With Christmas Party season on the horizon, people all over the country are preparing to wave goodbye to another tough year by cutting loose with friends and colleagues. But whether you’re working on a small office party, or a big company blow-out; you’ll soon find out just how much work goes into all that festive fun.
If you’ve found yourself saddled with the task of putting on this year’s Christmas bash, it can seem overwhelming. So to help out, we’ve pulled together a to-do list that no Christmas party planner should have to do without.
VENUE
Picking the right venue can make all the difference to your Christmas party. It’s crucial that you not only have the space for the right number of people, but also the right space for what you’ve got planned. Room for a dance floor? Tucked away areas for different activities? Space for circus and walkabout acts? All worth considering before you make the decision.
FOOD & DRINK
No Christmas party is complete without copious amounts of food and drink, and as event industry veterans who’ve worked with some of the best caterers in the business, we know a good menu when we see one. (Couldn’t put one together, but that’s not our job.) When you’re picking the food for your event, think about what else is happening through the evening. You can even incorporate ideas from the entertainment into your food with menus inspired by themes like Alice in Wonderland and Willy Wonka.
THEMEING
While it’s not a real word, Themeing is in fact a real thing. A good party theme can turn your Christmas do from good to great, acting as a springboard for all of your most imaginative ideas. You might take inspiration from A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker or any of your favourite Christmas movies, books and stories. It doesn’t have to be Christmas themed either; a big top Circus, 1920s speakeasy, masqued ball… all make for great and unique party themes at Christmas.
MUSIC
Ah, finally we’re back firmly in our wheelhouse. Music is vital to any Christmas bash, but if you want a truly unforgettable night, then there’s more to getting the right music than picking out a playlist and hooking your phone up to some speakers. From background tunes earlier in the night, to floor-filling hits from a live party band, music sets the tempo for the evening and keeps the party going long into the night. With a plethora of different styles, line-ups and instrumentations to pick from, the choice is practically limitless, so the only question is finding the right act.
GAMES
It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a small team get-together, or a multi-departmental celebration, one thing’s for certain; interactive games are the best way of bringing people together. Casino tables, carnival games, skill challenges, giant pub games; they can all help guests to loosen up and enjoy themselves. Most importantly of all though, they get people talking.
HOST
If you’re planning a few speeches, performances or awards, you’ll need someone on stage to bring the whole evening together. Fortunately, we’ve got an amazing selection of hosts and comperes who can weave the strands of your evening into a cohesive whole. Whether you’re in the mood for something lighthearted and comedic, or slick and professional, we can help you match the right host to your event.
A HEADLINE ACT
OK, we admit it. If it were up to us, your Christmas party would be packed with entertainment from start to finish. Walkabout acts, aerial performers, mgic, comedy, cabaret and more; we think the more acts the better… we might be a little biased though. But even if you’re limiting yourself to just a couple of acts, it’s nice to have something memorable to act as the centrepiece to the whole event. It could be a big name star dropping in for a quick performance, or something spectacular to send people home on a high, the key is to get an act that has people saying “remember the Christmas we had the…” for years to come.
That’s just a few tips to get you started. There is, of course, plenty more to bear in mind for planning a Christmas party – so if you’d like to discuss your event in more detail, get in touch.