A Christmas party can be an overwhelmingly daunting task!
You have to juggle finding a night that suits the entire staff roster, finding a location that people are interested in, serving food and drinks that accommodates all the dietary requirements, engaging entertainment that pleases everyone and above all of that keep it light hearted and playful but within the boundaries of HR approved good behaviour. It can be a minefield! But fear no more, we're here to help!
Picking the date
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The biggest mistake people often make is booking their Christmas party too late. We often get enquiries for Christmas parties as late as November, and leaving it to the last minute will limit significantly the date availability which venues will have.
In our experience, the most popular days for Christmas parties are the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the first two weeks of December. If these are your preferred dates, then the best bet is to book these earlier in the year. By the time you get to the third week, a lot of your staff may already be on annual leave, and you might not get the attendance you hope for. We book Christmas party dates as early as January, but the vast majority of bookings for these peak dates tend to happen around July time.
Quick tip - Get thinking about your Christmas party straight away.
Pro tip – Think a few years ahead and book a venue for multiple years in one go for a better rate.
Picking a format
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Your Christmas party event format will usually be dictated by the numbers of staff you have. If you have a small team, perhaps it's a daytime lunch that will be most suitable. For those looking for a party vibe with a small group, there are plenty of shared party experiences across London that you can buy individual tables for. This will give you the full party experience and allow you to get all dressed up and feast in style.
For companies with a large number of staff, an exclusive venue hire is going to be more suitable. Standing receptions with bowl food or food stations offer an interactive experience without the formality of a seated dinner, or for those who prefer a black tie dining affair there are some wonderful options out there for groups of 50 to 1000.
Quick tip - Pick a format that allows for your staff members to feel special, rewarded and to above all have fun!
Pro tip – Have a mix of 2 formats to accommodate the whole group and have the best of both worlds, because after all it’s Christmas! Our team favourite is a seated 2 course meal, followed by interactive themed dessert stations and DJ/dancing into the night!
Picking a venue
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Trying to find a venue that aligns for everyone is an almost impossible task, but there are ways to make it easier. For standing receptions, perhaps you want to create a journey for your guests. Cutty Sark allows guests to explore three decks detailing the historical journey of this iconic tea clipper, before enjoying champagne and cocktails in the Dry Berth, with the ship suspended above your head. For gala dinners with bite, the National Maritime Museum offers a reception space full of some of our largest exhibits, including Miss Britain III – a record breaking 1933 racing powerboat, before offering the Ocean Map mezzanine space for dinner for up to 550 guests. For those looking for a touch of elegance, Queen’s House offers a former royal palace with the most beautiful ice rink in London directly outside, perfectly suited for elegant receptions and dinners for up to 120. If you’re going big, take over the whole central atrium of the National Maritime Museum for receptions for up to 1000 people! Within Royal Museums Greenwich’s diverse portfolio, there’s something for most briefs. And if we can’t solve your venue problem, we are a member of Unique Venues of London and you can work with them to find your perfect pick.
Tip – Ask the venue for their recommendations on what has worked well in the past, they’ll have examples and hopefully some pictures to show you to help!
Pro-Tip – Pick venues that can provide you with assurances of their quality. Look at awards, accreditations and client testimonials and feedback.
Picking a caterer
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Food is the most memorable part of most events, and with the array of food options available in London it’s difficult to go wrong! We work with an approved list of 15 catering suppliers, able to provide everything from champagne and cocktails, canapes and bowl food to seated dinners, food stations, mocktails and mulled wine, and all within a variety of cuisines including Asian, Afro-Caribbean and Kosher. Many pubs and bars now provide food and drink packages, and some venues even create specific Christmas packages to make your life even easier, and we’re one of them! We’ve picked three of our caterers to build some catering packages across Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum this Christmas, offering receptions from £95 per person and dinners from £155 per person. We’ve even asked them to include a little Christmas present for you all. Have a look at our Christmas page for further details.
Quick Tip – Food stations allow for guests to each pick something different, according to their tastes. If you’re going with canapes and bowl food, pick lots of options to keep guests excited throughout the night!
Pro tip – Interesting non-alcoholic options are an essential for Christmas parties. Think mocktails, 0% beer and Seedlip for the connoisseurs.
Picking some entertainment
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Everyone loves a DJ! It’s a tried and tested method that never fails to get people shaking off their strict work persona and engaging in some questionable moves on the dancefloor. But whilst we can recommend several of our regular DJs, with playlists as diverse as you want, a DJ isn’t all there is to explore. If you’re interested in being a little playful, why not look to hire in a full West End musical performance? We Will Rock You, anyone? Flashmobs, singing waiters, travelling bands and stilt walkers are all ways you can give your event a bit of added flair. Many clients like to theme their Christmas party, and if this is you, why not align the entertainment with the theme? You can create bespoke performances, like our Under the Sea performance from Beyond Repair Entertainment at Cutty Sark, or you can bring the vibes by enhancing the venue using florals and décor. Entertainment isn’t all about performances either: sometimes it’s a magician engaging with your guests; sometimes it’s a tour or an experience for guests to do as part of the evening; sometimes it is a Scalextric set up and sometimes it’s as simple as a photobooth with fun dress up items alongside. Be bold.
Tip – If you’ve struggled in the past with having guests leave early, have something available for guests to interact with. We love casino tables!
Pro tip – Arrange something as a surprise later on in the evening. Everyone will be talking about it for months and no-one will ever leave early again!
However you decide to celebrate Christmas, we hope the above has given you a few ideas to get you started. If you want to understand what Royal Museums Greenwich can offer, reach out to our team today to get more details or call 0208 312 8517.
Royal Museums Greenwich is a versatile collection of historic, luxury venues in London, inclusive of Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, Queen's House, Royal Observatory Greenwich and the Peter Harrison Planetarium. RMG's venue portfolio offers unique event spaces for weddings and private celebrations; corporate receptions and gala dinners; experiential product launches and brand activations; and meetings and conferences.