How to Plan a Work Christmas Party

With the whole office looking forward to the night, putting together the perfect office Christmas party – one that entertains everyone from the greenest interns to the CEO – can feel like a pretty big challenge. Luckily, we’ve got your back: this guide will take you through the entire party planning process in five simple steps! Here’s how to plan an amazing work Christmas party so everyone can celebrate a successful work year in style.

1. Take a quick office survey

The best approach to planning  your office Christmas party is to start as early as you can. As winter beckons, the topic of the Christmas party is sure to be on everyone’s lips; use this to your advantage by finding out as much information as you can, as early as possible! You can bring it up casually or send out an official survey – but either way, have your coworkers answer the following questions:

• What did people think of last year’s party?
• What could have been improved, and how?
• When are most people free this year?

If you do go the official survey route (which may be better if you’re part of a larger office), slide into your colleagues’ inboxes with a quick questionnaire – no more than five questions max. You’ll want to do this at least three months before your event, giving you plenty of time to incorporate people’s suggestions for Christmas party ideas.

2. Choose a theme

Themed office parties can be tricky. On one hand, we’ve all heard stories of infamously awkward themes; on the other, a well-executed theme can get people excited and result in some brilliant photos.

The good news is that it’s relatively easy to choose the right theme – you could even ask about it in the aforementioned survey! But you can probably figure out a theme (and indeed, whether you even want one) just by thinking about people’s personalities and what they enjoy. If your office is fairly quiet and reserved, you’ll want to keep the party itself low-key; if people are outgoing, you can be a little more elaborate and creative.

One great way to come up with themes is to think about people’s interests and hobbies. You could also try a theme based on a classic movie or perhaps an iconic period of history (for example, a Roaring 20s theme). When in doubt, of course, a simple Christmas theme is a sure win – and if you’re still not sure, simply circle back to your coworkers and discuss it with them.

3. Select the venue and plan your activities

Theme or no theme, you’ll need a winning venue and stellar activities to pull it all together. The best kind of venue will have something fun and engaging for everyone to do, delicious food and drinks, and plenty of space for teams of any size – ideally with private rooms and bespoke Christmas packages.

Swingers fits the bill perfectly, providing a spacious and dynamic venue for any office Christmas party. At Swingers, you and your colleagues can immerse yourselves in the luxurious aesthetics of 1920s British country clubs and seaside resorts, all while having a blast on the crazy golf course. Even those who aren’t huge fans of golf will be impressed by the decorations and atmosphere!

Keep in mind that Swingers doesn’t allow costumes – so if you do have a fancy dress theme, you may have to switch back to your regular Christmas jumpers for the crazy golf portion of the evening. But if you happen to choose a crazy golfing theme, you’re golden.

4. Don’t forget about food and drinks

In all of the excitement of choosing a venue, you may have forgotten about food and drinks. But trust us, a roomful of hungry colleagues is not to be trifled with (Christmas pudding pun fully intended). So as you’re planning your work Christmas party, make sure your menu will satisfy them!

You might start with canapés and champagne at the office, then try a team building activity or two before sitting down to a proper Christmas dinner. This will give people enough energy to get up and moving without weighing them down with turkey and stuffing before the night’s even really begun! Also, as you’re planning the main meal of the evening, be mindful of any dietary or beverage restrictions your coworkers may have: not just allergies, but also things like not drinking alcohol.

You’ll want a wide range of food and drink options so nobody feels left out – and that’s just what you’ll get at Swingers. With five fantastic food vendors plus custom cocktails (and mocktails!), there’s quite literally something for everyone – including fun, festive choices like Pizza Pilgrims’ chestnut mushroom and truffle pizza, or Breddos’ smoked sweet potato tacos with feta. As for drinks, you can enjoy a delightful variety of beverages, from Cazcabel honey tequila to exciting mocktails like the “Rumour Has It”: a custom drink made of non-alcoholic rum, lime juice, basil, vanilla syrup and soda.

5. Consider a gift exchange

We’ve covered theme, venue, activities and menu for your Christmas party. All that’s left to decide is whether you’ll have one more special activity on your itinerary: a gift exchange!

You know your coworkers better than we do, so only you can decide whether a gift exchange is a good idea… and what kind of gift exchange, at that. If you and your colleagues know each other well, a round of Secret Santa could add a heartwarming touch to your celebrations. Or if you don’t know each other that well but you all enjoy a surprise, a White Elephant exchange – where everyone brings a gift and people choose theirs at random – could be a lot of fun! Just make sure to set a price limit, and plan well in advance of your party.

Finally, throughout the night, try to stick to your plan without being too overbearing (nobody likes a Christmas tyrant). Put together a checklist and enlist a colleague to keep things running smoothly. 

And if you’re really concerned about planning the perfect Christmas party, let us take care of it for you! Book a Christmas party package or private event space at Swingers today, and rest assured that everything from activities to food to drinks will be handled with ease.

Whatever route you go for your work Christmas party this year, we know it will be sensational! Best of luck with the planning – here’s hoping the good cheer carries all the way through the new year.