How To Host The Best Holiday Office Party (Plus Ideas)

After a long year of hard work, employees look forward to mingling with colleagues and celebrating the end of the year and the start of the holidays. This means you need to start planning a holiday office party that is fun and memorable. 

There is a lot to consider and plan for when hosting an office party, from the invites to the food and everything in between. You want to get creative with what you put together so that you don’t have the same dull celebration every year. 

Luckily, we’re here to help you out. Below we outline the essential steps to planning an office party, as well as creative ideas to inspire your holiday celebrations. 

6 steps to throw the best holiday office party

Here’s how you plan the ultimate office party:

1. Gather ideas

If you want the workforce to enjoy what you plan, the easiest way to achieve this is to seek their input before you begin. 

You can set up a suggestion box in the office or send out a survey link to everyone via email to provide their input. Have a look through the feedback. This feedback can guide you on what the most popular party idea will be. 

Ask employees for ideas, favorite foods, time and date suggestions, and more. If you already have a few ideas in mind, send out a survey that allows them to vote for their favorite option.

Related: Corporate Holiday Food Gifts: Ideas To Thank Your Team

2. Plan early

The sooner you start planning, the better. Most companies have their holiday office parties around the same time, so you may struggle with finding available venues or services if you leave it until too late. 

You should start the planning process no later than midway through the year. This also prevents last-minute scrambling and stress for everyone involved. In addition, it’s more convenient for employees to know the date and time of the party well in advance to make the necessary plans to be available. 

3. Explore all options

An office party might sound straightforward, but don’t limit yourself to the ordinary. There are several creative ways that you can celebrate with employees, and the further you think outside of the box, the more enjoyable it will be for those involved. 

Consider various options that fit into your budget, and call around to multiple venues and providers to find out what they offer. 

4. Maximize budget 

You will likely have an allocated budget for the office holiday party, and it is crucial to use it wisely and maximize what is available. 

For example, if you have a limited budget, make the party location your offices to save on hefty venue costs. You will then have more money for food, drinks, decorations, and activities. 

Contact as many service providers as possible for the best quote to fit your budget. If your workforce is on the smaller side, you may just want to get some ready-made snacks and food from your local grocery store or go out to a budget-friendly restaurant. 

5. Be inclusive 

A holiday office party is meant to celebrate each employee and their hard work during the year, so make sure that it is inclusive so that everyone feels considered and valued. 

Firstly, food should cater to all dietary requirements. Request that employees disclose any requirements when they send through their RSVPs so that you can play accordingly. 

Ensure that all decorations, activities, and themes are inclusive and non-denominational. Everyone has different religious beliefs and values, so you don’t want to enforce any restrictive holiday themes. 

You should also consider the ages and physical abilities of those in the workforce when choosing activities. For example, if you have older employees, they might struggle with overly physical activities like sports games. 

6. Set a dress theme

A great way to get everyone excited and involved is to set a theme that allows employees to dress up for the party. This will create a fun atmosphere and get everyone in the holiday spirit. 

To ensure inclusivity, you can set a theme that allows for broader options – for example, asking everyone to dress up as a character from their favorite book or movie or to dress up as something that begins with the first letter of their name. 

7. Prepare gifts

As it is the time of the year when everyone exchanges gifts, you can get each employee a little something as a reward. This reward can be anything from hampers to branded company merchandise, depending on your budget. 

12 awesome holiday office party ideas To Inspire You

Ready to plan that party? Here are 12 awesome holiday office party ideas to unleash your creativity.

1. Charitable drive 

Nothing is better than giving back around the holidays, so why not incorporate a charitable drive into your party plans? 

You can plan the whole celebration around a charitable activity, such as baking cookies to be donated or wrapping up gifts for those in need. 

Alternatively, you can add small steps to whatever you have planned. You could ask employees to donate food or clothing as an entrance fee to the party or set up a money box for cash donations. You could also do incentive gifts for each employee, donating an amount in their name to a charity of their choice. 

2. Virtual happy hour

If your company works remotely, or you have employees scattered across the country or the world, you may want to have a fun virtual party. 

You can send everyone a small package of a drink and snacks and then set up a team video call for everyone to dial in and socialize. Incorporate games and icebreakers to take it to the next level. 

For another interactive idea, you can send each person a package of ingredients and do a virtual cocktail-making class for everyone to follow. Alternatively, you could do a bake-along where everyone makes some delicious holiday cookies from an easy recipe. 

