Tis the Season!

It’s not too late to plan your holiday party. Here are some tips to get you started and to ensure everyone has a good time.

1. Save The Date

• Send an email out to all staff to “save the date” even if you are not sure of all the details

TIP:  It is a busy time of year and people can get booked up early, secure your date now.

2. Budget

• Determine your budget up front so you can manage everyone’s expectations in terms of the type of event.

• You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great time. The key is to bond with your team members and let them know you appreciate all their hard work this year.

TIP: Lighting and music go a long way in building atmosphere on a budget. Also, The Dollar Store is a great place to find decorations for accents.

3. Preparation: It’s helpful to think of the type of event you want to host before booking any details.

• Is this a Xmas or holiday party?

• Is there a theme? Dress code?

• What month will the party be held in? Some companies choose January over December since it’s a quieter time of year.

• Are clients, significant others or family members coming? Or is this just for employees?

TIP:  Your budget can help determine the number of people and type of party you will host.

4. Location: Thinking about where your guests live and what is most accessible to the group is a good first step.

• Select the area you want to be in and then do a search for venues in the area.

• Choose your top 3 and then reach out to find about pricing and availability.

TIP:  It’s important to book a site visit before confirming the venue. Online photos can often be out of date and it’s hard to get a sense of atmosphere from photos.

5. Food & Drinks: This is one of the most important features of your event! People always talk about what they ate and drank.

• Determine if you want a sit down dinner or a cocktail style event.

• Decide if the event is about mingling & networking or if it’s a more formal affair.

• When it comes to the bar you will need to determine if it’s paid, ticketed or an open bar.

TIP:  If you are providing alcohol you are legally responsible for ensuring your guests get home safe. Thus, make arrangements for a designated driver program or provide rides home with an arrangement with a taxi company or Uber.

6. Entertainment: There are many different ways to animate a party, from simple mingling games like Secret Santa to performers. Budget will determine what is possible, either way, incorporating an activity of some kind will add a lot to the event.

• What do you want guests to take away from the night? Meet new people? Have fun with their team? Be engaged and interactive or passive and relaxing?

• Think about the kind of music will be at the party, do you want a live band or a DJ and dancing?

TIP:  If you hire a DJ, you can ask people to submit their favorite songs in advance and have the DJ create a custom playlist. This is a great way to ensure you cater to everyone’s taste and get people on the dancefloor.

If you think about all these elements in advance you guests are sure to have LOTS OF FUN!!!!

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The JLM team celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday with a big bang! There was no better place to be on July 1st than in Ottawa – Canada’s capital city to celebrate this monumental birthday. The biggest and best party was in Inspiration Village located in Ottawa’s Byward Market. The village was filled with engaging activities and great performances.  JLM was brought on to bring the “Where AM I?” campaign to life via an experiential marketing display.  The Ontario Tourism exhibit leveraged interactive touch screens throughout the experience with magnificent gallery walls showcasing mysterious and intriguing images of Ontario. The interactive screens prompted visitors to guess where in Ontario the images were located. It’s safe to say that this exhibit left us feeling very proud of our province and the diversity of what it has to offer.

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We also asked visitors about their favorite places to explore in Ontario. Responses included the Bruce Trail, Temagami, Rideau Canal, and the Sandbanks Provincial Park to name a few. And topping the list of favourite activities in Ontario; camping, green spaces, the water, nature, exploring many different cities, food, festivals, coming together as one, hiking, swimming, and fishing.  We highly recommend a visit to Ottawa this summer in this historic 150th year and if you do, ensure Inspiration Village is on your to do list. It is open daily from noon – 8pm until September 4th.

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Some of the JLM team celebrated Canada’s 150th in Toronto – Ontario’s capital city. There were many exciting and entertaining events going on throughout the city, one highlight was the giant rubber duck which drew large crowds to Toronto’s Redpath Waterfront Festival and brought many smiles and people together. In fact, the festival broke its three-day attendance record! Others spent their Canada Day sailing in the harbor, dining on the water and enjoying the spectacular Toronto skyline.

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When the sun went down, everyone in both cities enjoyed beautiful red and white fireworks that could be seen in Ottawa on Parliament Hill and in Toronto on the CN Tower.

Canada’s 150th birthday was truly a Canada Day like no other. Tell us about your experience – how did you celebrate Canada Day?

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