A small company event is a job that lands on one person, usually alongside their regular work. The common mistake is starting from the ideas (karaoke? a workshop? a DJ?) instead of the dates. This list works the other way round: first what has to be locked in and when, and only then what happens during the evening. 6 weeks is enough for a group of 20 to 50, and if you have less time, just compress the early stages.
What do you lock in 6 weeks before?
At this stage you settle the three things everything else rests on. No date, no venue; no purpose, no evening.
1. A date, plus two backups
Pick the day of the week before you pick the venue. Thursday is the most requested day, here too, so it's the first to go; most of Tel Aviv works Sunday to Thursday, which makes Thursday the natural night out. Check the date doesn't fall on a Jewish holiday or holiday eve, the end of a quarter, or a week when half the department is abroad. Write down two backup dates as well, because a venue can answer on three dates faster than on one.
2. What the evening is for
A thank-you for the quarter, the end of a project, a holiday evening or a welcome for new hires. One sentence on the purpose helps management sign off, and helps you choose the format, the content and who speaks.
3. A venue that closes just for you
Book the venue now, not in two weeks, because a popular date doesn't have two weeks. A venue that includes food, a bar, a sound system and one contact person ticks off half the later steps in one go. On company events at Ezra the three packages and live date availability are on the page, so this step can be done the same day; if a question is left, we answer within 24 hours.
What do you do 4 weeks before?
Now you turn the decision into something that exists in people's calendars, and you start counting.
4. A calendar invite, not just WhatsApp
Send an invite with the date, start time, address and an estimated end time. A message in the group chat is gone in an hour; a calendar invite blocks the evening. Add one line about the food, such as "vegetarian, dairy, no meat" or whatever you agreed, so anyone who needs something different says so now.
5. First headcount
Ask people to RSVP in the invite itself. This round always comes out higher than reality, and that's fine; it's the number you work with the venue on for now. More on the gap between this count and who actually turns up below.
6. Choose the format
A seated dinner, a standing happy hour that rolls into a party, or a party with a DJ. This decision sets the menu and the layout of the room, so it gets made now. A comparison of the three formats and who each one suits is on team events at Ezra.
7. Who speaks, and for how long
The CEO, a department head, or someone stepping into a new role. Ask them now, not on the day, and give them a frame: 3 to 5 minutes per speaker, 2 to 3 speakers. It's the easiest thing to forget and the hardest to fix on the night.
What do you settle 2 weeks before?
8. The menu, including people who eat differently
Pass on to the venue what came back from the invite: how many vegetarians, how many vegans, any gluten sensitivity. In a group of 40 there are almost always three people who need something else, and a venue that knows in advance handles it without anyone noticing.
9. Kashrut, if it matters to your team
Ezra has no kashrut certificate and is open on Shabbat. The menu is dairy-vegetarian only, with no meat, fish or seafood, so tell anyone who keeps kosher before the invite goes out.
10. Content that doesn't depend on a supplier
A slideshow of photos from the year, a quick round of "the thing you didn't know about me", small prizes in three funny categories. All of these need only a projector, a microphone and someone to host. Check the venue has all three; at Ezra there's a projector, a fold-out screen and two microphones in the room.
11. An hour-by-hour schedule
Write the evening out for yourself hour by hour (see the table below) and send it to the venue. A venue that knows there's a slideshow at 21:00 will make sure the music drops on time and the food is out before.
12. Getting there
In central Tel Aviv, plan for taxis, one shuttle from the office, or public transport, and send everyone the name of the nearest car park. Ezra has no parking on site, there are paid car parks nearby, and for an evening with a bar a taxi is the better choice anyway.
What do you settle a week before?
13. Second headcount, the one that counts
Send a short message: "Who's actually coming on Thursday?" This is the number you confirm to the venue, and it's usually 10 to 20 percent lower than the first. The food, the layout and the final bill are based on it, so don't skip this round.
14. Send the venue every detail
Final numbers, arrival time, who speaks and when, whether there's a slideshow and in what format, food sensitivities, and the name and number of your contact person. One tidy message instead of eight.
15. A reminder to the team
Address, time, dress code if there is one, and what to do about the car. This message takes the "where is it?" questions on the day down to zero.
What do you prepare the day before?
The day before, you don't plan, you pack. Everything that goes from the office to the event goes in one bag, and the bag sits by the door.
16. What to bring from the office
- Slides on a USB stick, plus a copy emailed to yourself
- A printed name list for the door
- Gifts or prizes, wrapped and labelled
- A sheet with the speaker order and times
- A phone charger and the venue contact's number
- The company card or payment confirmation
17. Test the slides on another computer
Open the file on a computer that isn't yours, ideally as a PDF as well as the original format. A missing font or a video that won't play shows up now, not in front of 40 people.
How does the evening itself run, hour by hour?
This is a schedule for a 5-hour evening starting at 19:00. For a 3-hour evening, keep the same order and shorten the food and the dancing.
| Time | What happens | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| 18:30 | The organiser arrives, connects the slides, sets out gifts | Projector, microphone, name list |
| 19:00 | Arrivals, first drink, bites | Bar open, quiet music |
| 19:40 | Toast, 2 to 3 speakers | Microphone, music down |
| 20:00 | Food | Buffet or sharing plates |
| 21:00 | Content: slideshow, round, prizes | Projector, a host, 30 to 45 minutes |
| 21:45 | Dance floor, music up | DJ or playlist |
| 00:00 | The end, taxis | Settle up on the confirmed headcount |
How many people will actually come?
The group almost always ends up smaller than the first list said. Miluim (army reserve duty), holidays, a sick child, someone who just flew out. An event that started as "about 45" regularly ends up at 35 to 40.
Count twice, not once
The first count (4 weeks before) gives the venue a sense of scale. The second count (a week before) gives the final number you send the venue, so the food and the layout fit the group exactly.
The bottom line
A small company event for 20 to 50 people comes together in 6 weeks if you work by dates: date, purpose and venue first; invite and first headcount next; menu, content and schedule 2 weeks before; second headcount a week before; bag packed the day before. On the night, speeches in the first hour, food in the middle, dancing at the end. And if you want to tick off step 3 today, the packages and availability are already on company events at Ezra.
Want to tick off step 3 today?
Ezra is a private bar in Tel Aviv that closes just for your group. Three company packages, live date availability, and one contact person from the first message to the end of the night, in English.
Packages and availability Message us on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
How far in advance should you plan a company event?
6 weeks is comfortable for 20 to 50 people. 4 weeks can work if the date is flexible. For December, before a Jewish holiday or on a Thursday, book the venue 6 weeks ahead, because those dates go first.
What should you book first when planning a company event?
The date, then the venue in the same week. A popular date won't wait two weeks, and a venue that includes food, a bar and a sound system ticks off several later steps at once.
How many people should you confirm to the venue?
The number from the second headcount, a week before, not the first. The group is usually 10 to 20 percent smaller than the first list said.
How long should speeches be at a company event?
2 to 3 speakers, 3 to 5 minutes each, in the first hour of the evening. After the food and the music, attention drops, so the speeches go early.
What should you bring from the office on the day of a company event?
Slides on a USB stick plus a copy by email, a printed name list for the door, wrapped gifts and prizes, a sheet with the speaker order, and the venue contact's number. All in one bag, packed the day before.