5 Office Christmas party ideas

23 Jun 5 Office Christmas party ideas

Instead of listing a million different venues where you could hold your office Christmas bash, we thought it would be useful to suggest some different party formats. Sure we could list a load of venues in Bristol, but what if you’re in York for example? These are 5 office Christmas party ideas that you can tweak to suit you.

1. The Private Party

This is the option with the most room for customisation and ability to wow attendees.

Select a venue that suits your numbers specifically then add on as many extras as you like. Depending on the venue you choose, catering, audio visual and some Christmas decorations may already be in-house. Otherwise you can opt for creating the party from a blank canvas. Hire space-only then source your suppliers.

Private dining room at the Banyan Bar, Manchester

Small groups

Opting for a hotel is sometimes a more cost-effective choice with lower numbers (up to 30 guests). A private party ensures you have seclusion, exclusivity and intimacy. It’s a way to escape the mayhem and celebrate quietly in style.

Ideas:

• Book a private dining room at a hotel
• Private table or booth in a restaurant

 

 Natural History Museum, London

Large groups

When numbers are above 50, a bespoke party within a dedicated space gives you the most control over every part of the event. If you are truly looking to impress clients and colleagues, you can go as Dr Seuss as you like. No sharing party space here! And no gatecrashers or annoying random drunks from other companies.

Ideas:

• Hire an exclusive manor house
• Take over a banqueting room in a hotel

 

Casino themed party with lights, staging and lots of feathers

Outsourcing the planning

If the thought of arranging all of these things fills you with dread, you could have a completely bespoke party organised by our team of amazing event coordinators. We can take care of finding a suitable venue, entertainment, audio visual production, room dressing and theming. Basically everything you could ever dream of.

A few festive party ideas we can make happen:

• Stilt walkers to meet and greet
• Fire eaters
• Game show quiz night
• Winter Wonderland theme
• Jungle Safari theme
• Las Vegas theme with casino tables
• The Great Gatsby theme
• The Wild West with a line dance-off
• Mexican Fiesta
• Dance floors, DJs and live bands

 

2. Shared Party Package at a Hotel

For a Christmas party out of a box, this is as easy as it gets.

Hotels all over the country offer shared party packages, which is great if you are a smaller group but want a big, vibrant party atmosphere. Whilst you have a huge choice in venues, the options for the night itself are more limited than arranging a bespoke party.

Nevertheless this option definitely involves a lot less organisation and expense. Prices are usually from around £35 per person (including VAT), to include a three course meal, coffee, mince pies, standard Christmas table decorations and a dance floor boogie.

 

The Ballroom at Aberdeen Mercure Ardoe House Hotel

Choosing the hotel

The quality of the night depends greatly on the hotel you choose. Even within large hotel chains, the experience will be slightly different at each individual property. Larger hotels will have more capacity to hold a greater number of guests in one room, if you want to mingle with groups from other companies.

If you’d like a low-key shindig, a bijou, independent hotel will provide a lovely setting to converse with your colleagues after Christmas pud and coffee.

Whilst the shared party option is much easier on the delegated Office-Christmas-Party-Organiser, everything is already pre-set and arranged. That means no room to add anything special, give it any personalisation, or have any input on the entertainment.

On the plus side, it’s handy for booking accommodation for your colleagues too if they intend to get quite merry. Less distance to travel by taxi and no risk of getting lost.

 

3. Formal and Sophisticated

Discotheques throwing cheesy tracks aren’t for everyone. Neither are cheap Christmas crackers, crumpled party hats and boring turkey dinner.

Waldorf Astoria five-star hotel, The Caledonian in Edinburgh

 

Dining in style

Add some finesse to your celebration by booking somewhere classy.

Beautiful and historic options could include:

• Unoccupied royal palaces
• Banqueting halls
• Five-star manor houses

More modern alternatives:

• A Michelin-star restaurant
• Skyscraper champagne bar
• Upmarket boutique hotel
• A beautiful converted barn with salsa dancing

 

4. The Original and Quirky

The more adventurous may like to take their colleagues somewhere more off the wall. You might be personally tired of attending run-of-the-mill shared party nights and want to do something different.

 

Cirque du Soleil performers

Entice more party goers

Rewarding staff with an unforgettable evening can be well worth the investment to boost morale and give them incentive to keep up their great work at your company.

Weird and wonderful venues for a party will be more likely to minimise the numbers of party poopers. Who wouldn’t be curious to see what a Christmas party on a boat is like??

Ideas:

• Boat (River Thames cruise)
• Castle (Warwick Castle)
• Ping pong bar (Bounce in London)
• Bowling lane (Hollywood Bowl in Liverpool)
• The circus (Cirque du Soleil)
• Comedy club (Jongleurs in Leeds)
• Botanical gardens (Birmingham Botanical Gardens)
• Zoo (Bristol Zoo Gardens)

 

5. Best Parties Ever

Mesmerising acrobats, performers, dazzling staging and production are what you can expect from Best Parties Ever. These shared parties are not your standard dinner down the road.

 

Masquerade Ball: starlit ceilings, red and gold decor

Dream Circus: hot air balloon elephant on the dancefloor

The Glamour of Paris: French theming including the Eiffel Tower

Best Parties Ever acrobatic display at One Night in Bangkok

14 Spectacular themes

This specialist Christmas party provider transform 22 venues over the festive season, each holding between 350-2,000 guests.

Themes include:

• Moonlit in Marrakesh
• The Roaring Twenties
• Rio Carnival
• To Russia with Love
• Burlesque
• Premiere Red Carpet in the Riviera
• Atlantis: Party under the Sea
• Moonlight in Monte Carlo
• Dream Circus
• Masquerade Ball
• One Night in Bangkok
• The Glamour of Paris
• Italian Masquerade
• Neo-Victorian Fantasy

 

The wow factor

When it comes to awe-inspiring parties at very reasonable rates, Best Parties Ever are an experience your colleagues will no doubt remember for a long time. Besides the fantastical decor, there are fire eaters, dodgems, a live band, canapés, a four course dinner, and survivors breakfast.

We’ve booked many of our clients into shared parties with Best Parties Ever. All have come back with nothing but fantastic and excited feedback.

Each of the venues offer a multitude of dates to choose from, but you need to be speedy as places get snapped up. Minimum of 8 tickets can be purchased. For large groups from 300 guests you can have exclusive hire.

Prices vary with each venue, starting from around £47.40 per person (including VAT) for a shared party. In terms of value for money, you really can’t beat it.

 

Your guide to the best parties in the UK

Completely confused with the choice? Get in touch with our events team who organise Christmas parties all year round! We’ll recommend you options depending on your budget and location.