Timeline

Based on the date you select for your February 2009 Fun & Games Friday Party, you can fill in the appropriate dates on the timeline template located under Resources.

Four Weeks Out

Set a budget
Determine how much you have to spend on your event before you begin planning. Depending on your budget, you may need to make adjustments to the plans presented in the planning guide to stay within your parameters. You can find a sample budget template under Resources to help you track expenses.

Set the date/time
We suggest scheduling your events at least one month out. Of course, event dates can be scheduled much further in advance. Use your judgment on what works best for your office. If your organization publishes an internal calendar, include office party dates so employees can plan ahead to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Secure a location for your party
This event will work in a space that has several small tables or one large table. If working with smaller tables, set-up one game per table. If working with one large table, section off the table using colorful party streamers or ribbon to designate areas of the table for each game. Make sure the space is also appropriate for the Game Day Ice Cream Party portion of the event. If you need to host this part of the party in another location, remember to note this second location on your event notice and reminders.

Select games
You are not limited to the suggested games on the shopping list. If you would like to select different games, just remember to keep them simple. Make sure they can be played with a minimum of two players and in a short period of time. It might not be wise to encourage employees to engage in a 2 hour game of Monopoly or Life in the middle of the work day. If you decide to choose different games, remember to change the game names on the event notice if you are using the promotion text provided. If your organization has over 30 employees, you will need to add more games to accommodate all of the players. You can choose to increase the variety of games or just add more of each type of game. (e.g. Three Connect Four games, rather than just one) WWBFYS! (Whatever Works Best for Your Situation)

Notify employees
E-mail is a great tool for notifying employees about the details of your upcoming event. You can send your e-mail notice as an electronic appointment to make it convenient for your co-workers to add the event to their calendars. If your organization does not have an e-mail system or all employees do not have access to e-mail, you can also design, print, and distribute flyers or inexpensive invitations in-house to get the word out. See Promotion Text for sample text you can use in electronic or printed form to promote the Fun & Games Friday Party to your co-workers and create a buzz about the event.

Three Weeks Out

Spend some time in your event space
Hang out in the space you have reserved for the party and visualize how the event will look based on your initial plans. This is a great way to determine if you will need extra tables, chairs, and if there is adequate room for guest flow. Make adjustments to your shopping list and budget based on any additional needs.

Begin assembling your party supplies
A shopping list detailing the suggested supplies for the Fun & Games Friday Party can be found under Shopping List. Begin making plans for how you are going to obtain the necessary supplies to produce the event. The items on the suggested shopping list can be found at local party, discount, grocery, and craft stores.

Update your party budget with any recent expenses

Two Weeks Out

Continue assembling your party supplies

Update your party budget with any recent expenses

One Week Out

Send a reminder to employees about the upcoming event
A reminder can be as simple as resending your original e-mail, making an announcement at a staff meeting, posting a notice in the break room, etc. When you issue the reminder, this is also a good time to estimate the final number of guests who will be in attendance at the event. Since this second notice will be sent closer to the event date, guests should have a better idea of their schedules.

Secure volunteers to assist on event day
Depending on your schedule, you may need help on event day with setting up games or preparing for the Game Day Ice Cream Party. Recruit volunteers in advance and let them know exactly what you need help with so they can plan their schedules accordingly. Plan ahead and be respectful of their time by not adding last minute volunteer assignments on event day. It’s always nice to thank volunteers with a note following the event. You can also acknowledge them publicly at the event, a staff meeting, in an internal newsletter, or on a bulletin board. If you make their volunteer experience seamless and recognize them for their contribution, they will probably be there to lend a hand the next time you need help.

Finalize assembly of party supplies

Update party budget with recent expenses

Event Week

Make a timeline for event day
Plan how you are going to get everything accomplished so you won’t run out of time.

Review the shopping list
Double check that all party supplies have been assembled.

Score sheets
Design score sheets for tracking player’s points, or for your convenience, you can download a template ready for printing under Resources.

Remind volunteers
Contact your volunteers to re-confirm their participation and understanding of duties for event day.

Event Day

Game on
Arrange one final reminder to guests stating the plan for game day. This reminder can be an e-mail, note in their mailbox, announcement over the intercom system, etc. Send a second e-mail and/or intercom reminder a few minutes prior to the start of the Game Day Ice Cream Party portion of the event.

Time is on your side
Fun & Games Friday will be on auto pilot for most of the day, so enjoy the freedom. Check in on the game room periodically to tidy up and make sure candy supplies are adequate. Replenish candy as needed.

We all scream for ice cream
Serve assorted frozen treats for the ice cream party in their wrappers/containers, over ice in galvanized tubs. Since the Game Day Ice Cream Party portion of the event is only scheduled to last 30 minutes, the snacks should be safe from melting. Begin assembling the ice cream presentation about 10-15 minutes before start time. Keep items over ice and out of warm areas or direct sunlight. Don’t forget to store leftovers in the office freezer following the event, so employees can enjoy them at a later date.

What’s the score
While you or a volunteer are preparing the ice cream presentation, make sure someone collects the score sheets to tally the points and determine the winners of each individual game and the MVP who will take home the prize for the most points scored on all games combined. Be ready to present prizes during the Game Day Ice Cream Party.

Advertise and organize
Most of the games you purchase for this event should come packaged in a box. These boxes can be useful tools at the event. If you have a two piece box, stand the box top up on its side and secure it in a standing position by inserting the bottom of the box in an L-shape flat on the playing table. The box top will help advertise the game being played in that location and the box bottom can provide a place to neatly store game pieces and instructions during play. See a photo of this set-up under Resources.

Picture it
Take photos to document the event. These photos will be fun to share with co-workers, publish in an internal newsletter, and/or display in the break room.

Post Event

Clean up
Move leftover candy to an appropriate place, such as a kitchen or break area. Store frozen items in the office freezer. Employees will be delighted to enjoy these treats at a later date.

Pack up
Carefully pack reusable event supplies and store them in a safe place.

Thank yous
Don’t forget to thank anyone who assisted with the planning and/or execution of this event.

Finalize your budget
Make sure you add all final expenses to your party budget. This information will be helpful in budgeting for future events.

After action review
Take a few moments to write a brief recap for yourself on how the party was received and things you may want to consider for the next event.