How to Plan an Unforgettable Company Holiday Party

It seems to sneak up on us every year—holiday party season.

And since this is the first “normal” holiday season in a few years, you’ll want to make your company’s holiday event an unforgettable one.

Hosting doesn’t have to be complicated, but you do need a plan.

Here’s our guide to everything you need to think about to throw the best holiday party for your company or team this year.

The Essential Holiday Party Planning Checklist

Without a plan, the responsibility to plan your company’s party might seem overwhelming. But, it doesn’t have to be.

Try to take a systematic approach by looking through this essential checklist of everything you need to think about.

Then, kick back, relax, and enjoy.

1. Date and Venue

Group of colleagues at a holiday party with drinks and decorations.

First things first: lock in your date and venue.

An evening in the beginning or mid-December is usually the best time. Consider holding it on a Thursday evening so that it doesn’t clash with your team’s other holiday plans during the busy season. If your team is small enough, you may be able to quickly poll everyone to see when works best.

Look at your company calendar and choose something that won’t conflict with other events or important deadlines (i.e., don’t schedule your holiday party before an important team project deadline—put it afterward to celebrate!).

Choose and book a venue for your chosen date. There are a few options, each with pros and cons:

Office: This is, of course, the cheapest option and makes it simple and easy for everyone to get there. But, if budget allows, going off-site is more likely to create that “wow” factor you’re looking for.
Off-site event space: Booking flexible event space, like our 750-square foot space at The Post, gives you total freedom over things like decor, catering, or set up. You can customize it exactly to your needs and accommodate a large group.
Restaurant: Picking a local restaurant to host your company party is a great way to keep things simple while supporting local businesses. The downsides to this option are the cost and lack of flexibility to do what you want.

Choosing the right venue can be tricky because there are a lot of options. So, start this process soon so you don’t run out of time. If you’re local here in Tucson, check out our previous article with 9 tips to find the perfect venue in the city.

And, if you’re a member of The Post, you get a discount on our flex space. It’s a fully-furnished space with furniture and A/V equipment that can be completely customized to your needs. We also offer:

Complimentary amenities like specialty coffee.
Upscale hospitality services to ensure the event runs smoothly.
Catering and other food and beverage services.
Private and secured separate entrance.
On-site parking.

2. Guestlist

Once you’ve nailed down a date and location, create your guest list. We recommend doing this as early as possible so that everyone has the date on their calendar.

For your guestlist, think about:

Is it employees-only, or are guests allowed to bring a plus-one? If it’s a plus-one, who’s included in that?
Is this a company-wide party or department-only? Are all employees included or are some ineligible to join (i.e., contractors or interns)?
Do you have remote employees? Will you include them? If so, how?

No matter what you choose to do, make sure you’re very clear about who’s invited. You don’t want someone bringing their spouse but feeling embarrassed after realizing plus-ones weren’t included.

You also don’t want your remote staff to feel excluded—think of ways to include them or plan a separate “remote-only” celebration or recognition. We put together a comprehensive list of virtual holiday party ideas last year, if you want to check it out and try one with your remote team.

If budget allows, this also may be the perfect opportunity to bring in your remote team members to be part of the festivities. It’ll give everyone a chance to connect and build a stronger team.

3. Invitations

Someone holding an envelope at a desk with scissors and twine nearby.

For your invitations, you can simply send out an email or use a service like Evite or Paperless Post, which both have creative digital invitations.

In your invitation, make sure to include the following details:

Date, time, and location
Driving, transit, and parking details
Who’s invited (i.e., plus-one)
Brief description of what to expect with the program
Dress code
If they should bring anything (i.e., secret Santa gift)
Request for RSVP with confirmation of guests and allergies or food restrictions

4. Program Overview

Two men posing in a Christmas-themed photo booth with props.

Here’s the bulk of your party-planning responsibilities—what are you actually going to do together?

Company holiday parties vary on a spectrum from loose and flexible to highly structured. Consider if you want it to be a time for employees to just gather, hang out, eat, and socialize or if you want to include some more formal elements.

Here are some ideas for your holiday party program (besides eating—that’s a given!):

Games: Most people love classic group games like charades or Pictionary. You can make them holiday-themed and offer prizes. You can also try something like karaoke if your team is up for it.
Speeches: A short message from the CEO or leadership team is a great opportunity for some encouragement and culture-building.
Holiday gift exchange: Also called “Secret Santa” or “White Elephant,” this game is when everyone brings a small gift to exchange with other people.
Event or excursion: If you want to do something totally different, bring the group to do an activity such as ice skating or an escape room.
Live music: Bring in some musicians to set the mood; guests can either relax and enjoy the music or get up and dance.
Photo booth: Whether fancy or silly, people will love snapping pictures to remember this fun night!

5. Food and Drinks

Two people with champagne glasses, giving a "cheers."

No party’s complete without excellent food and drinks. Depending on how large your team is and your budget, there are a few ways to go:

Full catered meal: Choose a local restaurant and get a catered dinner.
Appies and drinks: Keep things a bit cheaper by focusing on a variety of appetizers instead of a full meal.
Potluck: Get everyone to contribute a dish or dessert to the meal, perhaps centered around a theme (i.e, international cuisine or holiday favorites).

An open bar can be costly and may be a recipe for disaster at a company party. Instead, try one of these options:

Drink tickets: Give everyone a couple of tickets to order what they want from the bar.
Signature holiday drinks: Keep it simple with just one or two special cocktails for the evening.
Wine on the table: Keep things simple and put a few bottles on each table.
Mocktail bar: Some people may not want to drink alcohol, so consider a fun mocktail bar or other non-alcoholic drinks (i.e., coffee & tea, eggnog, soda, sparkling water).

Always make sure everyone drinks responsibly through the night and has a way to get home.

6. Setup and Decor

You want to make the space both functional and beautiful. For setup, think about:

Furniture: Make sure you have enough tables and chairs for the number of people. Consider, too, if you want to assign seats or just let people sit wherever they want.
A/V equipment: If you have a formal program with speeches or anything like that, you’ll need to have the right audio-visual equipment.

Next up, decor. You can make it as simple or complex as you’d like. The goal is to make it feel festive and memorable. Here are a few ideas:

Greenery: Make Christmas trees and evergreen boughs the centerpiece of your decor. You can even get the guests to decorate the trees as part of an evening activity.
Twinkling lights: String up some pretty lights around the room to create a festive environment.
Tables: Make your dinner tables the main feature by getting green or red tablecloths and choosing a nice centerpiece.

7. Transportation and Logistics

Red taxi driving by trees with lights in the snow.

The last thing to think about is the logistics of the evening. Here are some details to consider:

Is there a plan for everyone to get a safe ride home (i.e., taxi services on standby)?
Who’s responsible for receiving catering when it arrives?
Who’s decorating the space?
How early should the party planners arrive at the location?
Have you done an A/V test?

It’s a good idea to delegate the logistical tasks to team members. Make sure everyone knows what they’re responsible for throughout the evening so that it goes off without a hitch.

If you decide to book our flex space at The Post, we can support your team with logistics such as A/V equipment and setup, so you don’t have to worry about it getting done on time.

And, if you’re looking for a workspace for your growing team to call home, book a tour of The Post and see what we have to offer.