I'm willing to bet…
That you've been to one.
The corporate Christmas party from hell.
They aren't supposed to be. Read on to find out how to avoid a Christmas Party crash …
The office holiday party
- celebrates the season,
- rewards employees and
- builds the team.
In-office parties have become popular over the last few years. They are more affordable than an off-site party.
The biggest challenge is:
Making the party festive and exciting when held in the work place.
Here are our top corporate Christmas party ideas to make your event fun and rewarding.
1. The Secret Santa Gift Exchange:
Everyone pulls a name and purchases a gift for a co-worker.
This is a traditional type of event that may be hilarious.
Set a spending limit and challenge employees to find outlandish gifts.
If your office has a good sense of humor, this can be fun.
2. The Gift Swap:
Another style of the gift exchange, this creates a fun game.
Everyone brings wrapped gifts and each participant gets a number.
The first person selects a gift and unwraps it. The second person has the option of opening another gift, or “stealing” the first.
When a gift is stolen, the person without gets the option of stealing another, or opening a new gift.
To keep the game from getting insane, limit “steals” to no more than three.
That way the same gift won't continue to get passed around.
3. The Ugly Sweater Contest:
We've seen some ugly holiday sweaters.
Invite people to wear their gaudiest holiday outfits and hold a contest.
Offer a prize for the person who wears the ugliest.
Perhaps they could win a clothing store gift certificate.
At the very least you could give them fashion advice.
These ugly sweaters and outfits will create laughs and break the ice.
A fun way to start any office holiday party.
4. The Cookie Swap:
People become Betty Crocker during the holiday season.
You'll find co-workers bringing baked goods to work to share their creations.
Why not use this idea to launch your holiday party?
It takes care of providing refreshments.
Plus the leftovers create a great way to swap recipes and build food friendships.
5. Door Prize Bonanza:
Everyone gets a ticket and throughout the party random numbers are called.
Creative prizes can make the bonanza more fun.
Lunch on the company, an extra day off, a better parking space or other affordable perk can brighten anyone's day.
6. Unique Entertainment:
Hiring a corporate entertainer is always a great office holiday party idea.
The right entertainment can liven up your party and generate tons of fun.
Karaoke can be good for some laughs if you are on a tight budget.
Other ideas include a DJ to play music.
The problem with music is it can drown out conversation. There is a wide variety of musical tastes too.
Make sure to hire someone with a diverse musical library.
You may even want to consider a corporate comedian. They can poke fun at the business culture and get everyone laughing.
Naturally Santa is always a great surprise guest at corporate Christmas parties.
If you event celebrates several holidays, you may wish to avoid the jolly elf.
So what do you think? Share your corporate Christmas party ideas with us by e-mailing Tom.
If you are planning holiday party entertainment, contact our office to discuss your vision. We will be happy to offer suggestions and help you find the right corporate entertainment for your event.
