How to Plan the Best Work Christmas Party
Published on: October 23, 2024
In the world of the workplace, Christmas parties are the stuff of legends. A chance for employers to give back and thank employees, consolidating company culture. Wrapping up the year with a big red bow! For employees, the promise of an epic Christmas party can be just the ticket to boost morale, maintain motivation and team spirit.
But planning a legendary office Christmas party is no small task. The race to save the date starts earlier each year and the pressure is on to make it bigger and better than ever before. At Social Pantry, our event planners are seasoned pros when it comes to throwing Christmas parties that will go down in company history. Bringing big, bold, ambitious ideas to the table and doing all the hard work behind the scenes.
Christmas party planning checklist
To help get the ball rolling and jingle bells ringing, we’re sharing our top tips for planning the ultimate Christmas party. In this article, you’ll learn the tricks of the trade for choosing and securing the perfect venue. Plus, how to make your Christmas party stand out from the crowd. Our event planners share their fail-safe framework for ensuring no stone is left unturned when it comes to party planning.
In this article we discuess:
Start planning early
Christmas might feel like an age away, but it’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas. The most popular dates and venues get booked up months in advance. And the longer you leave it to send out your invites, the more likely you are to encounter diary conflicts and find out your colleagues are already committed to events elsewhere.
When to start planning
We all know the early bird catches the worm, and unfortunately for any last-minute-Lucys out there, this is very much the case when it comes to Christmas party planning. While many will start thinking about Christmas as soon as that ‘back to school’ feeling hits in September, the most organised planners start as early as June or July (if not, the previous Christmas!)
Of course, this isn’t always necessary – it really depends on the date and venue that you want to book. Mid-December is the most popular time for Christmas parties, particularly on a Thursday evening, so if you’re hoping to host a festive party during this time, you may need to get in early. As for venues, the largest, most impressive and most central locations are the most sought-after, so if you’re going for one of those, you’ll need to secure it in advance.
Choosing a date
Choosing the day and date of your Christmas party is an important consideration. Thursdays have now overtaken Fridays as the most popular day of the week for corporate Christmas parties, events and client hospitality. And demand has shifted earlier in the month with the second week of December proving twice as popular as the third. To secure your first-choice date and location and maximise attendance, book your venue and send out your ‘save the dates’ now.
Credits: Event Industry News
However, while end of week parties have traditionally been favoured, don’t rule out the idea of celebrating on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Many venues offer greater flexibility and even discounted rates. Plus, there’s a greater chance that all your add-on services from catering to entertainment will have availability too. Even your Uber journey home could work out cheaper earlier in the week!
While there’s no denying the post-Christmas party hangovers may impact productivity the next morning, offering employees the option to work from home or a later start time will maximise goodwill and is unlikely to hurt productivity over the course of the week. Or how about organising a nutritious and delicious recovery brunch to ease people back into the office the next day (not to mention a dedicated time for catching up on any gossip from the night before!)?
Manage your budget
Managing the budget for a work Christmas party requires careful planning, particularly when it comes to controlling costs in key areas like the venue, decoration, catering, drinks, and entertainment. Here are some of our top tips for managing the budget for your Christmas party:
Venue budget
Consider off-peak days: Hiring a venue midweek (Tuesday-Thursday) can save significant amounts compared to weekend bookings, especially in December when prices are at a premium.
Look for package deals: Many venues offer Christmas party packages that include food, drinks, and entertainment for a set price per head. These can help manage costs by bundling services. This year, Social Pantry is offering exclusive food & drinks packages at Battersea Arts Centre, @sohoplace and Tower Bridge.
