Now’s the ideal time to plan the Christmas party

Okay, you may just have had your summer holiday, but believe it or not now is the ideal time to start planning your Christmas night out.

Hotels and restaurants in Lanarkshire are starting to advertise their Christmas party packages, with good discounts to be had.

And Motherwell Concert Hall will be hosting party nights throughout the festive season.

As anyone who has ever had to organise an office Christmas party knows, it pays to get started with your planning as early as you can. So use this time while everyone else is busy talking about summer holidays to start thinking ahead to what kind of Christmas party you want to have this year.

In particular you need to start thinking about when and where you will hold this year’s festive bash.

The right venue can make or break your office party, making it a night to remember, or one your colleagues would rather forget.

And it does no harm to start ringing around and making enquiries now.

Most likely venues would welcome you making an early booking rather than having to turn you away because you left it too late.

Location is key and you want to make sure that it’s easy for everyone to get to, and it’s big enough to fit your crowd.

Think about whether you want lots of places for people to sit down or a big dance floor, and whether you want casual or formal.

If it’s in a town or city centre you can usually leave it up to individuals to make their own way home.

If you’re having an out-of-town party, you may need to arrange for a coach or even provide accommodation.

If any of your colleagues or contacts can recommend a venue, then listen to their advice as the chances are that the success will be repeated.

Whichever venue you choose, ask around for first-hand recommendations before you book.

So while the sun may still be shining and thoughts of winter are far from our minds, be smart and start thinking about Christmas celebrations.

Now is the time when hotels and restaurants have special early bird offers so start planning to make sure 2018 is a Christmas party to remember.

Party time Now is the best time to plan and book your Christmas celebrations