How should you budget for your Christmas party?
Once you’ve decided on a date, the following step is to begin arranging the event budget. If you want to go all out for one workplace party this year, this is it. Employees consider the Christmas party celebration to be the most important.
We recommend allocating 20-30% of your whole annual event budget to your seasonal extra vaganza, which will most likely be the largest single event on the calendar. This means that if your yearly event budget is £50,000, approximately £10,000-15,000 should be allocated to ensuring the Christmas party is as good as it can be.
Budget brackets
We’ve divided the overall budget into 3 categories: low, medium, and high, but it’s important to note that these are guidelines, not a set plan. Each firm will have its own style, and your party will be suited to its mission and personnel, but these ballpark values should help you plan your spending.
Low-end budget – £60-80 per head: A budget of this size will allow you to give a venue, some simple meal options, and a few drinks for each employee.
Medium budget – £80-120 per person: This allows you to book a more expensive venue, provide some intriguing street food alternatives, and a larger quantity of drinks for each employee, as well as the possibility of hiring a photographer or filmmaker.
High budget – £120 or more: At this price, you should be able to choose from a variety of wonderful venues and cuisine options, including a three-course sit-down supper with a photographer and other entertainment.
Finally, we would recommend looking at the higher end of the budget because a well-planned night with fantastic suppliers will not only amaze your colleagues in the near term, but it will also have long-term advantages that could improve the team’s performance for months to come.
How you spend your budget can be determined by the type of location you choose. If your office space allows, you could host it “in house” and save money on show-stopping food, drink, and entertainment, but an outside venue has a greater impact and will feel more celebratory to your guests.
Choosing a venue for your Christmas party
Choosing the right venue for your Christmas party could be the most significant decision you make in terms of impressing your colleagues. The venue sets the tone for the entire event; an elegant venue can create a sophisticated ambiance, whereas a rustic one might serve as the perfect backdrop for an exciting night of entertainment.
When deciding on a venue, consider not only your brand, but also the personalities on your staff. If your team generally values the finer things in life, perhaps elegance is the name of the game: members clubs, historic buildings, or rooms-with-a-view in London’s skyscrapers could be winners.
Here are a few options for your location to try to wow your staff, and Togather offers a large collection of all of them available for booking on the platform. Of course, the ideas listed below are just a sample of what you can do, and we’re pleased to provide inspiration for other methods to hold a Christmas party, even if they’re completely unconventional.
Competitive socialising
If you have a really competitive team, consider hosting the event at a mini golf, video game, or curling themed venue. Building your party around an activity might be an excellent approach to foster collaboration among various teams.
You should choose a competitive socializing location if: your crew is fans of interactive fun and you want to make sure they’re busy during the event, or if you’re looking for a less drinking-centric event.
You should avoid a competitive socializing location if: Your team isn’t big lovers of organized fun and would prefer a more natural atmosphere for socialising.