Book early: Early bookings can sometimes lock in lower rates before the holiday rush increases prices. For the best prices, you’ll want to start thinking about Christmas around 6 months beforehand…
Decoration budget
Provide your own decorations: Buy affordable sustainable decorations or even make your own. Organising a DIY-decoration afternoon ahead of the big event is a great way to get colleagues excited for the party, as well as providing an hour or two off work to focus on a mindful activity – it’s a win-win. Simple paper decorations like snowflakes, garlands and tinsel can be very effective and are easy to make yourself, plus they can be reused or recycled once the event is over. Otherwise, fairy lights and festive plants look great at a Christmas party and can be kept and reused time and time again, keeping the office festive for years to come!
Hire or reuse decorations: If your workplace puts on parties annually, consider investing in reusable decorations that can be stored for future events. Alternatively, rent decorations from a supplier rather than buying new ones every year. Streamadelica is one of our favourite sustainably-minded suppliers, specialising in show-stopping reusable streamer banners and backdrops. They’ll deck your halls with epic installations, then, once the party’s over, pack it all up ready to be hired again.
Keep it minimal: Focus on a few key statement pieces like a Christmas tree, fairy lights, or table centrepieces, rather than overloading the space with decorations.
Food budget
Opt for canapés and bowl foods: Serving smaller, bite-sized food rather than a full meal, can help keep costs down but still feels celebratory. Our event planners advise that three bowls per person amounts to a main meal, so your guests won’t go hungry, plus this style of dining allows them to try different dishes throughout the course of the evening.
Dietary considerations: Make sure to account for dietary restrictions early, so you don’t overspend on special orders or last-minute changes.
Self serving food stations: A popular party food option is to create food stations. These are long tables laden with bite sized food that guests can serve up themselves– we’re huge fans of food stations for parties where guests will be mingling and the atmosphere is more casual. These can be themed around particular types of food – cheese and charcuterie, sushi, tapas and paella, gyoza and bao buns, desserts… the list goes on! Serving food in this style cuts down on costs compared to a sit-down three-course meal as the need to hire dining tables and chairs, numerous waiting staff and on-site chefs is lessened.
Drinks budget
Set a drink limit: Offer a fixed number of drink vouchers (e.g., two or three per person), so you can control the overall spend on alcohol.
Have a cash bar after a set time: Another way to reduce cost is to provide free drinks for a limited time (e.g., during the first two hours), before switching to a cash bar.
Offer a signature drink: Instead of offering a full range of drinks, serve one or two themed cocktails alongside wine, beer, and soft drinks. This can add a festive touch without an extensive (and therefore expensive) bar. Our expert team of mixologists are happy to help come up with signature suggestions for your party.
Entertainment budget
Consider DIY entertainment: Create your own fun with activities like a quiz, karaoke or a dance-off. These low-cost activities can be just as engaging as hired entertainment.
Use in-house talent: If you have musically or comically inclined employees, ask if they’d be willing to contribute to the event’s entertainment. It adds a personal touch and saves on hiring costs. Talent contest, anyone?
Stream music: Instead of hiring a DJ or live band, create a Christmas party playlist and stream it through a sound system. You can even get input from employees ahead of the big night – Spotify now offers the option to create a Collaborative Playlist where you can simply share the link to a playlist you’ve created (even if it just has one song in it to begin with!) with your colleagues, and they can add in their favourite tunes. It’s a sure-fire way to ensure there’s something for everyone to dance to.
Choose a location
With so many incredible events venues in London and the surrounding area, choosing the perfect location for your work Christmas party can be a minefield. Not sure where to start? Here are a few things to consider which will help you to whittle down your options…
Somerset House
Home or away for Christmas…
Choosing a venue close to your location or with easy access via public transport is important if people will be heading straight from the office. Social Pantry has more than 80 spectacular venues on our books. Including iconic London landmarks such as Somerset House, National Gallery, Guildhall, Two Temple Place and Southbank Centre. Check out our guide to London’s best showstopper venues, or our favourite historic and heritage venues, for further inspiration.
We’ve also seen a rise in overnight and weekend-long corporate Christmas getaways that combine festive celebrations with team building and leisure activities. This is where more rural, remote and escapist venues come into their own.
Consider Euridge Estate, a tranquil countryside oasis nestled in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds that offers accommodation for up to 32 guests.
