back to Page One: Office Christmas Party

ACTIVITIES

Many office parties begin with a cocktail hour that helps the guests get acquainted with each other and meet those that they ordinarily do not have much contact with during normal business hours. During this time, it is appropriate to play some background music and serve some light appetizers. This cocktail hour can last anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.

If a meal is going to be served, it usually follows the cocktail hour and is done prior to any other activities. For a holiday office party, it is perfectly acceptable to have either a buffet table or a sit down meal, which ever fits into your budget and timeline the best.

After the appetites have been satisfied, here are a few ideas for activities:
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Hire an ice carver to do a wintry demonstration!
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Videotape the guests arriving and mingling during the party and play the tape toward the end of the party along with a section of tape showing the accomplishments and goals that have been achieved throughout the year.
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An office party definitely calls for toasts! The toasts can be serious or humorous, just so they give tribute to people as well as achievements.  You definitely need some great Glassware to make your toasts shine!
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Hire a band or small group of musicians to entertain, especially if you plan to host a formal dinner and dance.

Office Christmas Party Games: CHRISTMAS QUIZ & TRIVIA GAMES

DOOR PRIZES

Door prizes can enhance a corporate function, but shouldn't be the highlight, so while it's fun to have a few, don't go overboard. They can range from something simple to something really really expensive--it all depends on your type of party and your budget, but no matter what the cost, it always fun to tie them into your party theme or pick things that you know will be a hit with the crowd that will be in attendance. To help cut costs, consider asking your company's suppliers to donate items to be used as door prizes or see if you can get permission from company management to award an extra personal day off as a door prize--you know that one will be popular! Ideas for what to give out can be just about anything- a Framed Original Fine Art Photographic Print, an Irreverent Shakespeare T-shirt, a subscription to Netflix, a Gourmet Holiday Gift Basket, Skin Care Products for Men and Women or a Gift Certificate for Amazon.com or a Spa in the amount of your choice--it's all up to you. Candy promotional gifts, personalized for your business, are also a fun idea.

Ways to Give Out Door Prizes:

Announce Prizes throughout the evening:

Prize goes to...

Parent with the most children
Person with the youngest child
Person who can recite a particular nursery rhyme or poem from memory without making any mistakes
Person with the most pennies in their wallet/purse
Ring a bell--Person who can get a specific item to the speaker first, such as a red lipstick or a ballpoint pen wins a prize
First person who can find (choose item) in their purse (or their date's)
Lady with the tallest high heel
Person with the most buttons on their clothing
Person who gets the 53rd drink at the bar

Hold a Photo Contest

Tell everyone in advance to bring a copy of their funniest photo to the event--have a corkboard ready with tacks to post them up at the event and have people vote on which one should win!

Hold a Dance Contest or Talent Show

Pick one song for the dance contest and notify & register people in advance. A really terrific twist on the talent show idea is to have managers be the participants and let their employees be the judge of who gets the prize!

Hold an Ice Sculpting Contest

Register competitors in advance and have all tools necessary for the number of teams entering the competition. Be sure to have prizes for all winning team members.

Pop The Question:

Blow up balloons after inserting small pieces of paper that say "prize" on one or two, putting blank papers in the rest, and tie to each guest's chair. sometime during the event, ask people to pop their balloons either by sitting on them or using their forks, to see if they've won.

Using Tickets or Numbers:

Have tickets ready ahead of time and someone appointed to pass them out.
For smaller groups, you can make door prize tickets by cutting out shapes from construction paper to go along with your party theme, or make up your own door prize tickets on your computer using address label settings as a guide. For large groups, you may want to purchase numbered tickets.
Place a ticket under each plate at a meal, and after people have finished their meals, ask them to lift their plates and see if they've won.

PARTY FAVORS

It is always a nice idea to give away a small token of appreciation to those who come to your winter celebration, perhaps even items that can be personalized with your company's special wording or just a word of thanks for all the hard work over the past year. Our favorite items for this occasion include:

A Snowflake Candle, adorned with a silver metallic snowflake and can be personalized as well. These also look lovely placed next to each setting at the table.

Christmas  Crackers - a lighthearted gift that includes a novelty gift, party hat and a joke!

Also, one of our party affiliates carries a huge selection of glassware that can be personalized with your company and theme. These are always a very popular choice for favors at a holiday office party!

Show your guests just how much you care by offering Personalized Napkins that complement your theme, choosing from a large selection of dinner, luncheon and beverage napkins in an impressive palette of 20 colors, with a wide range of ink colors, as well as a metallic foil, holographic foil, prismatic foil or a traditional ink imprint.

Napkins can be imprinted with your special wording and the design of your choice. They are soft and elegant, yet reasonably inexpensive. They are 3-ply to offer you a sturdy but extravagant feel. The napkins will serve several purposes - great decorating in disguise and a delightful memento of the party that can be saved in scrapbooks for years to come!

Napkins can be laid out on a buffet table, or can be displayed at each place setting. Place napkins in the center of each place setting at an angle, or unfold them and place them in glasses for a tall dramatic look. The napkins can also be tied (and bundled with plastic cutlery) with a multitude of items to match your theme. Try Curling Ribbon, Gossamer Streamers, ric-rac or ribbon.

You can imprint your napkins with a special design from our selection or for an additional charge, you can send us your own special design.

FOOD & DRINKS

Your food choices are unlimited when it comes to an office party.  Anything from H'ors deaurves to a full sit-down dinner can be appropriate.  Be sure to adorn your food by placing Snowflakes down the center of your tables and hang several sparling snowflakes over an buffet table or drink bar!

Beverages
If you plan on setting up a basic bar, plan to have the following on hand for every 10 adult guests:

• 1 case of beer
• 2 liters of seltzer
• 3 liters of soft drinks (diet and regular)
• 2 quarts of fruit juice
• Plenty of chilled bottled mineral water (sparkling and flat)
• 4 bottles of wine - two red, two white
• Hard liquor - a fifth makes approx. 14 drinks
• Lemon and lime wedges and twists, olives and other garnish
• Lots of ice - plan on 1 lb. per adult guest for the evening.

Consider adding a couple of the following seasonal beverages to fit the festive occasion:
• Eggnog, Mocha Nog or Holiday Soy Nog
• Cranberry Cocktail
• Hot Chocolate
• Wassail
• Mojito Tea
• Coffee Bar - set out a few flavored liqueurs, brandy, whipped cream, and grated chocolate Garnish drinks with decorative ice cubes. Try using shaped ice-cube trays, adding a little food coloring into the water, or add mint leaves or raspberries to the water before freezing.

Additional Resources

Office Christmas Party Games

Creativity at Company Christmas Parties

Office Party Poll: Dos and Donts

Low-Key Party Prep: Christmas Party Themes

Partypop's Christmas Party Theme Ideas

Party 411: Office Party Themes