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There is an old saying that “being kind helps your bottom line” and that’s especially true at Christmas.  Christmas parties are the perfect time to show your appreciation and build bonds of loyalty with your employees.  They’ve worked hard so why not surprise them with one of these lavish ideas for the company Christmas party?

Rent a Museum or Art Gallery

If you are looking for a sophisticated and stunning setting for your next Christmas party, consider renting a museum or art gallery of the evening. Many of them have stunning, one-of-a-kind spaces they are willing to rent for parties and other gatherings at incredibly reasonable rates.

Rent a Boat

Harbor lights are gorgeous over Christmas and if you live in a place close enough to enjoy them, consider renting a boat for your next party and share the wonder.

This lavish idea for the company party is great for sharing time in a completely relaxed atmosphere while rejuvenating company spirit.

Country Club Party

There is just something so refreshing about putting on your finest and enjoying an evening completely away from work—even if it happens to be with workmates!

A country club is a wonderful setting for the perfect company party because it is already set up for luxury entertaining. In fact, most of the work is already done for you so you can concentrate on making sure guests have a wonderful time.

Casino Royale Party

A Casino Royale party gives your guests the perfect opportunity to dress to kill while enjoying an extravagant experience, a la red carpet and martini glasses.

Focus on Food

Another lavish idea for the company Christmas party is to follow the foodie trend. Great food is an important part of any party, and many successful parties make it the highlight and part of the entertainment.

Find a celebrity or popular chef in your area and work with them to develop ideas. You can even hire two chefs and have a meal that is a Top Chef Duel style!

Industry pros all echo the sentiment that holiday parties are not just a courtesy, but an essential part of building a successful company culture. With these ideas for a lavish company parties, you do not have to spend a fortune to make a huge impression on your guests.

Formal dinners and cocktail parties are great, but they are not for everyone. If the traditional company Christmas party just doesn’t fit your company culture, it may be time to think out of the box.

Celebrating the holidays can be even more fun and memorable when you mix in a bit of the nontraditional and even a little wacky into the festivities.

Unique ideas for the company Christmas party:

Host a Murder Mystery Party

Murder mystery parties are always enough to pique interest, but add in elements of Christmas and you have a winning theme! You can make it as serious or as silly as you desire and even have sub themes, like CSI, Monk, or Psych.

Christmas Karaoke

For an office Christmas party full of laughs and plenty of YouTube ops, try a Christmas carol karaoke party. Select the season’s best jams and get let the festivities (and the hilarity ensue).

Campfire Christmas

Nothing brings a group together like a campfire, so why not set up camp and celebrate?  The theme lends itself to less fussy foods and an outrageously great time. You can even set up tents for those who might want (or need) to sleep overnight.

A Christmas Story

Center your Christmas party theme around one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time, A Christmas Story.  Set in the 1940’s the movie theme elevates traditional ideas and makes them even more meaningful and nostalgic.  Don’t forget the leg lamp.

Speak Easy

Give your party a feeling of being forbidden with an underground or speak easy theme. Choose a secret location, give guests a necessary code word for entrance, and keep the lights low and the party seductively elegant. You can even have a “copper” break up the party and uncover contraband—cool employee gifts!

Now, with our unique ideas for the company Christmas party, you will want to get the Christmas party invitations out early and get set for an awesome time!

Celebrate the holidays, but do it safely! Since most Christmas parties include alcoholic beverages, have an action plan in place to keep employees out of harm’s way.

Things to Consider:

1. Use drink tickets. Give each guest a set number of complimentary drinks via a ticket system to limit them to two or three beverages. If they want more, they will need to pay (which helps keep your budget in line) and make their own personal decision if they can handle more alcohol.

2. Schedule a taxi service. Arrange a pick-up service with a few local taxi companies. Let guests know that taxis will be parked outside the party at a specific time to help them get home safely. If the budget allows, make this a complimentary service to all employees.

3. Offer festive alternatives. Not all guests will want to sip the bubbly. Have the bartender whip up a virgin mocktail with fruit juices and soda for party guests who wish to abstain from drinking but want to carry around a colorful drink.

4. Have a “Drink of the Night.” Let it either be thematic to your company or festive to Christmas and the holidays. For example, offer a Gingerbread Apple Christmas Cocktail. Recipe here:

• 2 ounces of ginger liquor
• 1 ounce of vanilla vodka
• 2 1/2 ounces of Apple Cider
• Twist of Lemon
• Agave Syrup
• Orange Zest

Or one of our other favorites the Christmas Cookie Shot. Recipe here:

Keep the party lively by presenting each employee with a small keepsake gift as they enter the party. Try tucking drink tickets inside a water bottle or tote bag.