Wilderness Reserve boasts properties for parties of any size that come with amenities such as an indoor golden pool, gym, sauna, spa, games room, cinema and more.
Sibton Park at Wilderness Reserve by day
Chapel Barn Estate at Wilderness Reserve by night
Another retreat favourite is Osea Island. This idyllic haven basking serenely on the Blackwater Estuary (remarkably just a little over an hour’s drive from London!) has a variety of cottages, apartments and grand houses to stay in.
Retreats offer excellent team building and leisure activities such as wild swimming.
Choosing the perfect venue
The right venue is arguably the most important element of a successful Christmas party. Style, size, capacity, amenities and location are all essential considerations, as well as availability and budget. While it’s possible to host a Christmas party on business premises, it can take significantly more time and resources to transform the space so that it doesn’t feel like an extension of work.
Taking your party off-site to a spectacular venue sends the signal this is an event to savour. It stirs up greater levels of excitement and commitment amongst employees. And it makes for a memorable celebration that is distinct from other workplace events throughout the year.
Guildhall provides an impressive and timeless event space.
Make the most of one of the many beautiful in-built bars at KOKO Camden
Compare your meeting rooms to the Neo Gothic splendour of Guildhall, or the architectural majesty of Koko Camden, and it’s easy to see why a purposefully chosen events venue goes a long way to set the tone for a special occasion.
How many offices have a stage for live music or a built-in bar? Plus, you’ll want to be sure that set-up and clear-up don’t interfere with regular workplace activities. The last thing you want to think about at the end of a great night is making sure the room is ready for meetings the next day…
Top & exclusive venues
This year, Social Pantry is proud to be partnering with three of London’s most impressive and iconic event venues, where we’ll be providing bespoke festive food and drink packages for Christmas parties.
Battersea Arts Centre
A short walk from Clapham Junction station, Battersea Arts Centre is a Grade II listed building known for its breathtaking architecture. The Grand Hall features a spacious, restored Victorian hall with impressive high, vaulted ceilings and adjoining bars.
Sohoplace
Right in the heart of Soho, this modern venue comprises a huge theatre-auditorium as well as an upstairs event space and bar, including a covered terrace that overlooks bustling central London.
Tower Bridge
London’s most iconic landmark, Tower Bridge is home to three unique event spaces. Among the most popular are the High Level Walkways, which offer a truly unique space for dinners and dancing set to panoramic city views.
Select a Christmas party theme
Most of us will attend multiple Christmas parties across the festive season. And while there is something fun and comforting about the annual Christmas rituals, even the most ardent Christmas-lover can turn into something of a scrooge when faced with wearing the same Christmas jumper, listening to the same predictable playlist, and eating more of the same festive nibbles and lacklustre Christmas dinners, for weeks on end.
Having a distinctive theme will make your Christmas party stand out and spark more genuine enthusiasm and participation than a generic festive gathering. Outfits become talk of the office in the lead up. And a great conversation starter on the night! For companies that pride themselves on creativity, innovation and going the extra mile, a themed party presents a challenge and an opportunity to express and consolidate wider company values.
At Social Pantry, we are firm believers that constraints fuel creativity. For instance, our zero-waste philosophy constantly challenges our chefs to think outside the box and create inspiring, exciting dishes with odd or surplus ingredients and more sustainable substitutes. The same is true when it comes to party planning.
A well-defined theme narrows the focus, allowing you to execute with precision and purpose. Our event plannters advise to consider your theme across 6 domains: venue, dress code, decorations, music, food and drink and entertainment. Think about how your theme applies to each of these for maximum impact.
Picture this…
For a Great Gatsby themed party, look no further than Two Temple Place. This splendid Neo-gothic mansion combines the grandeur and opulence of a London mansion with the intimacy of a private home. Position Flapper Girl dancers around the stunning Upper Gallery surrounding the grand oak and mahogany staircase – the perfect photo backdrop to capture guests in their glamorous attire.
