Office Christmas party season is upon us! Here’s how to plan a work Christmas party everyone will enjoy (even the office Scrooge).
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.
How To Organise A Christmas Night Out And Survive It!
Congratulations. You have been identified as the most fun person in your workplace. And the obvious choice to sort a Christmas team night out. No, honestly, it’ll be fine. Read on – we’ve got your back.
As one of London’s busiest spots, Oxford Street is the ultimate destination to plan a day out. With lots of choices for things to do, it’s a super central location and has convenient transport links so you can meet up with friends from all over London. With so many options, we’ve put together a list […]
Pride month is almost upon us, so we’ve put together some of the best activities across the capital to celebrate this June. Pride month is almost upon us, and celebrations are hotting up in the UK’s capital. As you might expect, there’s plenty to get involved with to celebrate and support the LGBTIQA+ community. But […]
We believe that life is more fun when there is an element of competition, and that competition is best enjoyed with friends.
Swingers, the crazy golf club takes the holy trinity that is crazy golf, street food and amazing cocktails and combines them all into one incredible social experience
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.