Looking for end of the year company party ideas? We have compiled 14 of the trendiest party ideas to help you ring in the new year in style at this year’s Christmas or holiday gathering.

End of the Year Party Ideas:

Comedy Show

Comedy shows are typically inexpensive if you buy tickets in bulk. These are sure to make everyone laugh out loud!

Murder Mystery Party

If you have a smaller company (under 30 employees) consider hosting a murder mystery party. These fun events have everything a normal party has – food and drinks- but gives also employees an interactive experience. Everyone can work together to solve the mystery!

Dessert Dash

One of our favorite end of the year company party ideas involves desserts. Rather than laying out a huge spread at the gathering, consider sending guests home with a carry out dessert box and a hot cup of coffee or cocoa to wrap up the event.

Poker Night 

Play for real or play for fun to raise money for a charity at casino-style gaming tables at this year’s event. Funds from chip purchases can go to a good cause, while winners can trade in chips for raffle tickets to win prizes.

Karaoke Fun

There’s no quicker or more cost-effective way to get the party started than by letting the staff loose with a microphone to sing along to favorite tunes.

Beer/Wine Tasting

If your crew loves craft beer or gorgeous wines, consider renting out a brewery or vineyard for a tasting. Just don’t forget to arrange transportation after the event!

Entertainer

Many companies have discovered the benefits of hiring a few wandering entertainers over one big headliner for entertainment. Think magicians, card tricks, comedians, and those offering engaging amusements where they interact with the guests.

Custom Cocktails

These can be alcoholic or alcohol-free cocktails. Simply hire a professional and have your mixologist whip up custom cocktail blends geared to honor the company. Or, you can simply change the name of a favorite cocktail that already exists!

Recognition Party

The most rewarding end of the year company ideas are those that reward the staff. It’s fun and easy to order printable blank certificates that can be transformed into an appropriate employee recognition to present at the party. And don’t forget other rewards, like lapel pins, plaques, and trophies.

Destination Parties

Maybe you want to “travel” to Hawaii or Paris. Hire a caterer to serve traditional foods and drinks of your favorite location- it will be like a mini vacation you give your employees.

Themed Parties

Cirque du Soleil, Masquerade balls, and classic Hollywood star parties are all in-demand themes; however, coming up with a clever theme or concept that relates to your company’s services or products will delight employees and their guests.

Ultimate Trivia Night

Have your business split into multiple teams at a local restaurant or bar. Do an office trivia (or whatever you want) and give the winning group a stellar prize- maybe cold hard cash to take home?

Post-New Years Party

If the end of the year is just too hectic, consider throwing a party in mid-January. It gives people something to look forward to after the holiday jolt is over.

Simple and Elegant

You don’t have to hire an entertainer to have a great end of the year party. As long as you provide a nice location and some drink tickets, your employees will have a blast!

Other Things to Consider:

Decorations

Neutral colors and metallic hues are in, and more event planners are opting to use special effects lighting in lieu of costly floral arrangements within the decor.

Buffet Concepts

Comfort foods are back, and caterers are whipping up sophisticated twists on southern style classics for many company Christmas parties this year. Most in demand are gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches!

Location, Location

In-office parties have a tendency to make everyone feel “at home,” and because these gatherings are cost-effective, more of the budget can be spent on activities, entertainment, and those gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

Disposable Cameras

Sure, capturing amazing moments at the part is essential, but it doesn’t take a professional photographer to do so. Add a few disposable cameras to each guest table and collect them as they are filled for developing and sharing later.

Guest Gifts

No party is complete without a take-home party favor; hence, why the dessert and coffee idea is so hot – it covers two essentials! Office bigwigs love offering personalized employee motivational gifts or other goodies to the staff.

Find top quality printable Christmas invitations, employee recognition gifts, blank certificates, and other holiday essentials to help make your end of the year company party ideas a reality – shop PaperDirect.

It’s not an easy task planning the big corporate Christmas party, as there’s a very fine line between “dud” and “success” when it comes to events like this. That’s why it’s important that you take every measure possible to make sure that this year’s Christmas party is a smashing success – something that will be talked about for years to come, rather than something that’s easily forgettable.

