The holiday season is right around the corner, and it’s time to plan a memorable office Christmas party. Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or a grand event, these festive ideas and thoughtful promotional gifts will ensure your celebration is a success.
- Plan Ahead and Invite Early
Between holiday travel, family get-togethers, and other events, people’s schedules tend to fill up quickly this time of year, so get your invitations out early. Then give invitees just a hint of what you have planned, including office holiday party games, gift exchanges, or special menu items.
- Create Excitement with Door Prizes
Nothing adds to the excitement like the anticipation of a door prize. Give each person a numbered ticket from a roll of tickets as they arrive and continue giving away more tickets during the entire event for simple, fun and interactive things like:
- Everyone with a birthday in December
- Anyone wearing red
- Everyone working for the company 2 years or more
- Anyone that drove to the event with a co-worker
- If you have a live plant on your desk
Additionally, have drawings for door prizes frequently throughout the party. Consider offering a variety of promotional gifts, such as:
- Journal and Pen Gift Sets: A practical and thoughtful gift for the office worker.
- Custom Drinkware: Personalized mugs or tumblers can be a fun and functional souvenir.
- Branded Blankets: Cozy blankets are perfect for keeping warm during winter months and can be branded with your company logo.
- Add a Touch of Magic with Santa
Surprise your guests with a visit from the jolly old man himself. Santa can distribute small gifts, pose for photos, and spread some holiday magic.
- Plan for Memorable Table Prizes
If you’re planning a sit-down meal, pick one chair at each table and place a colored sticker on the underside. The person sitting in the marked chair gets to take home the table centerpiece or some other fun prize. And to ensure that everyone goes home with a gift don’t forget to have holiday branded swag bags at each spot. Fill branded swag bags with fun items like:
- Penlights: A handy tool for everyone.
- Custom Notepads: Perfect for jotting down notes and reminders.
- Candles: A relaxing and festive addition to any home.
- Promotional Keychains: A practical and memorable giveaway.
- Organize Interactive Games
Organize a “Name That Song” game. Play snippets of holiday songs and have guests guess the title. Award points or raffle tickets to those who guess correctly.
- Indulge in a Cookie Exchange
Encourage guests in advance of the event to participate in a cookie exchange by bringing their favorite holiday goodies to the party. To ensure everyone can enjoy their goodies, provide guidelines in advance, such as pre-packaging cookies for easy take-home, avoiding items that require refrigeration, and suggesting a quantity per package (e.g., 1 dozen). Guests can even get creative with unique packaging and presentation. And you guessed it, give tickets for participating.
- Have an Optional Gift Exchange
- Yankee Swap: Have a fun and festive Yankee Swap! Ask each guest to bring a wrapped, wacky gift — the more outrageous, the better. Gather all the gifts under the Christmas tree and assign each guest a number. Starting with the first number, the person picks a gift and opens it. The second person can either “steal” the first gift or open a new one. This continues until all gifts are gone, with each gift only being “stolen” twice. Everyone will leave with a zany souvenir of the party!
- Themed White Elephant: Give your White Elephant gift exchange a unique twist with a theme. Choose a topic like “80s nostalgia” or “DIY holiday crafts” and ask guests to bring gifts that fit the theme. This adds an extra layer of fun and ensures everyone receives a gift they’ll actually enjoy.
- Secret Santa: For a more personalized gift exchange, try Secret Santa. Assign each guest a secret recipient and have them purchase a gift for that person. The recipients remain anonymous until the gifts are revealed at the party. This option adds an element of surprise and encourages thoughtful gift-giving.
- Send Guests Off with Promotional Party Favors
Thank your guests for attending by sending them home with personalized party favors. Consider personalized candy and chocolate, or custom bags filled with small gifts.
Remember, the key to a great office Christmas party is to have fun and celebrate the holiday season together. With these ideas, you’re sure to create a memorable and festive event that everyone will enjoy.
For even more inspiration, check out our selection of branded holiday gifts.
Happy Holidays!
Need Some Additional Office Holiday Party Ideas?
Check out these ideas to add a little extra cheer this season:
- Decorations: Transform your office into a winter wonderland with festive decorations like twinkling lights, towering Christmas trees, and holiday-themed centerpieces.
- Food and Drinks: Fuel the fun with a delicious spread of holiday-themed snacks, appetizers, and beverages. Think hot cocoa, gingerbread cookies, and festive cocktails/mocktails.
- Music: Set the mood with a playlist of classic holiday tunes that everyone can sing along to.
- Icebreaker Activities: Get everyone mingling and having fun with icebreaker activities like holiday-themed trivia or a gift exchange.
- Photo Booth: Capture unforgettable memories with a photo booth stocked with festive props and accessories.
