First of all, who should throw the office baby shower? Who it should NOT be is the office manager, who may be suspected of office favoritism. A close co-worker would be the best person for the job, which could also be distributed among several people to make it easier.
Second, get the guest of honor involved in the planning, unless the baby shower is supposed to be a surprise, which would then require some creative sneakery. Ask about who they would like to have in the baby shower, if there are any people outside the department that they want invited (or not), an appropriate theme for them, and especially, when their free time will be.
Location is another matter that needs to be settled. Using corporate space needs permission and also a reservation so that two activities are not planned in the same room. You may also need permission if you are thinking of using the company cafeteria. If you are booking a close-by restaurant, you need to make a reservation at least a month in advance, and confirm that about a week before the office baby shower.
The location will also determine the type of food you'll be serving. You should think about what makes it easy for your co-workers when it comes to meal for the baby shower. Can they prepare a meal to bring to make it potluck? Or will it be better to contribute cash to buy ready-made food? Are you going to order in for delivery? Also, if you are planning to have a hot meal at the office baby shower, consider the smells and possible spills your choice of food may leave.
The decorations need to be just as well thought out. These need to be easy to bring and dispose of after the baby shower. Don't hang anything from the ceiling, since that is in violation of office safety standards. Small table decorations or a banner for the wall would be best. A small floral arrangement or an arrangement of balloons would be another option. Think about the probable mess that could be caused and the extra work you would be adding to the cleaning team. You would want your next planned celebration to be welcomed, wouldn't you?
Last, the all-important and sometimes dreaded games. Due to the short amount of time you have to keep the office baby shower to, office etiquette dictates that games should not be included. However, if a short activity or two is requested, it's best to stick to quieter, paper-based games like baby crossword. The fact that you're in a corporate environment means that there are people around you that are working and don't want to be disturbed. Any noisy, disruptive game would certainly not be welcome in this atmosphere.
A decent office baby shower is definitely possible and following
office baby shower etiquette will ensure that everyone enjoys the
experience.