How to Plan the Perfect Christmas Office Party

The yearly office Christmas party is about thanking everyone for their hard work, bonding with your team, and celebrating your wins. And overall, it should be about having fun!

If you’re the one organising the work Christmas party that can be fun too, but on the other hand there’s a lot of responsibility: you have to ensure the guests have a good time, as well as impress your boss or clients. There’s plenty of potential for any corporate Christmas to be bland and forgettable, so we’ve put together the ultimate guide to help you plan a party that’s not only memorable, but as stress-free as it can be!

Whether you’re looking at putting together a casual Christmas lunch or a sophisticated black-tie soiree, our tips will help you organise a festive celebration everyone will enjoy (including you).

Set your budget

The first step is establishing your budget before you even start thinking about the venue, decorations, entertainment and food, as this will determine all of the above. Once you know how much money you have in the kitty, you can create a more detailed plan. Remember to allocate the budget according to what your company’s culture values the most: for example, you may need to choose between an open bar and live entertainment, or whether your guests can bring plus-ones and if clients and suppliers will be invited as well as employees.

Save the date

Get the date in the calendar as soon as you can to ensure people (including you) can plan in advance. You can pick the date yourself, or be democratic with a poll of potential dates where majority rules. Our tip? Thursdays and Fridays work best.

Send invitations out ahead of time to ensure a good turnout and don’t forget to ask for RSVPs well in advance – otherwise you’ll find it difficult to plan. (Another tip: ask about dietary requirements at this point too). Even if you don’t know all the details yet, it’s good to send “save the date” emails and a calendar invite, a reminder the week of, plus a calendar invite for the party itself.

Confirm a venue

Once you’ve got an idea of budget and date, the next step in planning your Christmas party is to find the perfect venue. Booking your venue early is critical – many of the most popular spaces are booked by the end of September, so starting to look for a Christmas party spot months ahead is your best bet.

If you’re hiring out a space, think about location; whether you're able to bring your own styling or props; what the options are for a private function room; what the capacity is for stand-up vs sit-down events, and if they provide serving staff.

Going for something more informal, budget-friendly, or just want to show off your own space? Plenty of people hold their Christmas party at their own office, decorate it themselves and bring in entertainment and Christmas food catering from off-site.

Choose the caterer

Speaking of which, once you have the place and the time, you need to think about food and drinks. Decide which kind of setup you want for your food – a sit-down, multi-course meal, a buffet, Christmas food boxes, or just finger food?

We have a huge selection of all kinds of Christmas food catering options for office parties. After a full Christmas dinner delivery? Our Ultimate Christmas Feast feeds 15-20 people and is brimming with mouth-watering inclusions like honey and maple glazed leg of ham on the bone, turkey with cranberry stuffing and spiced jus, porchetta with salsa verde, blue swimmer crab, Pacific oysters, and roast pumpkin with feta, pomegranate, wild rice and honey. Smaller versions are also available, or go for the Seafood Christmas Feast: a full spread of ocean delicacies like WA lobster, blue swimmer crab, Pacific oysters, king prawns, Balmain bugs, baked Atlantic salmon and Alaskan crab legs, complete with sides and multiple condiments. You can also mix and match individual dishes, and fill in the gaps with grazing platters to fuel the festivities.

And don’t forget dessert – from Christmas brownie bauble platters to doughnuts and festive cherry or apple pies and even DIY pavlovas, it’s not Christmas without plenty of sweet treats.

Decide on drinks

Now you’ve taken care of the food side of the equation, remember the drinks are just as important! Think about the arrangement – will it be an open bar, subsidised drinks or just wine and beer? Are you going to pre-order drinks, pay for what’s consumed on the night, or organise drink vouchers? Some venues allow you to bring in your own alcohol, which can also make a difference money-wise.

If you’re renting out a spot for the event, make sure to ask the venue about their bar setup. If you’re handling the party on your own, make sure there’s plenty of beer, bubbles, wine and non-alcoholic options on hand.

Theming and entertainment

Add that extra special something to your Christmas do by picking a specific theme.

Here are a few general Christmas party theme ideas:

Cocktail party
Hawaiian beach party
Winter wonderland (even if we live in Australia!)

If you’re looking to extend the theme and have a bit more fun, make it a costume party. Guests can go as all-out (or not) as they like! Some costume party ideas could be:

White Christmas
Ugly Christmas sweater
Christmas vacation
Sparkles

Don’t forget to think about the music and entertainment! Every party needs a good playlist, whether you’ve hired a venue or are gathering in the office, the soundtrack should include a few Christmas classics combined with dancefloor tunes.

Entertainment, whether professional or something more informal like some fun activities, can make an average party into a memorable one. Some great corporate Christmas party entertainment ideas include:

For a seated event, live bands or stage shows with dancers or comedians work well, while roving entertainers are better for a standing event..
Photo booth: Hire a photo booth and theme it with props to match your party.
Set up a Christmas gift lucky dip, or allocate everyone a Secret Santa recipient in the RSVP process.
Christmas-themed trivia, with questions based around Christmas movies, songs, traditions from around the world, and more.
Gingerbread house decorating competition.
Don’t forget to get some fun prizes to hand out!