How to Plan a Christmas Party?

If you’re wondering how to plan the best office Christmas party, you’ve come to the right place. Not only does VenueScanner have some of the best Christmas party venues listed on the site, we also know a thing or two about planning a great event.

And when it comes to planning your office Christmas party, you want to make sure it’s a night that your team will remember for years to come. In this blog, we explore everything you need to know about planning the best office Christmas party.

Figure out Your Budget and Non-Negotiables

The most important thing to do is to decide what your budget is and your non-negotiable. We recommend putting together a list of everything you know you want and see if you can find a Christmas venue that covers all of them. Set up a couple of site visits so you can really see the venue before you decide on it.

Every company will have different ideas of what they want, so it’s best to figure out your non-negotiables and budget early so you can book early and avoid missing out on all of the best venues.

Hire a Christmas Party Venue

There are a number of things you can do to make sure that happens. It of course starts with finding the right Christmas venue. There are so many kinds you can pick from whether it’s a bar or restaurant, activity bar or nightclub.

Once you’ve chosen the best Christmas party venue for your team, it’s time to start planning. Check to see if the Christmas venue you’ve chosen offers anything fun like cocktail making classes or fun games to play. If you’ve booked an activity bar you’ll have something fun to do built into the night whether it’s crazy golf, darts or shuffleboard.

Open Bar or Drinks Tokens?

Will you be offering an open bar or giving your team drink tickets? Make sure everyone knows ahead of time so they can prepare for the big night. It’s a great idea to send out an itinerary ahead of time so people understand the flow of the evening before they get there. If you know there’s going to be a sit down meal, let them know. If everyone on the team is only going to have two drink tickets to use at the bar because you have a smaller budget, let them know. It’s okay to have a few surprises, but keep them to a minimum if you can.

Add Some Fun Additions

It’s important to remember that people wait all year for their office Christmas party. They want to have the best time ever so if you can, why not get a photobooth with fun props set up so people can remember the evening? If you have a smaller budget you can grab a few disposable cameras or rolls of polaroid film and have the team capture the evening themselves. It’s a fun way to get everyone involved and you’ll end up with some fun photos to hang in the office.

Book Accommodation and Transportation

Another thing you want to think about when planning your office Christmas party is the location of your Christmas venue. If it’s going to take some time to travel to, it might be a good idea to see if they have any partnerships with nearby hotels or offer their own accommodation. Sorting accommodation for anyone who lives far-away will allow them to enjoy their night that much more! If that’s not possible, make sure public transport is available. You’ll want to check on timings for any trains or buses so no one misses the last one home.

What are the best types of venues for a Christmas party?

People don’t realise how many types of Xmas party venues there are out there in the world. It’s no longer your standard bar or restaurant (although they can be great choices too). Nowadays you can find Christmas venues ranging from hotels to nightclubs to activity bars and pretty much anything in between. Let’s run through a few of them now.

Bars

One of the most popular Christmas venues is the bar. You can either go traditional and host your office Christmas party at a pub or find a sleek cocktail bar that offers cocktail making classes, bespoke drinks, and more. Bars are great if you have a smaller budget as a lot of them offer minimum spends to use towards drinks.

Restaurants

Another common choice for the office Christmas party is to host it at a restaurant. People love private dining options because it allows your team to sit down, chat, and share a meal together. You can find private dining Christmas venues that can accommodate lunch or dinner. A lot of the Xmas party venues will offer food and drinks packages that you can pre-order. Many restaurants will have traditional Christmas roasts during this time of year, but make sure you check with the venue as not all of them do this.

Hotels

If you’re looking for Christmas party venues that also offer accommodations, a hotel is your best option. Across the UK you can find cool boutique hotels located in city centres or elegant manor houses in the English countryside. With a lot of companies offering hybrid working, hosting your office Christmas party at a hotel is a great way to ensure that everyone can come. Just make sure to enquire with the hotel ahead of time to see if there’s enough space available for your team – or let our concierge team do it for you!

Clubs

Companies with younger teams like a startup may like the idea of dancing the night away this Christmas. If that’s the case, it’s great to find a venue with licensing that allows them to stay open late. There are so many really fun nightclubs that are perfect for the night owls on your team.

Activity Bars

Another great choice when it comes to office Christmas party venues are activity bars. Over the last several years you can see these types of bars popping up pretty much everywhere. You can find ones where you can try your hand at cricket, axe throwing, darts, shuffleboard, and crazy golf. There are bars that are perfect for gamers where you can play on old consoles or take part in esports. Activity bars make excellent options for Christmas party venues because they combine teamwork, fun, delicious drinks, and tasty food, all in one place.

Where to plan a Christmas party

When it comes down to looking for a Christmas venue you want to make sure it’s near your office. Alternatively, if you work for a company that has offices in multiple cities, you can choose the one that would work best for the majority of the employees so people don’t have to travel too far. Thankfully, you’ll find a great selection of Xmas party venues across the UK.

Christmas Party Venues in London

London is definitely going to have the most choice when it comes to Christmas party venues. It’s a massive city with lots of really cool areas like Shoreditch, Soho, and Islington. You’ll find that the demand for Xmas party venues is high here and you’ll want to book early if you’re looking to host your party in London. While there are definitely a lot of venues available for hire, there are also a lot of people enquiring, so the best venues will fill up quickly.

However, one of the greatest things about booking your office Christmas party in London is that there are a variety of venues no matter what your budget is. You can find high-end venues as well as low-cost ones that offer minimum spends. If you don’t know how to get started, our concierge team can help you.

Manchester Christmas Party Venues

Manchester is a really cool city with lots of interesting areas throughout the city. It’s one of those places that has an area for every vibe. So whether your company is more corporate or a cool startup, you’ll be able to find a venue and area of the city that suits you. From the Northern Quarter to Piccadilly to the City Centre to Ancoats, a Manchester office Christmas party could be for you.

Birmingham Christmas Party Venues

Birmingham is another great city to host your Christmas party. You’ll find Xmas party venues in the Jewellery Quarter, Digbeth, Edgbaston, and the rest of the city. Plus, getting around the city is easy due to the great network of public transport. They have buses, trains, and trams that can get you to your epic Christmas venue.

Christmas Party Venues in Edinburgh

If you’re looking for a great Christmas party venue in Edinburgh, you’ll find some really cool ones. From castles to restaurants serving up some delicious food to bars playing live music all night, you’ll find something along the Royal Mile, Haymarket, Leith, or even just outside of the city centre.

Book your Christmas Party with VenueScanner

Discover and book your Christmas party at one of our fabulous bars, restaurants, hotels or event spaces. We feature incredible Xmas party venues all across the UK, so get in touch and we can help you find and book the perfect space for you.