How To Plan A Company Christmas Party: The Ultimate Guide
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Planning a company Christmas party is a daunting task, and if you’re not an events organiser, you might not know where to begin.
But don’t fret! As expert event managers, we’re here to help your Christmas corporate planning with our ultimate guide to throwing a spectacular party.
Now you’ll know exactly which steps to follow from start to finish, ensuring your event is a success all around.
Here are just some of the top 3 takeaways, so you know what to expect from our jam-packed guide:
- Learn how to plan a company Christmas party from start to finish, including setting a date, choosing the right time, and managing guest RSVPs effectively
- Master the essential elements of Christmas corporate planning, such as setting a realistic budget, choosing a fitting venue, and booking unique entertainment that wows
- Mesmerise guests with exceptional Christmas theming for your corporate Christmas party, complete with creative catering, immersive décor, and engaging activities that elevate the entire experience
Table of contents
How Do You Plan A Company Christmas Party?
Planning a company Christmas party is a big task with a lot of core details to keep in mind.
In our ultimate guide, we’ll walk you through the key checklist steps to take from start to finish in the Christmas event planning stages.
1. Set a Date and Time For Your Corporate Christmas Party
As goes with any party or event, you need to set a date and time!
When it comes to corporate Christmas planning, the date is imperative for your staff to be able to enjoy the event.
With that in mind, you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions.
How important is the date we choose for the staff Christmas party?
The date you set for your Christmas party event is extremely important.
In fact, it sets the tone for the entire event.
Be sure to avoid picking a day where staff are expected to return to work the next morning, as the goal is for everyone to unwind, have a good time and celebrate.
What’s the best day of the week to hold the party?
Fridays are ideal since they lead into the weekend, giving your team time to recover and relax.
Alternatively, if your company offers early finishes or planned leave around the holiday season, hosting the party on the last working day is a great way to kick off the break.
What time should the party start?
The time your Christmas party event starts should be based on your business.
If you’re working a half-day, you could the party around 1pm.
Or if you want a more traditional celebration, an evening event gives everyone time to head home, get dressed up, and arrive ready to celebrate.
Is there a preferred time of day for a better party atmosphere?
If you’re concerned about the atmosphere of your corporate Christmas party, then evening events tend to create a more festive, party-like vibe.
They allow for more relaxed socialising and often feel a bit more special, especially if there’s food, drinks, and entertainment involved.
2. Set A Budget
When you begin your Christmas event planning, the first and most essential step is setting a budget.
Without a clear budget in place, it’s nearly impossible to make informed decisions or manage expectations as you plan a Christmas party.
A well-defined budget lays the foundation for every aspect of your Christmas party event.
After all, the costs can quickly add up, from venue hire and entertainment to catering and transport.
By setting realistic financial boundaries early on, you ensure your corporate Christmas planning stays focused and achievable.
Your budget will naturally depend on several key factors, including:
- The number of guests attending
- Whether you need to hire a venue
- The type of catering (standard or luxury)
- Transportation arrangements
- Entertainment options
Ultimately, to successfully plan a company Christmas party, your budget should reflect your goals while helping you prioritise what matters most for your event.
3. Choose A Venue / Location For Your Christmas Party Event
Next, you’ll want to start choosing a venue or location. Where is your Christmas party going to take place?
Your Christmas party event could take place at the office, outdoors, or at a selected venue, depending on what you want your party to be.
As experts, we always recommend going for a venue if your budget allows, as it gives you more control over what you can do with your event area through lighting, decoration and more.
These spaces are specifically designed to host events, so they naturally will be beneficial for hosting your company Christmas party!
But that doesn’t mean an in-house party won’t still be incredible, as there are many brilliant office Christmas parties that completely transform the workplace into a magical experience.
When choosing a venue, here’s a few important factors to consider in your Christmas event planning:
- Is the venue available for your set date and time?
- Does it cater to the number of guests in attendance?
- Is it easily accessible – will guests have no trouble getting there?”?
- Is the venue in budget?
- Are you allowed to decorate the space?
- Can you incorporate entertainment? For example, do you need a stage? A DJ booth? etc.
- Does it allow guests to stay overnight?
4. Choose A Theme
Choosing a theme for your company Christmas party event is a great way of creating a unique appeal to your guests.
Whether it’s a venue or in your own office, imagine the look of surprise on employees’ faces when they see the transformation!
As experts in event planning, we have an abundance of spectacular Christmas themes to choose from to bring your venue to life.
