Alternative Christmas Party Ideas
GUIDE
Your company holiday party is an opportunity to bring the workforce together, reduce employee stress and create a deeper bond.
Turn your same-old-same-old party into the annual antidote your employees need.
We’ve got all kinds of alternatives to company Christmas party standards from decor, dates, venue ideas and more.
Our event planners want to add some extra magic to your holiday season. They challenge you to think creatively and consider trying one of these new and exciting ideas!
We’ve broken it down into three steps, 1. venues and locations, 2. dates, times and fun ideas, and 3. food, menus and catering.
The First Step: Finding the Perfect Venue
Transform Your Office or Warehouse
A great alternatives to office holiday party venue is your very own office, warehouse, or parking lot.
Having a party at your office is a convenient option, especially during busy holiday season. It can help boost attendance since it’s right on-site and (optionally) on a workday.
Hosting a party at your own space is a great way to showcase your business. It puts your company at the center of the event. It also celebrates both the company and its employees.
With the right event planning company, you can bring in tents, rentals, catering, and decor to completely transform a space. Want to be a part of the holiday magic and create something special for your employees? Let our company revamp your space by bringing in real snow! Your guests will forever remember the day they had a snowball fight, made snowmen, and went sledding at their own warehouse.
Spend Your Holiday Party Under the Sun
Still want to find office holiday party alternatives, but want to leave the office? Let’s find a great park or beach as your party’s destination.
Instead of booking a boring indoor holiday venue, why not choose a beautiful outdoor venue? This opens up possibilities to exciting themes, outdoor cookouts, and fun team building games and entertainment. If you live in Los Angeles or San Francisco, a day at the beach or park are great alternative work Christmas party ideas. In Dallas, Phoenix, or Las Vegas or other southern locations also has great weather for outdoor venues in winter.
Secure an Indoor Venue During Peak Seasons
Or, would you prefer to find a new and exciting indoor event space? Los Angeles has many great indoor venues, such as CA Science Center, Highway 39, and Cooper Design Center. These popular venues fill up fast for holiday events, so book early.
In Vegas and San Francisco, there are many indoor options for the holidays, but they fill up quickly. Things like escape rooms, wine tastings, and gift exchanges really help staff get into the holiday spirit.
A great solution to make sure that you are able to secure your dream space is to consider an alternative date. Weekday events during peak season are more likely to have openings and can increase attendance.
Step Two: Switch Up Your Holiday Party
Festive Employee Fun Days
Company picnics and employee fun days are typically held in the summer. However, they can also be enjoyable during the holiday season. Our event planners can transform any office or warehouse into a great venue. They can also create the perfect setting for your winter picnic at any park or beach.
Imagine a giant inflatable snowmen and festive Gingerbread House Moonbounce. Or what about a Winter Carnival with amazing rides & games, cookie decorating stations, and a hilarious ugly sweater competition. Complete it with a hot cocoa bar, candy cane scavenger hunt, and one of the many fun Christmas party themes to celebrate the holidays in style (see below for theme ideas).
Christmas themed team building activities make for a great way to spread the holiday cheer with a little friendly competition among team members. Have staff dress in Santa Claus costumes and decorate a Christmas tree or work together for a snow ball fight. The possibilities are endless!
Try a January Celebration
Not only do venues book up quickly for the best days in the winter, but so do entertainment companies, catering teams, and vendors. December is also a popular month for people to go on vacation, making attendance low.
Throwing your event in late January is not only a great solution to these challenges, but it’s also great because you can use your event as a reflection on the year and as a “Kick-Off the New Year Party” to set company goals for the next. See more about planning a company year end party.
Or how about a “First Day of the Year Party?” Let’s throw an amazing beginning of the year celebration, starting the new year off on the right foot. Safety and compliance events can kickoff the year with great work practices and serve as a reminder to follow safety procedures in the workplace.
Alternatively, why not consider planning your holiday event before the holidays? What a great way to start the holiday season! It’s important to consider employees’ schedules and the busy holiday season to make sure as many people can attend. Hosting your party on a weekday during work hours is also a great solution.
New and Exciting December Holiday Themes
If you do decide to stick with throwing your event in December, let’s throw a great party… but with a twist! While Christmas celebrations and Winter Wonderland themed parties are great, they are done again and again year after year. Instead, why not throw a high end and sophisticated Casino themed party, Murder Mystery Event, Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball, or Employee Awards Ceremony to show your gratitude and appreciation for all of your employees’ hard work and loyalty. Check out these top 10 holiday party themes.
One of our favorite alternative office Christmas party idea for a theme is a “Holiday’s Around the World” event. While Christmas is one of the more popular winter holidays, it is not the only one.
“Holiday’s Around the World” celebrates different countries, religions, and cultures which are celebrated around the holidays and Christmas time. This is a great idea for multicultural offices, as it brings your work team together. This theme allows for an amazing assortment of diverse food, holiday music from around the world, and amazing traditional costumes.
Some more alternative names for Christmas party could be named after any of the themes below.
Some of Our Other Favorite Themes Include…
- Snow Day
- Re-Gifting Party
- Beach/Luau Fiesta
- Employee Talent Show
- Nightmare Before Christmas
- Karaoke Sing Celebration
- Las Vegas Night
- Fire & Ice Event
- Western/Rodeo
- Carnival/Circus
- Team Building Olympics
- Under the Sea
- Roaring 20’s
- Hollywood Glamour
- Daytona 500
Step Three: Delicious and Unique Holiday Catering
One of the absolute best parts about the holidays is the amazing and mouth watering foods! Trust me, our company does not want to change that. Finding the right menu and catering company is the one of the most important parts about throwing a holiday party. This year, let’s keep the tasty meals that take place during the holidays, but create menus that are fresh, new, and hip.
Outdoor Catering
If you choose to throw your alternative holiday party outdoors, then a BBQ menu is a great option for you. Our BBQ is cooked fresh and prepared right on-site, guaranteeing the best product. Throwing your holiday party in California allows you to have events outside all year round and nothing beats eating delicious BBQ outside on a beautiful day.
Better with Breakfast
A typical holiday meal is either at lunch or dinner, but why did no one ever think about a holiday brunch or breakfast? Come on, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Omelet stations, egg sandwiches, belgium waffles, fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, and savory eggs benedict can be your next holiday meal! Breakfast is a great way to start off the day AND the new year right!
Celebrate Your Way
These are great ways to make the most of your event budget and schedule. Use this article to help you learn to budget for your event. Have your own ideas on how to transform your holiday party?
Don’t hesitate, give event and production company a call today. Our team will work with you to create a customized proposal tailored to your company.
Contact Our Holiday Event Planners
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