Entertainment. Entertainment. Entertainment. A corporate Christmas party is certainly an excellent opportunity to celebrate the festive season, whilst fostering camaraderie and thanking colleagues. But we can’t stress how much entertainment plays a crucial role in setting the tone, raising the tempo and creating that elusive WOW factor that ensures your Christmas party is talked about all year! That’s why our CEO Liz Taylor recommends that entertainment is a key area on which to focus your budget, and your party planning attention. Here’s Liz Taylor’s guide to corporate Christmas party entertainment ideas that strike the perfect balance between professional, immersive and fun.
THREE TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR CORPORATE CHRISTMAS PARTY ENTERTAINMENT
KNOW YOUR TEAM
Firstly, entertainment should be tailored to your team. When selecting activities and a focus for your corporate Christmas party entertainment, ensuring that everyone is comfortable with the proceedings is a key factor.
You may have a team of similar personalities but it’s more than likely your workforce will be very diverse. Drinkers, teetotallers. Extroverts, introverts. Those who love a challenge and those who shy away from the spotlight. It’s fine to push people outside of their comfort zone but not so far that it becomes an ordeal, and the fun is lost. Consider each team member and ask yourself if this will stretch them too far – the end goal is to make sure everyone feels happy and enjoys the night, with their feelings considered.
BUILD UP THE ANTICIPATION
Start on 1st December. Send all your staff an advent calendar with daily gifts and activities themed around the party. It could be a game, a dare, a prize draw, a voucher for a coffee, or minced pies in the meeting room. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and it can be done in email form if you have a larger team. The idea is to galvanize your team and get them excited for the event.
GET THEIR IDEAS
Alcohol fuelled office Christmas parties are not the only way to celebrate. In fact, this year, we’ve been asked for many more alternatives to the tried and tested Christmas party format. The best way to reward your team is to ask for their input. It takes the guess work out of what corporate Christmas party entertainment options they want and ensures you’re giving them a party that’s suited to them.
Send out a survey and ask for ideas, whittle this down to two or three that you feel will be best suited. Then ask them to vote. You’re bound to have some brilliant entertainment ideas that you may never have thought of otherwise.
2023’S TOP CHRISTMAS PARTY ENTERTAINMENT TRENDS
IMMERSE YOUR TEAM
Set up the ultimate immersive murder mystery event with a fabulous theme. Think 1920’s glamour on the Orient Express. Have actors guide your team through the evening and provide everyone with costumes and a backdrop that fully immerses them in the theme of the event.
This is a brilliant form of entertainment to bring teams together in a fun and interactive way, with acting parts for those who love a starring role and smaller roles for those who are more introverted.
The best thing about a night like this is that it can be done even if your budget is smaller – use an online template and source simple props from charity shops or auction sites to help them get into role.
It’s also a great way to guide your corporate Christmas party décor – read our blog on this theme and for more tips from the TLC team.
A different take? Break the mould and set up immersive escape room challenge where teams work together to solve puzzles and accomplish tasks. It can be a range of different themes from a WW2 bunker to a pirate’s hunt for treasure. This is especially fun if you are organising a family Christmas party where you could bring in a festive theme such helping the elves to escape the Grinch to find Santa. We’ll find any excuse to bring in a life-sized walking, talking version of the Grinch to the party!
FOSTER THE TEAM SPIRIT (AND COMPETITION)
Sports simulators are a growing trend in the hospitality industry and are guaranteed to bring adrenaline fuelled fun to the office Christmas party. Whether it’s football, golf, rally car driving, darts, or cricket there are so many options. Create a space in the room and host a tournament throughout the duration of your party with a podium and winners awards at the end. You can even add in a bottle of fizz to spray the crowd!
Up your game: Hire in a virtual reality experience like a virtual tour, games, or creative activities. It’s a modern and captivating form of entertainment that appeals to various interests.
INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS
Curate Instagrammable moments – whether it’s a life-sized snow globe for the ideal winter pose, a photobooth with fun props that gives employees a take home memento, a flower wall, or a midnight glitter cannon or balloon drop, creating fun, shareable moments are a great way to thrill guests and encourage them to fully engage in the festive spirit.
Interactive entertainment can take many forms. A 007 themed casino night complete with black tie and a chance to win big for your team. What about a fun Tom Cruise style mixology and bar flair session where your team can get hands-on and create gorgeous cocktails and mocktails. A great way to break the ice (hopefully not the glasses) and get the party started.
Start the evening with a Christmas-themed trivia night or game show with interactive elements and ask one of your colleagues to be the host with the most.
Set up interactive food stations with live cooking demonstrations and make your catering part of the entertainment. Offer unique culinary experiences like a sushi conveyor belt, artisanal wine and cheese tasting, or a chocolate fountain.
Invite artists to roam the room and create caricatures or silhouette portraits of attendees for a personalized keepsake that adds a touch of novelty to the event.
ALWAYS CHOOSE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
If your party is taking more of a traditional route, then our TLC golden rule for corporate Christmas party entertainment is to ALWAYS hire the very best live acts your budget can buy. Music is the key to a party with full festive atmosphere, but it’s not the only route. Here are some of our ideas for live acts to bring your party to life.
Hire a live party band to play festive compilation throughout the night, followed by a DJ ‘after party’ set for a lively later evening atmosphere. Ensure the music caters to diverse tastes, builds the party tempo and encourages everyone to hit the dance floor. We always advise to go and see your acts in real life to gauge atmosphere and how the crowd responds to them. If not then read reviews, ask for recommendations, or watch promo videos of them in action.
Fill the room with laughter. Book a professional comedian or improv groups to entertain guests. Light-hearted comedy can be a fantastic way to lift spirits and create a relaxed ambiance.
Magicians can engage the audience with mind-boggling illusions. These performances add an element of mystery and wonder, sparking conversations among attendees. You can have a palladium style show or slight of hand magicians to roam the room and wow guests as they mingle. And – be unpredictable here. Why not have the magician outside the venue. In the cloakroom. Or even performing outside the loos! Surprise is the key here. And the stage is anywhere you make it!
If this blog has got you in the Christmas spirit, then read our article on Christmas party décor ideas for to give your party a festive flourish.
Thanks for sharing my corporate Christmas party entertainment ideas. And if you need some inspiration and unique entertainment for your next event, get in touch: taylor.lynn@tlc-ltd.co.uk