Table of Contents
7 Ideas for Festive Corporate Holiday Parties
7 Ideas for Fun Virtual Holiday Events
5 Tips for Planning an Unforgettable Christmas Event
Why Does Hosting Company Holiday Parties Matter?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It’s that time of year when companies start thinking about holiday party ideas.
Whether you’re planning a small get-together at the office, a virtual celebration, or a big party, there are plenty of fun and festive options.
To make your event planning process go as smoothly as possible, we’re covering the following:
- 7 ideas for festive corporate holiday parties
- 7 ideas for fun virtual holiday events
- 5 tips for planning an unforgettable Christmas event
- Why hosting company holiday parties matters
Let’s jump right in!
7 Ideas for Festive Corporate Holiday Parties
The ideal entertainment for a workplace Christmas party will accomplish three goals: foster camaraderie among employees, infuse the event with enthusiasm, and wow everyone in sight.
If you can’t make gingerbread houses or go ice skating, one of these Christmas party ideas will have to do!
- Hire a live band
Hire a cover band if you want to sing along to well-known musicians’ Christmas classics at your business event.
Just communicate any specific music requests in advance, including time-honored favorites like ‘‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’’ or ‘‘All I Want For Christmas Is You.’’
This will get everyone on their feet and turn your party into a winter wonderland.
Also, you can use tunes from various genres, such as vintage rock and pop, to create the perfect atmosphere.
Another great idea is some live jazz music!
A live jazz band can enliven the gathering by playing timeless tunes by legends like Ray Charles or Frank Sinatra.
Jazz ensembles often include between two and five players, making them smaller and more intimate than other bands.
After all, you don’t want the music to prevent your networking and conversation.
Great branded item for your live music event:
- Bluetooth speaker
Giving away high-quality Bluetooth speakers at a music event will add a fun touch!
Your employees will get to play their favorite tunes anywhere all holiday thanks to you.
The Everly Bluetooth speaker comes with integrated controls that enable you to change the volume, skip music songs, or take a call in the middle of a playlist using the built-in microphone.
It also comes with an LED battery status and Bluetooth connection indicator, and it can play music for up to 8 hours.
- Plan an ugly sweater party
The ugly sweater is one of the most well-known Christmas icons, and it’s the ideal opportunity for everyone to express their creativity at a workplace party.
We’ve all had one at some time, whether it was bright green with a picture of Santa or a heavy wool sweater your grandmother made for you. ?
So throw a party where everyone wears an ugly sweater, then award prizes for the sweater deemed the ugliest to have a laugh with your team.
Great branded item for your ugly sweater party:
- Unisex knit pom beanie
Your employees may all look funny at your ugly sweater party, but their custom headgear can still look good!
The pompom and turn-back cuff of the knit pom beanie provide a stylish feel.
The beanie also has a chunky cable knit crown, a 2×2 thick rib knit cuff, and an anti-pill microfleece inside the band for comfort and warmth.
- Play a trivia game
Organize your staff into teams this holiday season for some friendly rivalry, and see how much fun it is yourself!
This corporate Christmas party idea will encourage cooperation while also providing plenty of laughter as workers attempt to answer questions they don’t know the answers to.
In addition, it’s about much more than just getting the correct answers; it’s all about pooling your brains and knowledge to become the workplace trivia champs.
A workplace trivia night is terrific since there are so many exciting things to ask about; you can make the subjects random, workplace-related, or popular topics of conversation in the office.
Great branded item for your trivia game event:
- Bicycle heritage playing cards gift set
The trivia games may end with your event, but your staff can still have fun with the Bicycle heritage playing cards gift set later on.
It comes with a gorgeous deck and card holder that keeps cards neatly stowed and ready for any holiday game night!
In addition, this gift set honors the tradition and history of Bicycle® 1885 playing cards, which have been created in the USA for more than 130 years, making it a very special swag item.
- Create a holiday scavenger hunt
A workplace scavenger hunt is one of the most brilliant party games because employees can compete by working together or alone to uncover the Christmas prize.