These include:
Or, if you’re looking to stand out with your Christmas event planning, why not go for something bolder with our:
When you plan a company Christmas party you’ll want to get creative and make something that stands out.
Immerse your guests in the experience, and take advantage of lighting and AV, as well as props and decorations.
For example, for an Alice In Wonderland Christmas party we did for a private client of ours, we created a rabbit hole experience for guests to enter the event space!
Think outside of the box and do something that will make your Christmas party truly memorable.
Planning a corporate Christmas event can feel overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be. That’s why we’ve created our Christmas Party Checklist: The Secret to a Stress-Free Corporate Christmas Party to guide you every step of the way.
5. Send Out Invitations
When planning a Christmas party event, one of the first things to consider is how you’ll get people excited and informed about it.
How do you make people aware of your Christmas party?
The best way is to send out invitations!
Whether you’re hosting an in-office gathering or a large-scale venue celebration, invitations are a key part of your Christmas corporate planning.
What should the invitation include?
Your invitation should clearly highlight the event details such as date, time, location, dress code, and RSVP information.
Most importantly, it should sell the event, building anticipation and making employees or guests eager to attend.
How can invitations support other areas of planning?
By asking guests to confirm attendance early, you’ll gain a clearer idea of numbers, something that’s crucial for when you go to book entertainment, catering, or seating arrangements.
Accurate guest counts help streamline the rest of your Christmas event planning process.
6. Choose Unique Christmas Entertainment
Entertainment is imperative to creating an interactive and immersive experience at your Christmas party, so choosing suitable Christmas entertainment is very important.
Give your office Christmas event the wow factor with spectacular entertainment that complements your theme.
Start things off with a Christmas meet & greet act to welcome guests to the party and why not pull out all the stops with a Christmas show for the main event?
We’ve even got plenty of unique Christmas entertainment ideas if you’re wanting to lean more outside of the box.
Next, you’ll want to set the tone with some music, and we’ve got a wonderful selection of talented musicians, bands and DJs to choose from.
Make sure your event space works for your entertainment. For example, if you hire a DJ, you’ll want to make the DJ stage/booth special for it to stand out.
Similarly, you’ll want your meet and greet/interactive entertainment to have spaces in your event space to be able to perform and showcase what they’re there for.
7. Catering: Food and Drink
When you plan a company Christmas party, catering is just as important as the venue or entertainment. After all, no festive gathering is complete without great food and drink.
As part of your Christmas corporate planning, your catering choices should be guided by two key factors:
- Your overall budget
- The number of guests attending
Food and drink are central to any Christmas party event, so this is an area that deserves thoughtful planning and a touch of creativity.
Next, think beyond the standard buffet. How can you make your catering experience part of the event itself?
For example, when we managed a Christmas party event for Renault F1, we integrated their brand into the catering presentation, turning the food into a memorable part of the experience.
So, as you plan a corporate Christmas party, look for ways to make your catering fun, themed, and interactive.
Similarly, you’ll want to consider the hottest trends and ideas to utilise for catering too, making it fun and relevant for all.
It’s a brilliant opportunity to impress your guests and elevate the overall atmosphere.
Discover more ideas for Christmas party catering.
8. Other Aspects To Consider
There’s plenty more aspects to consider when planning your Christmas party, such as:
- Hiring or delegating an event planner
- Logistics – travel to and from the party
- Accommodation
- Set-Up/De-Rig of the event space
- Sustainability – how eco-friendly is your event?
While we’ve covered most of the integral details for Christmas event planning, you may want to look more in-depth to really make your event pop.
On the other hand, why not hire an event management company like ours to handle all these details for you?
Let Us Manage Your Christmas Corporate Party Planning
With all that in mind, you should be set to tackle Christmas event planning for yourself!
But if you’re still feeling a little uncertain, why not reach out to us for Christmas event planning?
As an expert events company, we plan, produce and manage Christmas parties for companies around the globe, including the likes of Renault and more.
We boast a passionate team of event planners who can’t wait to get started on your event.
Whether you’re based in the UK or internationally, our Christmas party planners can help you create a truly magical office Christmas party for your company.
So, if you’re ready to plan a memorable event, get in touch today!
Related Services:
- Christmas Themed Events
- Lighting and AV
- Set and Stage Design
- Venue Styling
- Event Production
- Event Management
- Event Design
Events We Deliver:
See them all here.
Related Reading:
Get In Touch With Us Today.
With nearly 20 years of Event Management insight, working with world-renowned Clients we'll help you create your Dream Event.
Get in Touch