Of course, this is all much easier said than done. So how do you go about planning the holiday party that’s not to be forgotten? One way is to come up with some staff Christmas party ideas. Here’s a look:

• Assign Christmas place cards, but not just any old place card. Instead, try to pair staff members’ names with the names of a famous Christmas character. If everyone in your office is a good sport and if this idea is executed with nothing but fun in mind, this can be the recipe for a lot of party laughs. For example, if someone in your office has a beard and is good with tools, you might pair his name with Yukon Cornelius from the “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” children’s movie.
• Fun gift exchange: Secret Santa is one thing, but have you ever heard of “Yankee Swap?” It brings out the competitive nature in staff members and can be a ton of fun. Simply select a gift amount and have everyone bring a wrapped gift. Place the gifts in a central location, determine an employee order and begin selecting gifts. Each staff member can decide to either select a gift from the pile or steal a gift that’s already been opened. Staff members will be talking for months about who stole from who.
• Set a theme: Not every office party needs a theme, but setting a theme can certainly make a party more interesting. Some themes include “ugly sweater” and “most festive attire.” To encourage people to participate in the theme, be sure to give out prizes to those decked out the most elaborately.
• Christmas carols: What could put staff members more in the holiday spirit than some Christmas carolers? See if any staff members would be interested in forming a group and entertaining the rest of the attendees with some notable Christmas ongs. It’s sure to bring a smile to the faces of those in attendance.

Holiday Christmas parties can either be either a drag or a blast, depending on how well you plan. Rather than carrying office hierarchies over to the company party, choose games that will help everyone feel like equals – and have some fun! Try these Christmas games for everyone at your party this year.

Puzzled Cards

Divide the number of guests by two and find that many Christmas cards. Cut the picture of each card in half and mix the halves together in a basket. As guests arrive, have each guest draw a card half from the basket.  The next step – mingling with fellow guests to find their “better half!”

Gift Wrap Twins

Once everyone has found their match, have these pairs compete together in a fun gift wrapping game. Distribute boxes, scissors, tape, gift wrap, and ribbon to everyone and give the pairs three minutes to wrap the box as nicely as possible. The catch is that each person can only use one hand!

Oven Mitt Unwrapping

Rather than raffling off prizes to guests, make them work for them. Put a gift wrapped in many layers of paper, a die, and a pair of oven mitts on each table. Guests pass the die around the table, each rolling it, until someone rolls a six. That person takes the oven mitts and attempts to open the gift as others keep rolling the die to see who goes next. Whoever finishes unwrapping the gift gets to keep it!

Holiday Charades

Once everyone is loosened up, play a fun game of charades to end the party. Divide guests into teams of about five people, and if you have a large company, divide the room into many head-to-head battles of two teams. Have each team create Christmas-themed charades prompts for the other team to act out. Everyone will get some good laughs from this game!

Of course, before you host a fun party full of Christmas games for everyone from the intern to the CEO, you’ll need to get them all there. Choose classy Christmas party invitations that set off the event as a fun and festive one that everyone will enjoy. When you choose invitations that mesh with the fun company culture you’ve created, employees will come to the party ready to play these fun games!

The office Christmas party is back. Whether you have a lot of employees or just a few, ring in the holiday season this year by holding an event to celebrate a year of hard work. Go beyond the basic office party with one of these corporate Christmas party ideas.

1. Hawaiian Luau

Throw a Hawaiian luau to get your employee’s minds off of the cold temperatures outside. Decorate a Christmas tree with leis instead of tinsel and silk hibiscus flowers instead of ornaments. Teach employees to hula and limbo.

2. Give Back Party

Celebrate the spirit of Christmas by holding a “give back” party for your company. Ask employees to bring in items to donate, such as canned goods and winter clothing. Spend part of the party writing Christmas greeting cards to people who are ill or lonely during the holidays.

3. Bowling with Santa

Reserve a few lanes at a local bowling alley for this year’s party. Bowling will give people an activity to focus on while they mix and mingle with co-workers. Someone from the company, perhaps the boss, can dress up as Santa and give up small gifts to employees as they bowl.

4. Cookie Swap

If you are looking to hold a low-key, relaxed party, try having a cookie swap. Ask each employee to bake (or buy) a batch of cookies to bring in. During the party, workers can trade cookies and share their Christmas plans.

5. Fiesta

Turn your office Christmas party into a “Feliz Navidad” party. Decorate the office with bright colors, hang a piñata and serve Mexican favorites, such as tacos.

6. Awards Show

Your corporate Christmas party is an ideal time to recognize the hard work of employees. Hold an awards show themed party, complete with a red carpet and podium. Give out awards in categories such as “Cleanest Desk” and “Most Sales.”

7. Casino Night

A casino-themed Christmas party is a great option if you plan on inviting spouses and family to your company party. Set up tables for card games such as blackjack and poker. Use a deck of cards with a Christmas theme to make things extra festive.

8. Comedy Club

If your budget is big enough, hire a local comedian to entertain your employees during the Christmas party. You can also purchase tickets for the group to a performance at a nearby club.

Hopefully one of these corporate Christmas party ideas inspires you. After all, a company Christmas party gives you and your employees a chance to enjoy time together, celebrate the holiday and reflect over the last year. Use PaperDirect to order cards, certificates and place cards for the perfect party.