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Cut the Budget (but not the Humor) at Your Holiday Party
November 04, 2008
With an unstable economy, businesses are looking for ways to cut their budgets—and one of the first things to go is the company holiday party. But before you go cutting back on the festivities this holiday season, think about the repercussions on your employee's morale and motivation. Such penny-pinching can be a huge mistake. It sends a strong message that the company isn't doing well. Instead, this low-cost holiday celebration alternative that'll leave them rolling in the aisles.
By Larry Weaver
As a comedian who spends the bulk of November through January performing at corporate events, I have seen an alarming trend of corporate party cancellations this year. But if there was ever a time our country needed laughter in the workplace, it's now. Layoffs and bankruptcies are hurting companies and taking morale down with them. Like the country, employees need assurances that we can recover.
Rather than canceling the party, try a fun, low-cost and creative alternative. Remember: Recognition is free, and can be more valuable and motivating than money. For example, handing out funny awards to employees is a low-cost way to celebrate co-worker success and bring laughter into the workplace.
Giving Funny Employee Awards
This awards ceremony is all about showing gratitude to those who are down in the cubicle trenches with you every Monday through Friday. But most of all, it's about fun.
So don't worry; this gathering won't be uptight in the least. You won't have to make a trip to the creepy tuxedo store in the dark corner of the mall, and Joan Rivers won't be cracking on people's outfits on the red carpet outside.
Sure, you could gather everyone together in some conference room and hand out plaques reading "Best Salesman" or "MVW" (Most Valuable Worker), but where's the fun in that? Funny awards give thanks while simultaneously making sure everyone has a good time. Your employees don't want to sit through a dry presentation any more than you want to give one. We all suffer enough at our jobs without the supposedly "fun" times adding to the misery.
Choosing the Recipients
So, how do you know who's going to get an award?
• First, put together a selection committee of two to three people who know most everyone in the office. The key is not to do this alone. You need a group to determine the recipients' vulnerabilities and personality. Something you might consider hilarious, they might consider offensive. (When picking awards, remember that the intent is to have fun, not to embarrass.)
• When choosing your award recipients, make sure you have the biggest characters in the office covered. The awards ceremony will only be as good as the winners, and a night filled with boring acceptance speeches won't be much fun for anyone.
• If you're worried at all that your award may embarrass the winner, you can always tip that person off ahead of time. Afterall, you don't want to turn into Michael Scott from The Office. Notifying the winner prior to the gathering won't ruin the presentation. It will allow that person to voice any objections, and will give them time to prepare a funny speech if they choose to do so. Remember, the idea is to create an entertaining presentation for the entire audience—not just to surprise one person. Everyone else will still be surprised and entertained when the winner is announced, and you won’t have to worry about any potentially awkward moments.
Presenting the Awards
• Make your awards ceremony as grand or as modest as you'd like. It doesn’t matter. In this case, it’s all about getting together and having a good time.
• Before the night of the show, line up an emcee to keep the presentation flowing. If your budget allows, hire a professional comedian to host the ceremony. Have them perform a short stand-up set before handing out the awards. It will be like having your own Oscar party.
• If you don't want to hire a professional comedian, ask someone who's personable from the office to handle the duties. Or ask each department head to give out the awards within his or her department.
Presentation Tips
• Keep everything—from the opening remarks to the acceptance speeches—short. The night should move along at a crisp pace.
• A customized PowerPoint presentation with the winner's photos makes a big impact.
• Hook your laptop into the sound system and play some music as people come up to accept the awards.
• Get a photographer to take pictures of all the winners as they accept their awards.
Hiring a Comedian
• If you're going to hire a comedian to emcee your event, be sure to find an act that's both clean and experienced in front of corporate crowds. There are thousands of club performers across the country, but only a handful that can do a clean, corporate show.
• You'll need an act with wide appeal that won't offend anyone in the audience. After all, if the performer offends your crowd, it doesn't reflect well on you or the company.
• Remember, you're not just paying for the jokes they tell—you're paying for the jokes they don't tell.
Editor's Note: For a list of some funny awards possibilities, visit The Daily Perk, Incentive magazine's blog.
Larry Weaver is a professional comedian and author of "Funny Employee Awards, Your Complete Guide to Organizing a Humorous, Entertaining and Rewarding Recognition Ceremony." The book offers 101 printable awards certificates along with tips on throwing an economical and motivating company party. Weaver drew from his nearly 20 years experience as a corporate comedian to create the awards. Visit www.FunnyEmployeeAwards.com.
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