If you're throwing a company christmas party this year - you need to use this as your only guide to planning the perfect christmas party!
Set Your Goals
You want to start by setting some goals to make sure that your party aligns with your companies values and what your employees expect from you. Some examples of goals are:
Celebrate your companies achievements for the year.
Reward employees and boost morale.
Encourage team bonding in a festive, relaxed environment.
Then set your goals for the tone and style of your party. The first step to doing this is deciding whether you want a casual and fun vibe (e.g. an ugly christmas jumper theme) or an elegant and formal vibe (e.g. black tie gala theme).
Set a Budget
Having a clear budget helps you keep your spending in check and avoids any last-minute surprises. Some key budget areas you need to think about are:
Venue rental
Catering and drinks
Entertainment (band, dj, photobooth etc)
Decor and lighting
Gifts, prizes and party favours
Transportation (if necessary)
While these are the main areas to watch out for, we would recommend reserving a portion of your budget for unexpected expenses, and look for sponsorships or contributions from vendors or partners to offset costs.
Choose a Theme
A theme ties the event together and adds excitement. Some of our most popular christmas themes are:
Winter wonderland: think snowflakes, icy blues and silver accents.
Retro holiday party: including nostalgic decor and activities from your chosen decade.
International christmas: you could highlight global holiday traditions and cuisines.
Ugly jumper party: encourage casual, fun attire with themed activities like contests.
Our biggest tip is to incorporate whatever theme you choose into all the details. From your invitations, to your decor, entertainment and your dress code.
Select a Venue
Your venue is going to set the tone and determines your parties scale, so you need to consider things like how close the venue is to your office or closest transportation hub. Then you need to think about whether the venue you like has the capacity to handle your guest list, as well as the amenities they have in terms of parking, AV equipment and staging areas.
Some venue ideas are:
Elegant banquet halls for formal themes.
Local breweries or wineries for a casual, festive vibe.
Outdoor heated tents for a unique winter experience.
Onsite office spaces transformed with decor for a budget-friendly option.
Plan a Delicious Menu
Food and drinks are central to any great party experience. So make your decisions wisely. You want to offer classic holiday dishes as well as some innovative and trendy options to keep a variety.
Offering speciality items like a hot chocolate station or themed cocktails add a nice twist to your party as well. Make sure to account for dietary restrictions by labelling all your menu items clearly.
For your drinks you want to make sure you've got non-alcoholic options too, things like mocktails, water and infused teas or coffee. For your alcoholic drinks you want to make sure you've got a well-stocked bar and a drinks menu that fits your theme.
Organise Entertainment
Having engaging entertainment makes your event memorable and keeps your guests nice and energised for the night. Having live music, interactive entertainment like photobooths and games, as well as holiday specific games, such as gingerbread house contests, ornament decorating, or even secret santa exchanges.
You also want to think about your guests when planning your entertainment. For example, younger guests might enjoy more lively games, while others may prefer quieter, networking-friendly activities.
Incorporate Festive Decor
Your decor is the main thing that is going to create and immersive experience that really speaks to your theme. Use colour schemes that match your theme and add creative centerpieces such as fairylights or oversized ornaments.
If you're looking to keep costs down without sacrificing your style - look into rentals or DIY options for your decor.
Plan Thoughtful Activities
Structured activities are an easy way to break the ice and can add meaningful moments to your event. You can do things like:
Team recognition: you could choose to have an awards ceremony for your staff, making sure to include awards for fun categories such as "best desk decor"
Gift exchange: consider hosting a secret santa for added holiday cheer!
Raffle or prize draw: you could offer desirable prizes like gift cards, tech gadgets or extra vacation days. Consider selling tickets to help pay for the event, or to donate to a good cause to encourage people to join in.
Send Invitations Early
By sending out your invitations early you can assure the maximum possible attendance, especially during the busy holiday season.
For maximum effect we recommend using digital invitations for convenience and cost-effectiveness. Your invitations should include all essential details, such as date, time, location, dress code, RSVP deadline, and a brief overview of the event.
You can also create excitement by hinting at the theme or special activities/games in the invitations.
Create a Fun Atmosphere
The atmosphere is so important to making your event feel lively and inclusive, because you want to be able to keep your guests engaged and relaxed throughout.
If you want to make sure your guests have everything they need for the atmosphere to be good, we recommend having separate spaces for mingling, dancing and quiet conversation. We also recommend encouraging your guests to participate in interactive games or contests throughout your event.
It's also so fun if you include a surprise element in he night. Such as a guest performer or a holiday themed flash mob.
Include Takeaways
Last but not least, you want to give your guests a lasting impression of your event. So including thoughtful mementos really helps to give a good lasting impression on your guests. Our favourite ideas are:
Branded items like mugs, ornaments or reusable tote bags.
Edible gifts like cookies, hot chocolate kits, or mini champagne bottles.
Personalised thankyou notes add an extra meaningful touch.
Use this guide to help plan your perfect christmas party that will have everyone you work with BEGGING for another one next year!
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