You can also vamp it up and choose exciting rewards for the victors!
A reward could be in the shape of a discount code or gift card, or it could be an additional two days of leave during December, free lunch at work, or anything else.
Not all gifts have to be physical to show employee appreciation and meaning!
What’s more, you can consider drawing names from a bucket to allocate teams randomly to allow workers to mingle with individuals they don’t usually talk to, which will definitely boost engagement!
Great branded item for your scavenger hunt game:
- Chocolate craving gift box
Chocolate takes any occasion or event to the next level.
This beautiful box contains many yummy snacks like milk chocolate toffee, dark chocolate toffee, white frosted pretzels, and dark chocolate coated almonds.
Consider giving away the chocolate craving gift box after finishing the game to end the event on a great note.
- Invest in a movie night
People aren’t going to the movies as often as they used to.
Yet, nothing beats seeing a movie on the big screen—until you hire out the whole theater for your company’s Christmas party!
Another great thing you can do is choose a cinema that can cater, and take the snack supply off your list.
To enhance the experience, you could provide some additional food from your favorite local eateries and support your community’s businesses.
Great branded item for your movie night:
- Gourmet popcorn gift set
Your employees will have fun with their at-home movie nights with the gourmet popcorn gift set.
This gift set includes a popcorn popper, assorted popcorn seasonings, and kernels, so this Christmas season your staff will devour the yummiest popcorn they have ever had while watching their favorite movies!
In addition, this present comes in a wonderful-looking kraft box, and you can add a greeting card.
- Make your own DIY escape room
An escape room is a classic team-building exercise, and including it in an office holiday party can make it extra fun.
It’s one of the best employee Christmas party ideas for increasing communication, enthusiasm, teamwork, and problem-solving.
For this corporate event, you can choose any scenario: a complex diamond theft, a plane catastrophe, an underwater adventure, or being trapped in the passages under the Paris Opera House.
Plus, you or your event organizer can ask your employees if they would like to choose a certain scenario or if there’s a setting they would enjoy.
- Have some photo booth fun
A photo booth is a must-have for a company Christmas party.
Indoor booths, open-air booths, 360-degree booths, and other options are available depending on the location.
Plus, most vendors will have a selection of holiday-themed accessories, let you pick the kind of backdrop (who doesn’t love a sparkly backdrop?), and have the printouts available for you to purchase on the spot.
These can be used as party favors and guarantee that you have photos to reflect on year after year.
Great swag item for your photo booth:
- Viz shutter glasses
Including props like fun masks, hats, bow ties, wigs, and feather boas will make everyone giggle and make your employee photos 100 times more memorable.
And adding these Viz shutter glasses will make another cool prop addition.
Just check how colorful they look right here!
In addition, you can add your corporate logo onto the glasses temples and choose from many colors to make your logo pop!
Now that we have covered activities you can do in person with your staff members let’s not forget about our remote peeps out there.
7 Ideas for Fun Virtual Holiday Events
Looking for some top-notch virtual holiday party ideas?
The below ideas will definitely help you break through the virtual door and enjoy your employee’s company online.
- A virtual casino night
A virtual casino party is an excellent event idea to let loose with your staff as they prepare to leave for the holidays.
Virtual casinos have improved in recent years, and many organizations now provide a hybrid casino experience with live dealers and numerous gaming tables.
To make this theme more festive, encourage your guests to wear holiday gear instead of formal dress, like festive jumpers, red or green outfits, or even elf hats.
Also, you can provide virtual casino credits or give your team members virtual cards with a purchasing restriction so they can play a few games.
If you want to take this fun activity to another level, consider offering a top reward of a few hundred dollars, which will be donated to the winner’s favorite charity.
- Host a virtual cheese or wine-tasting event
With a pleasant, festive wine or cheese-tasting party, you can bring the exotic wine or cheese-tasting experience to your workers’ homes.
