Since the beginning of the year there has been a lot of talk within the creative event industry regarding the credit crunch and its effect on the industry. Whilst it would be remise to dismiss the possible effects of a ‘tightening of belts’ we have to remain positive, and the simple fact is that as a company, Impulse Events are 25% per cent up on last years first quarter Christmas party sales.

Yes, some companies are cutting back, particularly those with American owners, however, many large companies are still reporting record profits (Shell, Tesco etc) and many more recognize the importance of their events and in particular the annual Christmas party.

In tough times, a major challenge for companies is to keep their staff motivated, one way not to do this is to cancel the one event each year specifically arranged to reward the staff and show them how much you appreciate them. For many employees the Christmas party represents their only opportunity to ‘have a drink‘ on the company’ and perhaps the only time during the year they may get to speak with senior management in an informal setting. What’s more, the Christmas party done well is not only great fun, but a fantastic way of showing staff how much you appreciate them.

I always find that a quick, heart felt, thank you from the MD at the Christmas party rather than a boring hour long presentation is a wonderful way making staff feel truly valued.

Having said this, Christmas Party organisers have to be aware that there will be many companies who still simply cannot afford their party this year, or else will have to cut the budget. For this reason, Impulse Events have frozen their 2007 Christmas party prices for 2008. What baffles me, is why so many Christmas party organisers have increased their prices, some venues are charging in excess of £150 + vat for a decorated venue, a meal and drinks? This is even more than the tax allowance of £150 inclusive of vat, and frankly cant be justified.

Our venues are priced at between £99 and £120 + vat pp and I feel represent excellent value for money, especially as we have added additional entertainment to the packages, and increased our production budget.

Our answer to the credit crunch… offer a premium product, at a competitive price.

Many companies are now embracing the issue of corporate social responsibility and are keen to incorporate this in their marketing mix and with in their events.

At this years RSVP exhibition I will be speaking about this hot topic and discussing with a panel of experts whether or not CSR can and should be incorporated in events.

From an environmental prospective Impulse Events tried to do there bit in 2007. Within our Christmas party packages, we recycled every bottle of wine and beer throughout December, we used low energy lighting where possible and requested that our caterers sourced local, organic produce. We will soon be meeting to discuss how we can go further in 2008.

We have also witnessed a rise this year in clients requesting socially responsible events, these have included team building activities incorporating some community work, and have proved extremely popular.

For more information on our team building activities – please click here

http://www.impulseevents.co.uk/team.html