Host a luxurious canapé and speakeasy-inspired drinks reception in William Waldorf Astor’s private Library with its wood panelled walls, secret champagne safe and intricate carvings which sit alongside a secret door leading into the Great Hall. Here, indulge in a decadent feast along long-tables decorated with black and gold tableware and extravagant ostrich feather centrepieces. Continue into the night with a live jazz band and dancing in the Lower Hall. Great Gatsby, great success.
Select your Christmas menu
Led by our talented Head of Development Sarah Turner, our Social Pantry kitchen team has been working hard to ensure that this year’s Christmas menu is better than ever.
We work with the best suppliers to procure the freshest seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs, and ethically-sourced meat, fish and dairy which we creatively transform into a wide range of innovative, flavour-packed dishes.
There really are no rules when it comes to selecting your Christmas menu. For those who want to hit the dance floor and stay there, we offer an array of seasonal canapés and bowl foods. If you’re looking to have a sit-down dinner, we have a range of starters, main courses and desserts to choose from, plus petits-fours and cheese boards for those that want to go the extra mile. Or, why not give employees something a little different to get excited about, whether that’s a live cheese fondue station, grazing platters stacked with the finest locally-produced cheese and charcuterie or a travelling dessert bar?
As for drinks, our experienced team of mixologists and bartenders have created a bespoke drinks menu, designed and tailored to fit any theme or taste. Whether your event calls for a selection of fine wines, a local craft ale station or a gin bar, Social Pantry is on hand to deliver.
As always, if you’re looking for something totally bespoke to suit your chosen party theme or to incorporate your workplace’s branding into the food & drink offering, we can help. Just chat to your dedicated event planner about what you’re looking for and we’ll work with you to make it happen.
Dietary and cultural requirements
Our festive menus offer extensive vegetarian and vegan options, plus we can also customise dishes to accommodate dietary requirements such as dairy, wheat, soy or nut free diets and cultural requirements like halal.
Low and no alcohol mixology with Beyond Cocktails
Botanical mocktails are more popular than ever
As for alcohol, we know that there has been a generational and cultural shift towards drinking less, with increasing numbers choosing not to drink alcohol at all. But the thrill of an unlimited bar and constant flow of drinks can still be at the heart of your workplace Christmas party with an offering based around no and low alcoholic drinks. A midweek party where alcohol is on the backburner isn’t only advantageous for productivity, it’s a more responsible, inclusive option too! Social Pantry offers a range of low and no-alcohol drinks options to choose from, including seasonal botanical mocktails, low alcohol beers and zero percent wines, such as Wild Idol.
Create a party itinerary
Let’s face it, a rigid, step-by-step schedule for a party doesn’t exactly scream ‘good time’, but it is important to have an itinerary if you want to ensure that things run smoothly on the night and nobody gets bored.
It’s also important to provide at least a rough idea of the itinerary to guests so they know what to expect – will they be having a sit-down meal? Will there be dancing? Do they need to bring cash for the bar? Will they need to arrange their own transport? These are just some of the questions that people will want answers to. If the itinerary is provided then guests will know what to expect, what to bring with them and most importantly, what to wear!
Plan party activities
An itinerary might include items such as the type of food guests will be enjoying, when the entertainment beings, and what time the dancefloor will fill up, but there are plenty of other easy-to-organise party activities that can take your work Christmas bash from good to great, and really make it a night to remember.
- A quiz: Organising a festive trivia quiz with categories like Christmas movies, music, and traditions is a fun and inexpensive way to get people in the festive spirit, with prizes for the winning team . Or, better yet, if your venue has a good PA system, a music quiz always goes down well with employees of all ages – as long as the quiz master makes sure to include some crowd-pleasers, you can guarantee that you’ll get at least a few people singing…
- A photo booth: Setting up or hiring a photo booth with dress-up props is always a fun way to get teams together and create lasting memories from the night. Why not distribute the digital photo album the morning after the night before and bring a taste of the party into the office?
