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The yearly corporate Christmas party is the company’s end-of-year gift to employees to show appreciation. It is a celebration for the year’s wins that boosts morale and brings teams together, increasing overall satisfaction within the company and reflecting company culture.
Whether you’re planning a sit-down dinner or casual drinks, organise an office Christmas party your team will love with a clear plan. This guide walks through every step from setting a date to post-event wrap-up. Get tips on venues, catering, entertainment, and making it a memorable company event.
Start Planning Early
Set a calendar reminder three months in advance to plan the end-of-year celebration. November and December are popular times to book office Christmas parties. Plan early as venues book out fast this time of year. Planning early sets you up for success by ensuring you get the best early rates, locking in your preferred vendors, and increasing staff attendance.
Set a Budget That Makes Sense
The first step to planning the office Christmas party is setting a budget. Break down your budget expenses by venue, catering, drinks, styling, entertainment and travel. Keep 10% – 15% of your budget saved for emergencies and the unexpected. It is ideal to set a per-person budget, as most venues will charge per person. Many venues will offer packages with rates per person, typically including venue hire, catering and staffing.
Tips for budget approval:
- Ensure the office party aligns with the company’s and event objectives.
- Ensure the budget is realistic.
- Prepare a proposal that lays out the event clearly.
- Address all potential concerns in your proposal.
- Emphasise the value to the company and employees.
Choose a Date That Works for Everyone
December is a busy time for everyone as we head into Christmas and the New Year’s celebrations. Hosting your event in November or early mid-December on a weekday, and sending out invitations as early as possible, can help increase attendance. Avoid weekends and booking a date too close to Christmas, as you don’t want to compete with pre-planned leave and other family and friend events.
Pick the Perfect Venue
The way to a successful event is the venue. An inclusive venue will minimise stress and aid the planning process, all in one place. You can have a company Christmas party at a restaurant, rooftop, bar, or a dedicated function venue. A dedicated function venue is perfect for event flexibility, providing formal dinners, cocktail parties and large team events. When selecting your venue, your event capacity will be a contributing factor to your choice.
Navarra Venues provides coordinators to ensure the layout, timing, presentation and flow of the event are perfect. Navarra Venues also offers indoor and outdoor setups of different capacities, with modular staging and seating for a unique elevated experience. Your venue should be accessible by public transport and have parking options.
Choose the Right Style or Format
There are a number of different styles, staging, and setting options for your office Christmas party. Your event can be a seated dinner, which gives a formal atmosphere and is a great way to relax after a long working day. A cocktail party is still elevated, with a relaxed atmosphere, a great idea to encourage mingling. A day party is a casual gathering that can be the ultimate gift to your employees. Choose the event type that best suits your workplace culture and budget. A fun way to spice up the event is by having a themed party. Fun ideas include: winter wonderland, awards night and summer soiree.
Organise Food and Drinks
Select catering based on the vibe of your event. At a venue, there are often many options to choose from, including grazing stations, live food stations, roaming canapés and classic plated menus. Make your event extra special by mixing and matching styles.
Include both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinking options for the event. Plan in advance for the night’s drinks, either by booking a drinking package or having a bar tab open for the event.
It is important to remember including dietary requirements in your RSVPs.
Book Entertainment or Activities
The office Christmas party is the highlight of the year for company employees; make a lasting impression with some entertaining activities. There are many options to select from, including a live band, having team awards, raffles, photobooths, dance performances, trivia games, or personalised arts and craft stands. Ensure you pick something that fits the company image and is in line with a range of personalities within the company. Take your chosen entertainment into consideration based on age, team energy, and venue space.
Communicate the Details Clearly
Your invitation should include the office Christmas party’s time, date, location, dress code and an RSVP link. RSVPs should include dietary requirements and can include spouses. Send out the invitations using the best company internal channel, this might be via email, digital flyer, app or company message board. Send a follow-up reminder to the office Christmas party invitation to ensure everyone is reminded to RSVP.
One week prior, confirm final RSVPs and dietary requirements. Note: If the event is after work, your employees will appreciate you considering their transportation. Organise transportation to the event location at an allocated time. Include this information in the invitation and RSVP.
Prepare a Run Sheet for the Event Day
To ensure the office Christmas party runs smoothly, you will need a schedule of the night’s activities. Draft a timeline for guest arrival, food service, speeches, entertainment and wind-down. On the night, you will need to assign roles for MC, photographer and vendor contact. You may choose to have a welcome team, too. Your run sheet should include buffer time for pre-event setup and AV checks.
Post-Party Appreciation and Wrap-Up
To sweeten the night of celebration, send a thank-you note, gift or a follow-up email to your staff and vendors. Don’t forget to share a folder of the night’s photos and videos with the staff.
As an extra option, you can include a Q&A in the follow-up email and collect feedback from the night to improve and make next year’s celebration bigger and better.
Celebrate the End of the Year in Style
The goal of the office end-of-year, Christmas, and New Year’s parties is to make staff feel valued and connected. When planned properly and executed correctly, it will leave a lasting impression and shine a positive light on the company culture.
Pick the partners to lead your night to success and explore Navarra Venues’ corporate Christmas and end-of-year packages.
