Whether it’s a 50th birthday or a 20-year company anniversary, planning a memorable event comes with its challenges. HUONE’s founder, Evon Blomstedt, shares key insights from organizing both—covering venue choices, stress-free planning, and must-have elements for a seamless celebration.
The Art of Milestone Celebrations: Lessons from a 50th Birthday & a 20-Year Company Anniversary
Why Milestone Celebrations Matter
Whether it’s a personal milestone like a 50th birthday or a professional one such as a company’s 20-year anniversary, these events mark significant achievements. Reaching these points takes years of dedication, resilience, and growth. There is an emotional attachment to these moments—they represent the journey, the struggles, and the victories along the way. Because of this emotional weight, how the event turns out matters deeply to the organizer. Surprisingly, whether the celebration is personal or corporate, the event-planning process shares many similarities.
Common Elements Between a 50th Birthday & a 20-Year Company Anniversary
1. Creating a Memorable Experience
At the heart of both events is the desire to create a memorable experience and share the moment with people who matter. In a corporate setting, this includes employees, stakeholders, customers, and suppliers who have contributed to the company’s journey. In a personal celebration, it’s about family, friends, and close acquaintances who have been part of one’s life.
2. Choosing the Right Venue
The venue plays a critical role in both celebrations. One of the biggest mistakes for a 50th or 60th birthday party is hosting it at home—unless there is external catering and service staff to manage everything. The last thing anyone wants is to stress over cleaning, setting up, and worrying about how their home looks instead of enjoying the celebration.
For companies, the same rule applies—don’t host the event at the office. Employees who contributed to the company’s success should enjoy the occasion without working. Instead, choose a venue that allows everyone to celebrate stress-free.
More importantly, the venue should provide more than just space. A good event venue should come with built-in AV equipment, speakers, lighting, and an atmosphere that aligns with the event’s theme. This reduces the need for extensive decoration and logistical work, making the event more sustainable and hassle-free.
3. Avoid Holding Too Many Strings
Many organizers, especially decision-makers, struggle with delegation because of their emotional attachment to the event. Whether it’s a company founder ensuring the anniversary reflects the brand or an individual making sure their birthday celebration aligns with their personality, they want control over the details. However, the biggest mistake is taking on too much.
On the day of the event, the organizer and their closest ones should not be working. Instead of getting caught up in logistics, the host should be fully present and enjoy the event. Choosing a full-service venue—one with experienced staff who understand the space—can eliminate many of these burdens.
4. Food & Drinks—The Life of the Party
A good event thrives on a continuous flow of food and drinks. This isn’t a formal three-course dinner where guests sit at their tables all night. The best celebrations encourage movement, conversation, and engagement. Having a buffet-style or ‘party feast’ format allows guests to interact freely, eat at their own pace, and keep the energy flowing.
Key Differences: Budgeting & Expectations
1. Who Pays for What?
- Personal Celebrations: One common concern is whether the host must pay for everything, including drinks. The good news is that it’s increasingly common for hosts to provide food and a welcome drink, while guests buy their own additional drinks.
- Corporate Celebrations: The company typically covers all expenses, but that doesn’t mean an unlimited budget. Businesses can manage costs by limiting drink options or pre-selecting a drinks menu that keeps expenses controlled.
2. Setting the Right Atmosphere
- Personal Events: The party theme is driven by the celebrant’s personal taste—whether it’s casual, elegant, or extravagant. It’s about making the event feel special for them.
- Corporate Events: The anniversary celebration should align with the company’s brand and values. Whether it’s a formal gala or a relaxed gathering, the event needs to reflect the company’s identity and journey.
Final Takeaways for Event Planners
- Start early: The best events require thoughtful planning.
- Pick a venue that reduces stress: Avoid places where the organizer ends up managing everything.
- Ensure seamless logistics: From catering to AV support, smooth execution is key.
- Encourage engagement: Make the celebration lively with good food, a well-designed program, and interactive elements.
- Capture the moments: You want to be able to look back at this with good quality photos and videos. Memories last longer and it is so nice you can share them with those attended or share the milestones on your Social Media channels. Consider hiring a professional to do this so that you don’t have to fuss over it.
- Enjoy the moment: The host and key organizers should be able to relax and celebrate—after all, it’s their milestone too!
By keeping these points in mind, anyone organizing a milestone celebration—whether for a loved one or a company—can create a memorable, seamless, and truly enjoyable experience.
Organise your next milestone event with HUONE