet cocktail reception prior to the beginning of the festivities as your Chinese staff may show up 45 minutes early and your foreign staff, well, they can turn up later, usually depending on how southern their country of origin is!

Having an original theme, if it's fun and innovative, may give your event an edge. Employees would have to do a bit of research on finding the right accessories, which can be a great way to spark conversation. Some classics include a white party, Hollywood Academy Awards or even a Caribbean-themed celebration to take your guests on a trip away from the sad Shanghai winter weather. You then have multiple ways to expound on your theme through the decoration, performances, food selection and even the music program to create the complete experience.

These annual dinners are the right time to explain where the company stands and what it is aiming for. However, we recommend keeping the formal speeches as short as possible, as the main objective is mostly to say thank you and have a good time together. Party planners should concentrate on fewer acts that have a significant ‘wow’ factor rather than an extensive list of lackluster performances. We advise booking a good DJ to guarantee your energy level stays high at all times and to fill any down time between the acts. But most importantly, Chinese audiences love lucky draws. While big gifts are a major part of this process, make sure everybody returns home with a little corporate gift to prevent too much jealousy. Displaying the winning names on large screens makes the whole process more exciting. Also you should decide whether one of your staff will host or if you will hire a professional emcee to take your guests through the evening. You may even want to book a local TV celebrity if budget allows, creating another talking point and giving that all-important ‘face’.

Commemorating the Event

Last but not least, don't forget to book good photographers and videographers; using these materials after the event is almost as important as the event itself! You can put the photos and video on your corporate website, or even print a small booklet after the event with the attendee’s photos and highlights of the night.

One last piece of advice; remember you are only as good as your last event, which is a rather scary perspective! If all goes well, few will actually realize the amount of work you've put in preparing the night and if something goes wrong, all eyes will be looking at you! Make sure you plan enough time to get the details right and don't hesitate to seek professional support if you feel too stretched resource-wise to handle the whole gig. Good luck and gongxi facai!

Stephane de Montgros is the co-founder of Riviera Events. Founded in 2005, Riviera Events is a foreign events and PR agency with offices in Beijing and Shanghai. Riviera Events specializes in high-end hospitality industry, luxury brands and top 500 worldwide corporations. For more information, see www.rivieraevents.com or email Stephane at [email protected]