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Tuesday 1 August 2017

Christmas is less than 4 months away (where did the year go?), time to start thinking about your work Christmas party. Check out Venue Search London’s expert advice on how to navigate your way through organising the biggest event of the year!

Here at Venue Search London, our free venue finding experts live and breathe Christmas all year round, as we book over £1m of parties for over 50 clients.

When discussing each enquiry for London Christmas Parties, there are some common questions to be answered and decisions made, which always help us define the best shortlist:

Shared Party Night or Exclusive Event?

This is an easy one if you have a party-going group of over 80 guests where you can get great value and be assured of a busy atmosphere in an exclusive Christmas venue, but this decision becomes harder if your guest numbers are lower than this.

It only takes a few drop-outs or a number of guests heading home early to kill the party feel, so you might consider looking at a private room or area in a larger club, bar or restaurant, where your group can join others for dancing and the late night celebrations.

Shared Christmas Party Nights with exclusive tables give smaller groups the opportunity to join in with the big party atmosphere, which often includes live themed entertainment and bands.  These parties also offer great value for groups of 10-50 guests.

Blank Canvas or Package?

If you are planning an exclusive party for over 100 guests, the great news is that you will have literally hundreds of London Christmas party venues to choose from, including some great venues that have been designed and themed for the whole season.

These themed parties offer great value since you are sharing the cost of stunning event designs with others. However, if you want to create a very special and unique event (and have the budget to do so), you may wish to look at creating a bespoke Christmas Party at a blank canvas venue.  This will require a much greater involvement for the party planner in bringing together all the best suppliers to deliver your special party night.

Seated or standing?

Despite a move to more informal dining at many London conference and event venues, the London Christmas Party Survey (which is now available for free download), reveals that over half of companies still prefer a seated lunch or dinner, often to accommodate speeches or internal end of year awards (a great addition to any party!).

This format ensures a good mix of staff at each table which encourages networking and makes the evening feel “more special” to many. However, you will have to pay around £10 more per guest and you are reducing your venue options, since many bars and clubs do not offer suitable dining areas.

Informal dining opens up a wide range of menu choices and options to cater for all tastes, including the recent trend to serve “Street Food” at Christmas Parties and other corporate events in London.

If you are planning a seated meal, but want less time at the tables and a full dance floor early in the party, you should consider having a dessert buffet and serving teas and coffees from a central station.

Inclusive drinks or on consumption?

Many London venues now offer Christmas catering that includes fully inclusive or unlimited wines beers and soft drinks throughout the evening.  This option will bring you budget certainty and avoid concerns about exceeding bar tabs on the big night.

The risk with unlimited free drinks is that you may be encouraging excessive drinking (with potential behavioural and post party travel issues) and as the host, your company’s reputation is on the line here, so you should encourage responsible drinking at all you staff Christmas or summer parties.

With this in mind, we strongly advise not to include spirits in any free drinks packages. However, you may also consider a pay bar for the later part of the party to limit the impact of excessive alchohol on the party-goers (both during and after the event!).

Tuesday or Thursday?

Obviously you can hold your company Christmas party on any day of the week (or even at lunchtime!), but this is a big decision that may have a big impact on the budget and attendance.

The London Christmas Party Survey reveals the enduring popularity of Thursday nights has recently overtaken Fridays as the most popular day for London Christmas party-goers.  This has resulted in many venues charging premium prices for these nights, which are sold out by Easter at the best London party venues.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays (or even “Magic Mondays”) will offer you better value and venue choices and if you are happy to consider a shoulder date, you can often pick up some great late bargains.

In reality holding a party earlier on in the week is something well worth considering and may also avoid clashes with social and client events. Better value can also be found in the Late November and in the week just before Christmas.

Free Venue Finder or Event Agency?

You may be wondering why we are not suggesting booking directly with the venue, but the clue is in the name “Free Venue Finder”. These experienced teams spend all year visiting and negotiating the best deals with venues and will therefore save you both time and money.

What is more, since you will contract directly with the venue, your boss doesn’t even have to know that you have used one!

If you are planning a very bespoke party at a blank canvas London venue, then you should consider using a creative agency (our colleagues at Story Events will be delighted to help here!), who will bring the best and most cost-effective suppliers together to deliver a truly memorable night without the stress and time involved in flying solo.

The Venue Search London team are ready to assist with finding the perfect London Christmas party venue for you, so start your free venue search now or call us on 02078709303 to discover the best shortlist for your 2017 party!