Set the budget and the headcount
Part 1 of 7 of the free corporate holiday parties guide from The Gallery on Montana. How to get a holiday party budget approved before you shop venues: a headcount range, a per guest number and the math that makes it easy to say yes.
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Most company holiday parties stall in the same place: someone tours a venue they love, then finds out the budget was never approved. Do it the other way around. Get two numbers signed off first, a headcount range and a per guest amount, and every venue call after that gets shorter.
Want the short version before you start? Read our San Antonio holiday party overview first, then come back here for the step by step plan.
Start with the headcount, not the venue
Ask each team lead for a number, then build a range: the people who will almost certainly come, and the most you would have if every plus one says yes. Plus ones change the math more than anything else, so decide early whether partners are invited. Plan the room and the food for the top of your range, and plan the budget for the middle.
- Employees only, or partners too? Decide this before you price anything.
- Remote staff: will you cover travel, or plan a separate gift for them?
- Clients or vendors: a client night is a different party with a different budget.
- Kids: most company evening parties are adults only. Say so on the invite.
Turn it into a per guest number
Finance teams approve per guest numbers faster than a pile of separate quotes. A per guest number is easy to compare, easy to scale if the headcount moves, and easy to explain to the person signing off. Ask for one total that covers space, food, staff and styling, then add drinks, entertainment and gifts as their own lines.
| Line | What it covers | How to price it |
|---|---|---|
| Venue and setup | The room, furniture, setup, cleanup and staff | Per guest package or hourly rate |
| Food | Stations, dinner or bites, plus dessert | Per guest from the caterer |
| Drinks | Bar service, or your own drinks and a bartender | Per guest or a flat bartender fee |
| Extras | DJ, photographer, photo wall, gifts | Flat fees, plus gifts per guest |
| Buffer | Tax, tips and the thing nobody planned for | About 10 percent of the total |
A worked example
Here is the math using The Gallery on Montana's holiday packages, which are priced per guest with a $2,500 minimum. Forty guests on the $99 Celebrate package comes to $3,960 before tax and add ons. Twenty five guests on the $69 Gather package is $1,725, which falls under the minimum, so you would plan for $2,500. The $149 Gala package has a 30 guest minimum, so it starts at $4,470.
Get it approved in one email
Send the person who signs off one short email: the date range, the headcount range, the per guest number, the total at the top of the range and the deposit you will need to hold a date. Deposits are usually a percentage of the total. At The Gallery a 30 percent deposit holds the date, so the email can say exactly how much you need released and when.
Tip: Ask for the top of the range. Get approval for the top of your headcount range. Coming in under budget is a good day. Going back for more money in December is not.
Know what you are celebrating
Before you shop, write one sentence about why the party exists: a thank you after a hard year, a first party for a team that grew fast, or a night to bring clients and staff together. That sentence decides whether you need a dinner or a mixer, awards or no speeches at all, and it keeps everyone on the planning team pointed the same way.
Next up: picking a date and a part of town before the good ones are gone.
About The Gallery on Montana
A curated event space, photo and film location, and vintage gallery at 701 Montana Street on the East Side of San Antonio, one block from the Alamodome. Built around a twenty year collection of vintage furniture and objects, rented by the hour or the day for photo shoots, private dinners, podcasts, workshops and pop-up markets.
Capacity: 35 seated indoors, 12 on the porch, 25 on the patio under the art arch, 50 to 60 in the yard, and up to 100 standing inside.
The Gallery on Montana, 701 Montana St, San Antonio, TX 78203. Events, shoots and meetings book on our booking page. Explore: Home · The space · Private events · Holiday parties · Weddings · Photo and video shoots · Workshops · Planning guides · Book a tour