- A raffle: Not only is a raffle a great way to build excitement among the team (because who doesn’t want to win prizes?!), it’s also a great way to give back, as any money given for tickets can be donated to charity. Consider festive prizes like gift sets or vouchers, or how about offering unique, work-related prizes that people can look forward to redeeming in the new year, like free coffee for a week in the work canteen, or an extra day of annual leave.
- Immersive food stations: If you’re looking for that extra wow-factor when it comes to the food and drink at your work Christmas party, Social Pantry offers a range of different interactive food stations to choose from. How about a chocolate tempering station? This is where guests can choose to have artisan biscuits, pretzels or nuts dipped in tempered Pump Street Chocolate and decorate it with toppings of their choice. Or how about getting stuck into an Alpine theme and providing a live cheese fondue station?
- Entertainment: From drag queens to opera singers; roller-skating disco dancers to trapeze artists; we’ve really seen it all when it comes to Christmas party entertainment! If budgets allow it, this kind of entertainment really does create a night to remember, and something that employees will be talking about for years to come! No budget? No problem. An improvised ‘dance off’ or DIY karaoke area can be just as fun, with little to no costs incurred.
- Workshops and masterclasses: Want to give your team an immersive experience they won’t forget? Social Pantry offers a selection of workshops, tasting experiences and interactive activities for teams big and small. Think wreath making, cheese & wine tasting, sushi-rolling and more.
Make time for speeches and thank yous
Having a work Christmas party is a really great way to get the whole team together and say thank you for the hard work they’ve put in throughout the year. It’s important to take the time to acknowledge this on the night, whether it’s a short-and-sweet thank you speech to your employees at the start of the night, or a full-blown awards dinner with prizes for different teams.
Make sure everyone gets to the party
Secured a venue out of town? Ensure everyone gets there on time by arranging transport from the office, such as a private coach. Celebrating in central London or a location close to your workplace? It is still important to ensure accessibility, so arrange a fleet of black cabs to transport your team to the venue, or start the party pre-venue and travel from the office in groups via public transport!
To make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of the night, it’s a good idea to let your employees know that they can expense a cab ride home if they leave the event after 10pm. This will encourage your team to stay until the end of the formal event, and allows them to let their hair down with colleagues if they want to stay on a little later.
Send out invitations
To avoid a poor turnout due to diary conflicts, it’s best to send a ‘save the date’ to employees as soon as you’ve secured your chosen date and venue. This can be as basic as an email calendar invite to let people know when and where the party is happening, explaining that more details will follow.
After that, it’s really up to you how you want to send your invitations. Websites like Paperless Post and Greenvelope are a great way to create beautiful digital invites and track RSVPs, but if you’re looking to save on costs, there are plenty of free-to-download email invitation templates online – or better yet, persuade someone design-savvy on your team to knock something up!
Be sure to create a spreadsheet to track RSVP numbers and dietary requirements – you’ll need this when it comes to organising your catering!
Get started today!
Planning your work Christmas party? There’s no time like the present. Contact our Events Team today to get started.Email: enquiries@socialpantry.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8871 1949
Social Pantry are the go-to festive catering providers in London, whether your hosting an intimate festive gathering or a big office Christmas party we’ve got you covered.
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The second week of December is the most popular week for corporate Christmas parties, while Thursday is the most popular day.
It really depends on what type of venue you are looking for and which date you want to celebrate on. But our advice would be to book your venue as early as possible. Many of the most popular work Christmas party venues in London are already booked up by September.
There are plenty of ways to make your Christmas party fun, whether that’s having a strong theme for the event, providing a great DJ or band, immersive food experiences, surprise entertainment acts, a showstopping venue or even employee awards. The most important thing is to make sure your work Christmas party celebrates everything that your company has achieved throughout the year, and rewards your employees for the hard work they have contributed.
Discover more Christmas planning ideas and catering inspiration.
