how to throw the best (goodbye) party

For your colleagues

Every company throws a party every now and then to celebrate a birthday, say goodbye to a colleague or to honor a milestone. We pretty much try and look for any excuse to open a bottle of white wine here at the office, so here a few tips and tricks on how to throw your own office goodbye party for your colleagues.

find a cool café in the neighborhood

However easy it might be to just stay at the office, going to a café around the corner just makes it a tad more enjoyable. Everyone will feel a little more at ease outside of the office resulting in a guaranteed amiable ambiance.

Check it with your boss

Inform the boss about your party plans and ask them if it’s okay if you stop working half an hour in advance. This way your get-together can start on time (meaning it will end on time too) and you’ll know everyone will be there.

Send an email

Let everyone know in advance (at least a week or so) that you’re planning a get-together. Send them a quick reminder the day before. State an end time so that your colleagues know what they’re up for and no one will hang around unsolicited.

the first round is on you

Paying the bill at the end of the night may cause for an unnecessary uncomfortable situation. Perhaps one of your colleagues spent the evening chugging down a few drinks too many, and well, someone’s got to pay for those. Your future ex-boss? You? Tell everyone that the first round is on you. It’s generous, and exactly how you want to be remembered by your old coworkers. And above all: when people have to pay for their own rounds they’ll limit their alcohol intake.

snacks

Order a few snacks during your first round. People will be heading towards the party directly after work on (most likely) an empty stomach, and an empty stomach and booze can cause a whole bunch of embarrassing situations. Even if you won’t ever be seeing any of these people again, you don’t want to be remembered as the hot mess at your goodbye party.

SCALE IT DOWN

Straight to my sixth tip: reduce your alcohol intake. A few glasses is more than fine but you don’t want to end up stripping on the bar or puking in the bathroom. Your friends are the ones who take care of you in sloppy situations, not your (ex) coworkers. Ever.

Speech

Prepare a little speech. Nothing Obama-esque, just a few kind words to thank everyone and if you can throw in a few anecdotes, then they’re guaranteed to miss you for a long time.