Is it time to start planning your 2022 Christmas party? 

The work Christmas party. One of our most beloved festive traditions. But quite often, the person organising the Christmas festivities can be left with a Grinch-like headache. 

Start your planning in summer! 

Organising your office Christmas party super far in advance is the best way to alleviate the party planning stress. Not only will you be able to enjoy the festive months knowing that the work-do details are sorted, but the best venues, caterers and entertainment get snapped up in September. 

That’s right. September. 

Now you know why time is of the essence when it comes to your Christmas event planning, check out our top tips on how to start planning for your Christmas-do before, well, Christmas. 

The venue

When it comes to venue finding, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Think about the demographics in your team and what their interests are and try to find a location that fits. It's also worth considering how many people are on the guest list for your event. Part of a smaller team? Then a table at a local restaurant is perfect. Have a bigger team or want to bring guests, plus ones, or even invite your organisation partners to come along? Then you’ll need somewhere with a larger capacity. Once you’ve got a clear view of the needs and interests of your guests, it will be much easier to narrow down your options to find the perfect venue.

The Budget 

Find out who the budget brainiac in your organisation is, and get a figure of how much you can spend. From there, you can prioritise what proportions of your budget you want to allocate to different party planning elements. But before you book anything, estimate the prices of food and drink, venue booking, entertainment and decorations. Make sure you leave a bit of wiggle room for any last minute price hikes or changes! 

That’s entertainment

Now it’s time to organise the fun. Does your team just love a quiz? Or do they just want to boogie the night away to some Christmas bangers? And think about how you want to play any Xmas tunes. Do you have the budget for a live band? Do you want to hire a DJ? Or simply pull together a playlist and play it over some speakers? Whatever you opt for, make sure you have a chat with your venue manager about what tech they can provide for you to blast your festive tunes.

Food and drink

Christmas isn’t Christmas without the grub. To find the perfect food and drink for your Christmas event, have a think about your venue set up. If people are going to be seated all evening, then maybe splash out on a more elaborate sit down meal as the Christmas-star of the show. Want people to be up and about? Then finger food might be the best option. 

And don’t forget the drinks! Do you want guests to pre-order drinks, use drinks vouchers, or even be let loose on an open bar? Have a chat with your venue manager about whether they offer any in-house catering options that you can make the most of. Whatever you go for, contact your venue or caterers to organise a menu tasting, and get the dietary needs and allergies from all of your guests too!

Need a helping hand from Santa’s elves?

Want the experts to take the headache out of holiday planning? Need help from a team of venue finding and entertainment sourcing maestros? Chat to the First Event team, and find out how we can make this year’s Christmas party one to remember.