Many creative year-end parties: Combining events, enhancing experiences

Businesses are creating various forms of year-end parties that optimize costs while maintaining a cohesive atmosphere for employees. Many even combine team building and year-end celebrations into one event.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prioritize holding year-end parties in the office, with dishes that guarantee a satisfying meal (Image source: PITO).

The trend of combining year-end parties.

In the current challenging economic climate, organizing year-end parties has become a challenge for many businesses.

However, instead of cutting costs entirely, many companies are looking for ways to organize events that are both cost-effective and ensure a sense of camaraderie among employees.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre Online, Mr. Nguyen Ho Manh Khang, representative of the PITO catering platform, identified three main trends in year-end party organization.

Instead of holding their year-end parties at upscale restaurants, some businesses are opting to host them at factories, industrial parks, or auditoriums. This approach not only saves 30-40% on costs but also ensures a formal atmosphere by utilizing LED screens, sound systems, and adequate lighting.

Meanwhile, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prefer to hold parties in the office with a simple approach, focusing on satisfying meals rather than banquets at restaurants.

Some companies are more creative by incorporating team-building activities such as bingo, acoustic performances, or organizing a traditional Vietnamese dress (áo dài) festival at the company.

In addition, many businesses require that alcoholic beverages not be served, opting instead for mocktails or other healthy drinks.

In addition, a prominent trend this year is combining team building and year-end parties into a single event. Some companies even skipped year-end parties altogether, instead allocating the proceeds to employee bonuses.

"Our partners, who are the companies that handle year-end party bookings for organizations and businesses, say that this year about 50% of their annual parties have been canceled. The most common cancellation is combining them with team building activities," Mr. Manh Khang shared.

According to Mr. Pham Huu Duc, director of HESA Event, businesses are still holding year-end parties but are cutting back on items or optimizing costs.

"If last year a company spent around 1 billion VND to organize a party for 500-600 employees, this year they might adjust it down to 800 million VND," Mr. Duc said.

Demand has dropped sharply.

Both Mr. Duc and Mr. Khang noticed a sharp drop in demand for Christmas decorations or parties this year. The prevailing trend is to skip Christmas celebrations altogether and simply give employees small gift packages.

According to some event business owners, revenue this year is only about 65% compared to last year. Internal events such as sports days, Women's Day (October 20th), or Christmas celebrations were canceled or organized internally.

"So far, no one has asked or requested our services for Christmas. It seems many parties have to allocate funds to organizing events for clients and partners, while internal events are less frequent," Mr. Duc shared.

Prefer presentation technologies

The trend of reducing year-end party spending varies depending on the size of the business and its industry. If operating in an industry with few orders, cutting spending is unavoidable. For large businesses, where budgets have already been allocated at the beginning of the year, the plan can still be maintained.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hue, Director of Strategic Human Resources Management, External Communications and Sustainable Development at AEON Vietnam, said that the company organizes team-building activities and company parties every year as a way to show appreciation to its staff.

According to Ms. Hue, if this is considered merely an expense, it will easily be cut during difficult times. Conversely, when viewed as an investment in employees, this event will be prioritized and maintained, and may even be a driving force for improving business performance.

This company typically organizes internal events in March, after the Lunar New Year holiday, at large resorts. The program combines relaxation, daytime team-building activities, and a gala dinner in the evening.

On average, each event attracts between 800 and 1,500 employees, with approximately 4-5 events organized, representing the entire 5,000 employees at AEON Vietnam.

Technology companies organize year-end parties with colorful artistic performances (Source: Global X Global Experience).

Meanwhile, with the business performance looking promising at the end of the year, Mr. Tran Van Quy, General Director of Trung Quy Textile and Garment Company Limited, said that there will be something new this year.

Around 100 employees will be transported to a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City to attend the year-end party instead of holding it at the factory as in previous years, in order to boost team morale.

Companies that don't skimp on year-end parties also want to provide new and exciting experiences for their employees.

Mr. Pham Huu Duc, director of HESA Event, believes that companies are increasingly interested in performance technologies such as projecting images onto the surfaces of objects or architecture (laser mapping), and even high-speed camera systems (Glambot), which are common at Hollywood events. However, these items come with significant costs.

Representatives from Global X Global Experience Joint Stock Company, which owns a system of nearly 30 restaurants and cafes such as Lalaland Food & Music Garden, Yoyo Factory, etc., assessed that companies with young and dynamic staff are increasingly turning year-end parties into semi-professional or even professional art performances.

Many companies are moving beyond a basic party where leaders give speeches, eat, and then leave; instead, they are proactively organizing them into musical events.

"Even large businesses with strong performance over the past year are very cautious about spending money on year-end parties. They are unwilling to pay for hall rental, food and beverages, and all sorts of additional fees if they bring in their own equipment," shared a representative from Global X Global Experience.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhieu-sang-tao-trong-tiec-cuoi-nam-gop-su-kien-tang-trai-nghiem-20241126180318732.htm