Related: 12 Virtual Employee Appreciation Ideas For A Remote Team

3. Escape room

If you want to get everyone moving and thinking as a team, an escape room is an exhilarating way to boost teamwork and build team morale in a fun setting. 

You can either go to an established escape room if it can cater to your numbers or set up your escape room at the office. Working through challenging clues, with a light sprinkling of healthy competition, makes for an enjoyable day of fun to end the year on. 

4. Global potluck

If you are working with a limited budget, you can do a global potluck so that everyone brings a dish to be shared. You can ask people to bring something from their own culture or assign each person a country they need to get a dish from. 

This cuts down on food costs so you can focus on providing drinks or a venue and allows everyone to participate with their contribution. Employees will enjoy trying out new types of food, and you could even have a voting station for each person to vote for their favorite dish with a small prize for the winner. 

5. Gingerbread house

Set up a gingerbread house station for employees to get stuck in and show their creative skills to make a delicious treat. 

You will need to provide the parts of the house, along with a small range of sweets and icing, and let them create a design of their choosing. They can also take it home after the party to enjoy with their friends and family. 

Again, you can add a little competition, with the best house (decided by vote or selected judges) winning a prize. 

6. Quiz night

If you want to incorporate a fun game into the party, set up a quiz night. Divide your employees into smaller teams, and award the winning team a prize. 

You can easily find quiz questions online, or to personalize the quiz, you can include company-related questions. You can host this party in the office or an external venue, as it does not require a specific setup.

7. Movie night

Everyone enjoys a good movie, so a cozy movie night with a few cinematic masterpieces and delicious snacks is a fun, easy way to bring everyone together. 

You can set up a projector in the office or rent a cinema or viewing venue for the occasion. Pick a few classic films, or ask employees to vote for a good movie or two ahead of time. 

All you need to add is popcorn, a good range of candy and drinks, and you have yourself a party. 

8. Secret santa gift exchange 

Around the holiday season, everyone likes to give and receive gifts, but this can be challenging in a big workforce. 

The simple solution to this is the ever-popular Secret Santa gift exchange, where each person draws one colleague, and they have to buy them a gift. This ensures that everyone gets one gift. It is generally best to provide a budget so that everyone gets a gift of similar value. 

The exchange can happen as a standalone event or as a part of a bigger party idea. It is an excellent way for employees to get to know each other better and think of creative gifts that suit the recipient. 

Related: 11 Ideas For Corporate Holiday Gifts For Your Employees

9. Cooking Or baking class

A unique party idea would be hosting a cooking or baking class, where everyone gets the same ingredients, and an instructor walks the group through cooking or baking a specific dish. 

This is a fun and educational activity, and it can provide a little inspiration for the employees to try the recipe during the holiday season for friends and family. 

You can host this party at a cooking institute or the office if you have the necessary equipment. Remember to check that the chosen dish fits all dietary requirements or that alternatives are available for specific people. 

10. Embrace nature

If you live in a place with good weather during the holidays, you can get everyone outdoors and do something fun in nature. This can be a hike to a picturesque spot, a picnic in the park, a fishing trip, a boat ride, and so on. 

Getting in some fresh air will make everyone feel good, and you can add food and drinks to the mix to make it a proper outing. Consider the fitness levels of all employees, as something like a hike could be difficult for some. 

11. Family day

An employee works hard to contribute to the company’s success, but that cannot be done without the love and support of those closest to them. If you have the capacity and budget for it, you could host a family day where each person can bring a few immediate family members or friends to the gathering. 

All you need is some music, food, and drinks to create a fun atmosphere. This gives everyone a chance to meet the families and friends of their colleagues. 

You can do it at the office if you have the space, or book a venue. If your budget is limited, you could do a big picnic at a public park to save on venue costs. 

12. Silent disco

With a diverse range of employees, you are bound to have differing music tastes. This is not an issue if you choose to do a fun, quirky, silent disco night. 

You can hire headphones for each employee that allow them to switch between music channels so everyone can listen to their song of choice. All you need to do is create a disco setup with strobe lights, which can be done at a venue or the office. 

Final thoughts

Office holiday parties are a must in any organization, as the workforce works tirelessly throughout the year and deserves a little fun as a thank-you for all their efforts. It also allows employees to bond with one another in a laid-back environment, which is crucial for team morale. 

Always start your planning as early as possible to get everything in order before it is all booked out. Try to get employee input to know everyone will enjoy the result. It is best to be as creative as possible and try new ideas every year to keep it interesting for the workforce. 

For an extra special touch, you can give each employee a small gift to thank them for contributing to the company's success using a gifting platform like PerkUp for quick and seamless delivery.