Forget boring company parties! Your company’s Christmas party can be different – original and unforgettable. In our article, we’ll give you some creative ideas on how to do it. Just get ready for a Christmas party that will boost the team atmosphere and won’t let your colleagues leave without a smile.

Christmas party planning ⏳

The first step to a successful company party is planning. Start ahead of time to make sure everything is tip-top. Include your colleagues in the planning; this will give you more ideas and make it easier to create a party that meets their requirements, too. When planning a party, consider everything: party date, budget, venue, gifts, catering, program.

Colleagues are having fun in the office at a Christmas party.

Colleagues are having fun in the office at a Christmas party

Party date 📅

Check the calendar and find a date when colleagues and colleagues still need to book holidays. Then, send an email with the selected date and wait for confirmation of participation. Then, start planning the rest of the things like budget and venue. Of course, remember to post the date at least a month in advance.

Budget 💰

The budget for the party depends on how you have it set up in your company. You need to work with what it is if given a year in advance. Create an Excel spreadsheet where you will mark all your expenses. Write down the items in detail – from Christmas decorations to catering, gifts, and the program. We recommend leaving a small financial reserve for unexpected expenses.

Venue 🏢

When choosing a venue, take into account the number of people. Choose a corporate party venue based on budget, company culture, and capacity. If you don’t know where, please please forward the questionnaire to colleagues and ask them what they would recommend for this event. Alternatively, consider corporate venues. You can save and have more money left in your budget for other activities. 

Some interesting tips on where you can organize a company party:

  • Historic space,
  • A space on a ship,
  • A cozy café, 
  • A local restaurant or business.

If the party will be held in your office, remember to decorate that one for Christmas as well. My article Christmas in the Office: 7 Tips for Creating a Christmas Atmosphere can help you with this.

The theme of the Christmas party

Your party doesn’t have to be ordinary. Choose a theme that will carry through the whole course of the evening. You can adapt everything, such as the catering, the program, the dress code, and the decorations, to the chosen theme. 

Party theme tips:

  • Great Gatsby,
  • Christmas movie characters,
  • Traditional Slovak customs,
  • Retro.  

Dress code 👗 👔

For dress code inspiration or Christmas outfit ideas (if no theme is given), see “How to dress for a Christmas party?” by my colleague Zuzka Sasko. 🙂

Gifts 🎁

Organize a Secret Santa!🧑‍🎄 Write a list of your colleagues, assign them numbers, and have them draw one each time. Then, assign them a name according to the number they drew. Set a budget and a deadline for presents so you can get them under the tree in time for the Christmas party. 

As a company, you can also prepare gifts for your employees. Think about something helpful, such as a diary, canvas bag, rucksack, or hat. If you have the desire and time, try personalizing these gifts for each of your employees. Give the gifts out during a company party. 

Handing out Christmas presents in paper bags at a Christmas party.

Catering 🧁 🍰

When selecting meals, inquire in advance about possible intolerances or special dietary requirements. This will ensure that delicious meals will be available for all attendees. 

Drinks 🍸

If you’re hosting your Christmas party at an office venue, here are a few tips for drinks and beverages that are inexpensive:

  • Water with lemon,
  • Alcoholic and non-alcoholic punch,
  • Mulled wine,
  • Christmas liqueurs.

If budget permits, you can order the services of a mobile bar and a bartender. The bartender will take care of all drinks and requests of your staff. 

If you plan to do your corporate party outside the office premises, consider the budget. Be sure to let the staff know your budget for drinks or alcohol. 

Program and activities 💃🕺🪩

In addition to presenting the results achieved and the next steps in the company, prepare a varied program. After all, you don’t want to deal with work at a company party, but also to relax.

You can adapt the program if you have chosen the party’s theme. If the party’s theme is Great Gatsby, invite an experienced dancer for a dance workshop.

Instead of playing songs from YouTube, find a DJ (perhaps one of the employees) or hire a live band to entertain you during the Christmas party.

You can include an enjoyable stand-up comedy in the program to reduce pre-Christmas stress and rush. This form of the program guarantees laughter and an informal, pleasant atmosphere.

Competitions 🏆

People like competitions, competition, and the feeling of winning. Competition adds excitement to the corporate environment and promotes team spirit. Regardless of whether it is a creative or sporting challenge, this activity will strengthen collegial bonds and positive energy in the team. Thanks to the competition, colleagues are united through a common goal and create unforgettable memories.

Tips for competitions:

The best punch for the department

Colleagues can present their culinary skills and creativity to create an original Christmas punch recipe. It doesn’t have to be just a competition, but also the creation of an annual tradition.

Christmas raffle

Donate various valuable gifts or shopping vouchers for the Christmas raffle. Donate the collected money for the raffle tickets to the chosen organization or charity.

The most beautiful gingerbread

Clean gingerbread houses and colorful food tubes are sufficient for decoration for the competition. Determine the jury, set the time, prepare the stopwatch, and the competition can begin. If you want to make the competition more exciting/challenging, choose a theme for which the contestants must decorate the gingerbread. The decorating theme can also be fairy tales like Shrek and Frozen.