What's in this template
Five party formats. Replace or extend with your own — and consider adding an open-text question for anyone with constraints worth knowing about.
Why office parties get poor turnout
The format suits the organiser
Whoever plans it picks what they'd enjoy. A formal dinner and a game night attract quite different groups, and one of them is not your whole team.
Anonymity gets the real answer
Nobody tells the person organising the party that they'd rather not do a formal dinner. An anonymous poll gets you that before the deposit.
Constraints are invisible until you ask
Dietary needs, childcare, people who don't drink, people who can't do evenings. One open-text question surfaces all of it in advance.
Involvement drives attendance
People turn up to things they helped choose. The poll takes thirty seconds and is the cheapest attendance intervention available.
Run it in three steps
List realistic formats
Only options you could actually book on the budget. Voting on a format you can't afford wastes goodwill.
Run it anonymously
People won't say no to the organiser's preference with their name attached.
Add an open-text question
Ask about constraints — dietary, timing, accessibility. Better learned now than on the night.