If your remote staff are foodies, this is a unique Christmas party idea to reward them for a successful year.
In addition, you can hire a wine or cheese specialist to lead your staff through the tasting experience so they can express their thoughts and rate which selections they like.
Another great idea is to send your employees some mouth-watering sweet and savory snacks before the event to enhance the ambiance!
You can enjoy this corporate holiday party idea on its own or combine it with some team-building activities for a meaningful way to celebrate the holidays.
- Virtual secret Santa
Everyone participates in the holiday celebration custom of gift exchange.
First, give each staff member a teammate to whom they’ll give a gift in secret.
Then, ensure that everyone sends their Christmas presents by mail to the specified recipient (You can help them by paying for shipping costs ?).
Once everyone has opened their presents and seen what their colleagues gave them, set aside some time at the holiday party for everyone to find out who their Secret Santa was.
Author’s Tip: This is the perfect time to become everyone’s Secret Santa and send out holiday swag items to your employees thanking them for their hard work throughout the year.
- Happy hour with a twist
Warm it up with some homemade drinks!
You can spend time catching up with colleagues while creating the greatest holiday-themed beverages under the guidance of a skilled mixologist.
To make your holiday spirits experience memorable, consider providing some cocktail mixing kits before the event.
- Zoom cookie baking
Who doesn’t like having the aroma of freshly made cookies fill their home?
Start by sending your employees lovely baking utensils to set the mood!
Then, you can email them a simple recipe that doesn’t need any pricey or difficult-to-find items before your Christmas celebration.
Chocolate chip cookies are usually a popular choice!
While the cookies are cooking, your group can have hot chocolate or eggnog together, walk around, and tell tales about your childhood Christmas customs or what you all like best about this time of the year.
- Sing with some karaoke
Organizing a year-end karaoke party will just spread Christmas happiness!
Employees can sing or lip-sync all of today’s songs and a few Christmas hymns.
Also, do you want to add some friendly competition?
Invite team members to compete in a TV-style talent contest with surprise guest judges.
In addition, you can provide a semi-final video entry phase in which workers may showcase their abilities to colleagues who can vote for the competitors they believe should advance.
Finalists will then get the opportunity to showcase their abilities live at the virtual Christmas celebration.
You will be an unforgettable party planner if you provide the props such as karaoke mics, costumes, and pre-delivered refreshments.
- Organize a virtual Christmas party with a theme
Adding a theme is a simple and enjoyable way to enhance your virtual Christmas party experience.
This is a terrific idea if you want to keep the party itself simple—or if you want to provide your partygoers with an immersive experience.
Maintain a relaxed atmosphere with a cheerful Christmas theme and lots of reds, greens, or other festive decor, game ideas, and virtual backdrops to complement it.
Also, if you want to go more creative, hold an 80s-themed Christmas party complete with neon decor, or draw inspiration from a movie such as ‘‘Home Alone’’ or ‘‘The Grinch.’’
Suppose you’re organizing a virtual Christmas party for a small group; in that case, you might even have the whole event revolve around a common passion or interest, such as classic video games or pets.
5 Tips for Planning an Unforgettable Christmas Event
There’s no right or wrong way to organize a Christmas event since every team is different; instead, choose the strategy that will work best for your team and the workplace culture.
So, if you’re under pressure to organize an event that everyone will remember, keep reading for useful planning advice.
- Begin early
If you want to organize a Christmas party, you should begin organizing immediately (or better yet, yesterday).
There are several compelling reasons to hold a celebration; the most essential of which being that your partners, colleagues, or workers have most likely earned it.
Above all, arranging the event early enables you to choose a date and select a suitable site.
For instance, late December can be difficult for families with children due to school programs and celebrations; remember that the sooner you start thinking, the more alternatives you’ll have.
- Think of fun activities
While a Christmas party is part of your company’s culture, shaking things up can also be enjoyable.
Why not organize a fun activity for everyone?
Anything different from the traditional sit-down-and-eat approach.
