What to Look For in Office Christmas Party Venues

It should be simple to find office Christmas party venues, but somehow has proven repeatedly to be one of the most complicated tasks of the holiday season for planners. While hotels can be a safe bet, not all of them have the proper configuration for a holiday party.

When considering venues, location also has to be considered. If half of the team lives on one side of the city and the other half lives on the other side, find a venue that is somewhat in the middle. This will encourage more attendance and will battle excuses for not coming to the party. Consider the venue’s public transport options, as driving will not be an option for most attendees because they will be drinking.

For your own privacy, look for a hotel that has its own function room instead of just an adjoining part of the restaurant. You don’t want to be in the situation where you have to be quiet and can’t play your music for the party because some other guests have a dinner reservation. This is a surefire way to kill the atmosphere and get shushed.

The room must suit your size requirements. Too small, and you will be packed in like sardines. Too large, and it feels awkward and void. Generally, you’ll want 10-12 square feet of space for each person for a standing reception with a buffet. You will want a bit more room than that for a sit down meal.

When booking, be sure to ask what is included in the package. Some hotels offer Christmas party deals that are all-inclusive, covering food, a few drink options, and a DJ. Other hotels will do a la carte for everything. Make sure to do the total cost calculations, as room hire, food, bar, DJ, and decorations add up.

Note what the food options are like if you have a booking. Most hotels will offer a buffet, or set menu, for Christmas parties. Buffets are a good option if people are coming in at different times, but they can get a bit messy and someone will invariably take all the good stuff.

Check Bar Arrangements Is there a cash bar or a tab? How does it work if you put a certain amount of cash behind the bar? Can you set limits? How does it work if the tab runs out? Think it through you don’t want arguments about who is going to pay for drinks during the evening.

Make Sure there is adequate Music Some hotels have their own DJs who know what works for Christmas parties, and some let you bring in your own. Check if there are any noise restrictions because some venues have to turn the music down which really kills the vibe.

Parking Is there parking available at the hotel? Is it easy for taxis to pick up and drop off passengers at the hotel? It’s a good idea to avoid having your colleagues standing in the rain trying to flag a cab when it’s late at night.

Check Out the Toilets I know it sounds dumb, but if there’s only 2 cubicles for 80 women, it’s going to be a really big problem. It’s one of those things that no one thinks about until it becomes a big problem.

Make sure to ask about the room decorations. What about the hotel does and does not decorate for the season? Some hotels include the decorations with the Christmas package. Other hotels leave the decorations to the client and fully expect you to do all the work. A room for the event that has no decorations just looks like a conference room, which definitely lacks festive vibes and would ruin the atmosphere.

What about timings? What time can you access the room? What time would you ideally like the evening to finish when the night is done? Hotels will often have fixed time frames for their events, but it is still worth asking see if there is any flexibility in their time frames. Some hotels will allow you to run events later in the night if you are not disturbing other hotel guests.

Make sure you ask for a detailed breakdown of costs, like the hiring of the room, food per head by the hotel, drinks packages, and if there are any extra charges. Christmas party venues are aware of the fact that, in December, there are premium prices of rooms and venues to hire, so be sure you are not being charged excessively for a room just because it is December.

If you can, visit the venue to see the room for yourself. Pictures on a venue’s websites often look a lot better than the room actually is. Make sure to see the actual room, and check if the other facilities in the venue are a good fit for.

The most important decision of the event is where to have the event. The right venue will allow you to have a brilliant and enjoyable Christmas party for all participants. The most important decision of the event is where to have the event. The right venue will allow you to have a brilliant and enjoyable Christmas party for all participants, and if you choose the wrong venue, people will be complaining and moaning about it for a lot longer than it is worth. Because of this, it is an important booking to take your time with to find a venue that actually fits your party.