In the events industry it’s Christmas all year long. As soon as December wraps up and companies have finished their celebrations, people start planning their next festive bash. The demand for Christmas party venues is strong from January onwards. People who have a specific venue or date in mind need to book early. However, if you’re looking to host a budget Christmas party and you’re not too attached to a specific date, you’ll be able to book something closer to December. And if you’re wondering how to host a budget Christmas party when it’s such a busy time of year, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a couple of ways you can host a Christmas party that won’t break the bank.
Minimum Spend is Your Friend
One of the easiest ways to host a budget Christmas party and still have it at a venue is to find one that offers a minimum spend. There are all sorts of venues that do this. You can find restaurants, bars, and pubs that offer this. You’ll agree upon a minimum spend for an area or private hire that includes the space. Anything you spend on food and drinks will go towards your minimum spend. Just remember that if you don’t hit it, you will have to pay the difference. Essentially, no matter what the minimum spend will have to be paid. You can go over that though, so speak to the venue beforehand to determine what you want to do once your min spend is reached.
In Office Party
A budget Christmas party doesn’t mean it still won’t be fun. And if you have to host it in your office, that’s totally fine – lots of companies do this to save on venue hire costs. If you are going to host your Christmas party at your office, there are a few things you can do to elevate it. To start, you have to decorate! It is Christmas after all– so there should be a Christmas tree and some lights. You can decide if you want everyone to get involved with the decorating or put a few people in charge. Next, decide the dress code. Do you want people to get dressed up or should everyone rock a fun jumper?
After you’ve ironed out the decor and dress code, you have to plan the actual party. We suggest kicking things off with some sort of activity. This is a great opportunity for some fun ice breakers or a pub quiz. Maybe you can do a secret santa or an auction. Have someone put together a great playlist with a mix of festive tunes and hits. Organise food whether that’s putting in a big order of picky bits from the shop or getting some pizzas in. You’ll also need to sort drinks. Make sure you have a mix of alcoholic beverages and low or no options as well. Everyone should be able to enjoy themselves so cater to dietary restrictions and drink requests.
Other Budget Christmas Party Ideas
If you’re still unsure about how to host a budget Christmas party and you’re looking for some inspiration, here are a couple of other ideas for you:
Gingerbread House Contest
Test your team’s creativity with a gingerbread house making competition. Bonus points if you have someone make the gingerbread from scratch!
Holiday Quiz
Trivia buffs will have a blast taking part in a holiday quiz. Put together a mix of fun trivia questions, ranging from holiday themed to company knowledge. Winner takes all.
Set up a Cocoa Bar
Chase that 3 o’clock feeling away with a hot cocoa bar. Add some Baileys for a real treat.
Ugly Jumper Competition
Which is the ugliest Christmas jumper? Is it the one with the flashing lights? Or the one with a weird Santa face?
Christmas Carole Karaoke
Get the karaoke machine out and see who has the best rendition of “Last Christmas.”
If you’ve decided you need to find a venue for your upcoming Christmas party in London or elsewhere, be sure to get in touch with us! We can help you find an amazing venue hire. VenueScanner has so many incredible venues listed on the platform, whether you’re looking for a meeting room, pub, bar, or conference venue. We know venues across the UK from London to Manchester to Birmingham to New York! We’re here to help so please do reach out if you need it.
We do have a few favourite Christmas party venues. In Birmingham you can head to The Botanist Gas Street Basin for dinner and drinks or Flight Club for a fun game of darts. In London we love The Little Scarlet Door for party vibes and German Gymnasium for a sit-down meal.