Plus, you can always prepare an alternate place for drinks and canapés for those who want to continue the party afterward.
- Provide a diverse menu
Whatever kind of party you want to have, it’s essential that you consider everyone’s nutritional requirements.
This also covers beverages, so ensure there’s a diverse choice of foods available to appeal to vegetarians, vegans, healthy eaters, finicky eaters, non-drinkers, and so on and that there’s enough to go around.
- Cast your vote
Why not ask people who are coming what they’d like to do?
You may be shocked by their reactions and discover that they like to dress up or spend their time helping rather than lounging at a bar drinking.
So, incorporate your team’s input so that you or your organizing committee work from a list of suggestions.
- Give back
Everyone is in a giving mood towards the end of the year, so it’s a fantastic time to host a get-together that incorporates helping others.
Rather than throwing a big celebration, think about how you might help a local charity in whichever way they need it.
You can be certain that your team will love and benefit greatly from this event, and you can also make a significant impact.
Once you know the benefits you can reap from a great holiday, we assure you that you will get even more excited about the planning process!
So, let’s check the perks right below.
Why Does Hosting Company Holiday Parties Matter?
Holding a wonderful Christmas party for everyone helps coworkers form strong connections and work better together.
A thoughtful virtual party or an office event can bring four amazing benefits, as mentioned below.
- Opportunity to celebrate achievements
A company holiday party is an excellent chance to commemorate organizational milestones, recognize collaboration efforts, and honor top performers.
Recognizing exceptional achievement also fosters an outstanding company culture.
- Enhances interaction between departments
Holiday parties are ideal occasions to connect away from everyday routines and participate in discussions that are out of the ordinary which is amazing for team building.
Besides, specific activities let workers meet people from different departments or learn they have a lot in common with the company’s leadership.
- Helps align objectives
Company Christmas parties, like other fantastic business events, help you keep your workforce educated and interested in your organization’s strategic objectives.
We tend to ponder about the future every year towards the end of the year, and your company is no exception.
So, holiday parties are one of the rare times of the year when you can gather your whole team together, and you should take advantage of this chance to ensure that all workers at all levels understand the company’s top goals.
- Encourages diversity
If your company is like most modern ones, you most likely have a diversified, multicultural workforce; that means you need to organize an event that properly reflects and honors your workers’ diverse beliefs.
Your holiday parties are great event spaces for a food fusion potluck, colors, and traditions, which is just another chance to demonstrate that you care and have a fantastic business culture!
Conclusion
A holiday party concept is ideal for your organization, regardless of your budget, corporate culture, and personnel.
So use our post as a starting point to inspire your creativity!
Don’t forget that time spent with loved ones is the best present of the holiday season; so your party will be unforgettable if you encourage a spirit of goodwill and camaraderie there.
Remember that we’ve got your back if you have any questions or are looking for fun holiday swag options, so let’s stay in touch.
All you need to do is contact us!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What are the most popular holiday swag gift options?
Some of the most popular holiday swag gift options include:
- Self-care kits
- Snack gift boxes
- Cozy blankets
- Customized beanies
- Branded socks
- Branded hoodies
- Custom backpacks
- Tech gifts
Q2. What are the ideal virtual holiday party ideas for remote teams?
The most enjoyable virtual Christmas gatherings let workers mingle informally.
To make it inclusive, some of the greatest ideas for virtual holiday parties for remote workers include gift sets, escape rooms, holiday music tracks, and recognizing non-mainstream holidays.
Q3. Is there a need for corporate holiday party entertainment?
The right corporate entertainment can help to minimize workplace stress.
Also, It’s a wonderful way to show staff how much they’re appreciated.
Entertainment is sometimes the most memorable aspect of an event, so investing in a high-quality program can be worth it.
Q4. Where can a Christmas office party be held?
Since it’s a familiar and immediately accessible area for your staff, the workplace can be the best place to throw a Christmas work party.
If you have the budget, you can try renting a venue to make the celebration more unique for your employees!
