Alternative Christmas Party ideas

The Christmas party season is fast approaching. After 2 years of party postponements and cancelled plans, we hope the 2022 festive season will allow us to get into the party spirit and celebrate in style!

No need to be dull! Tis the time of year to let your hair down, celebrate in style and reward your staff with a Christmas event to remember.

There is something out there for everyone. It doesn’t have to be big to be memorable!

Why not think outside the box this year and offer your colleagues an alternative to the traditional turkey dinner and disco fayre.
And don’t worry, if you are still a bit hesitant mixing with other groups or attending a large gathering, there are some great, more intimate options available.

DeSouza Associates can assist with all your company Christmas party requirements from a small gathering to a large bespoke celebration

Allow a chef to guide your team to create some traditional Christmas dishes with all the trimmings.

Bake your own mince pies or decorate gingerbread people.

Why not consider adding a competitive element to the event to encourage a bit of healthy rivalry between teams. Host a ‘Bake Off Challenge’ by providing groups with their very own gingerbread house which needs to be decorated within a certain period of time. Best decorated house, wins!

Or a version of ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ where your teams are given a mystery box of ingredients and need to create a starter and a main, or main and dessert with the food items provided. Each dish will then be sampled to see who had created the best and most delicious meal.

Many restaurants in London and other city centres offer smaller, more exclusive, private dining spaces within their establishments. Often you can tailor-make these intimate events to your design and needs.

If you’re looking to create a bespoke event in a fine dining establishment, for example a Michelin starred restaurant, or alternatively something a bit more casual within a bar or pub, there’s the right place for your event, whatever your crowd.

Popping up all over the capital, the festive season brings some exciting experiences waiting to be explored. From Winter Paraphernalia to all manners of quirky entertainment, these are some of the best Christmas Party pop-up events around this year:

• Enjoy a Winter Themed Igloo at a number of venues in central London. Expect instagramable views of the city or river along with cosy blankets & warming food.
• Roof top chalets are kitted out with faux furs, hurricane lamps, Christmas tunes and an apres-ski menu of fondues with hot chocolate.
• If you are looking for a unique way to celebrate Christmas this year then host your corporate Christmas party at your very own, exclusive, Winter Ski Lodge. Themed with pine trees, reindeer, falling snow, snowmen and ski racks, the centrepiece bar will be serving a selection of beverages, including schnapps and mulled wine.
• Wrap-up warm and get your skates on. Choose one of the many ice rinks set up at iconic venues in London for a spot of ice skating under the stars. Or try your hand at the latest craze – Curling!

There are still some virtual offerings out there for this Christmas for those people who don’t wish to or can’t travel, or are still feeling uneasy about mixing with large crowds of people.

These online activities have been adapted to incorporate the Christmas theme and are highly interactive and entertaining for all involved.

Some suggestions include:

• Virtual escape rooms
• Online food or drink activities – wine & cheese tasting & cookery events (hampers can be sent out to all people attending beforehand)
• Virtual Quiz
• Take on your colleagues with versions of well-known TV entertainment programmes such as ‘Taskmaster’ or ‘Deal or No Deal’

All of these events will be run by an event host / compere who will keep everyone engaged and entertained.

There is a whole world of activity based venues now just waiting to be experienced by the corporate market.

Fancy trying something different and have a go at indoor laser clay shooting, axe throwing, shuffle board or social indoor cricket?

Add some healthy competition to your event and go ten pin bowling, play rounds of indoor crazy golf, play a few games of table tennis or throw a few darts in your own private oche playing area.

If you are feeling brave, sing the night away at your exclusive private room at a karaoke bar.

Or, book an evening at one of the many live experience venues available to hire now. Attempt a festive escape room and work with your colleagues to solve the clues in the given time. Tackle the challenges in the Crystal Maze, find your inner ‘Lara Croft’ and step into the world of Tomb Raider or compete against the clock and immerse yourself in a giant game of ‘Monopoly’.

Whatever you choose, the company Christmas party will give you and your work colleagues a chance to socialise in a fun and relaxed environment. It is a great way to reward and say ‘thank you’ for all the hard work your staff and colleagues have done over the past year.

And even more so, nowadays, with many people still working from home it is the perfect time to bring everyone together and celebrate.

Location – does the venue need to be close to the offices? Is it close to public transport to allow guests to get home easily? Can you look further afield and choose an option with an overnight stay?

Style of venue – do you want it to wow your guests or is it just fun fun fun!

Food – This will always be the talking point of any event. Top of your priority list, the quality and amount of food on offer will be key to a successful event. The variety of dining options is also important.

Budget – there is something available to suit all budgets and requirements. Friday & Saturday nights are usually the most popular and more expensive, so if you are budget conscious look at hosting on a week day evening earlier in the week. Why not organise a post-Christmas party in January, so you have something to look forward to. Booking early may also mean you can grab an early deal