Which Type of Venue Works Best for a Corporate Christmas Party?
The choice of venue for a corporate Christmas party will depend on the size of your group, the atmosphere you want to create and how much of the organising you want to do yourself.
For some companies, a private dining room and an excellent dinner is all that is needed. Others want a large party with entertainment, dancing and production, while smaller teams may prefer to join a shared Christmas party.
Before looking at individual venues, it is worth deciding what sort of celebration you want to give your guests.
Hotels
Hotels remain one of the most practical choices for a corporate Christmas party, particularly for larger groups.
Many offer complete Christmas packages including room hire, dinner, drinks packages, decorations, entertainment and dancing. This can make budgeting and organisation much simpler. Hotels are also useful when guests are travelling from different parts of the country and may need overnight accommodation.
The style can vary considerably, from traditional ballrooms and grand hotels to contemporary properties with rooftop bars and more informal event spaces. It is worth looking beyond the package price and considering whether the atmosphere of the hotel suits your company and guests.
Restaurants and Private Dining Rooms
For smaller teams, a restaurant or private dining room can be an excellent choice. The emphasis is usually on good food, wine and conversation rather than entertainment and dancing. Private dining works particularly well for senior management dinners, client entertaining and smaller company celebrations.
Many restaurants have completely private rooms, while others offer semi-private areas for larger groups. Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for private dining, so the best rooms on popular December dates can be booked surprisingly early.
Bars and Party Venues
If the main priority is a lively atmosphere, music and dancing, a bar or dedicated party venue may be the better option. These venues can work particularly well for younger teams or companies looking for a more informal celebration.
Some offer exclusive hire, while others have private rooms or areas within a larger venue. Minimum-spend arrangements can sometimes provide good value because the agreed spend goes towards food and drink rather than a separate room hire charge.
Check carefully what is included, particularly security, DJs, entertainment, furniture and any minimum bar spend.
Historic and Unusual Venues
Christmas is a good opportunity to choose somewhere a little more memorable.
Historic halls, museums, galleries, railway arches, boats and other unusual venues can create a very different atmosphere from a traditional hotel or restaurant. They are particularly suitable when the company wants the venue itself to be part of the experience.
The practical details are important. Some unusual venues operate on a dry hire basis, so catering, furniture, entertainment, production and staffing may need to be arranged separately. A spectacular hire fee can look attractive until all the additional costs are included.
Blank Canvas and Dry Hire Venues
For companies wanting to create their own Christmas party from scratch, a blank canvas venue offers the greatest flexibility. You can choose your own theme, catering, production, entertainment and styling rather than working within an existing Christmas package.
This can work brilliantly for large parties, brand-led events and companies wanting something completely individual.
It does require more planning though and usually a more detailed budget. Venue hire is only the starting point, so we would establish the likely catering, production, furniture and staffing costs before deciding whether dry hire represents good value.
Shared Christmas Parties
A shared Christmas party can be an excellent option for smaller companies that want the atmosphere of a large-scale event without hiring an entire venue.
Several companies attend the same event, with the venue providing the catering, the theme, entertainment, decorations, music and dancing.
This can give a team of 20, 30 or 50 people access to a much bigger Christmas experience than their own budget might otherwise allow.
The trade-off is that you are sharing the venue with other companies and have less control over the format of the evening. If exclusivity is important, a private party may be more suitable.
Activity-Based Christmas Parties
Not every Christmas party needs to revolve around a three-course dinner and a dance floor.
Competitive socialising venues, bowling, darts, games, immersive experiences and other activity-led venues have become increasingly popular for company celebrations. They can work especially well for teams that want an informal event where people can mix rather than spend most of the evening sitting at a table.
The size and make-up of the group matter here. We would consider whether the activity is something most guests will genuinely enjoy and whether there is enough time and space for people to socialise away from it.
What Would We Choose?
There is no single venue type that works best for every corporate Christmas party.
For a formal celebration, we might look at a hotel, historic venue or impressive private event space. For a smaller team, a restaurant or private dining room could provide a much better experience.
If the priority is dancing and a lively atmosphere, we would consider bars and dedicated party venues. For companies wanting something completely individual, a blank canvas venue may be worth the additional planning.
For a smaller group wanting a big-party atmosphere, a shared Christmas party can offer particularly good value.
We would start with the number of guests, budget and the type of evening you want to create, then find the venue to match.
Planning a Corporate Christmas Party?
Tell Function Fixers how many people you are inviting, your preferred date and location, approximate budget and the type of Christmas party you have in mind.
We can find suitable venues, check availability, obtain rates and help you compare the different options.
Our independent venue finding service is completely free.
Send us your Christmas party brief and we will help you find a venue that works for your guests, your budget and the celebration you want to create.