Hosting the company's big evening

Every year, somebody in HR or admin is handed the evening the whole company remembers. It might be a year-end dinner, a festive party, a recognition night or a gala at a performing arts venue. The job arrives with little warning and a long list of moving parts.

These notes collect what tends to matter most when you are the host rather than the guest. They are written for people who have day jobs as well as an event to run, so each page sticks to the decisions you actually need to make and the questions worth asking suppliers.

What you will find here

• Planning the annual dinner: purpose, theme and the order decisions should happen in.
• A gala at an arts venue: what changes when the room is a theatre complex rather than a ballroom.
• Lunar New Year at work: office gatherings, lo hei and keeping the season inclusive.
• The festive office party: formats that work in a real workplace in December.
• Running a recognition night: awards segments people actually enjoy.
• The prize draw: making the draw fair, fast and fun.

Three habits that save most evenings

First, write down who the evening is for and what they should take away when they leave. Second, build one run sheet that every supplier works from. Third, rehearse anything that involves a microphone, a screen or a walk to the stage. Most problems on the night come from skipping one of these three.

Useful general references include the Ministry of Manpower for workplace matters and Singapore Food Agency for food safety information when you bring catering into an office.