Corporate Holiday Parties and Alternatives: What Actually Works
/Let me paint you a picture: Last weekend, I attended the All-In Holiday Summit, and was totally shocked by the number of people in attendance and the energy at the event. AND…they did something brilliant – offering group discounts for startups to use the event and afterparty as their company holiday party. Pure genius! It got me thinking about how we can reimagine these end-of-year celebrations to be more inclusive, practical, and actually fun.
The Holiday Party Refresh We All Need
Can we talk about how tired the traditional holiday party format is? You know the one – Saturday night in December, awkward formal wear, trying to eat a plated dinner while making small talk with your colleague's spouse. Let's shake things up! TIP: The Gianna’s Gem is further along in the email this week, so read the whole thing so you don’t mis it!
What's Actually Working Now
Timing is Everything
Here's a hot take: Maybe December isn't the best time for your company party. I'm seeing more companies hosting January celebrations, and it's brilliant. People are refreshed after the break, and you're not competing with family obligations and personal holiday events. Plus, venue prices often drop significantly after the New Year.
The New Power Lunch
One of my favorite trends is the holiday lunch party. It's inclusive of parents who can't do evening events, much more budget-friendly (who’s drinking more than one glass of booze at lunch these days?), and honestly - how fun is it to get the day off from work rather than work all day and then stay out so late at an event you’re required to attend, destroying you for the rest of the week? You're not asking employees to give up precious personal time during the busy holiday season and also requires much less effort for planning and minimal dressing up required.
Experiential > Expensive
The most successful events I'm seeing aren't about lavish entertainment or expensive swag – they're about creating shared experiences. One approach that's working beautifully is breaking the large company party into smaller groups i.e. taking teams to a show with small dinner gatherings before and a reception after. It gives people natural conversation topics and shared memories. My teams and I did this one year in San Francisco and attended Beach Blanket Babylon together, then split into smaller groups at restaurants to dine-around afterwards. It was a blast and I had so many deeper conversations than at larger format parties.
The Do's That Actually Work
Food That Makes Sense
Skip the formal seated dinner - do interactive stations and passed apps instead (or see above and do a lunch!)
Opt for elevated finger foods people can eat while networking and moving about
Include substantial options for all dietary needs (i.e. vegetarians deserve protein options and passed apps shouldn’t all contain puffed pastry!)
Thoughtful Beverages
Beautiful mocktail stations (not just sad soda options)
Hot beverage bars with specialty coffee and tea
Mitigate long bar lines with passed cocktails and mocktails at the door
Please do not think about a cash bar. Nothing says “I don’t really appreciate you” other than making people pay for their own drinks or requiring drink tickets. Come on people - we’re all adults here. If you can’t trust people to know their limits, maybe you shouldn’t have hired them!
Team Bonding That Doesn't Break the Bank
Secret Santa with super low dollar limits (I've seen $5 limits produce the most creative gifts!)
White Elephant where people bring something funny they have already so people don’t have to spend their own money on gifts.
Photo booths with fun props (still a crowd-pleaser) and I love that it’s a keepsake that will remind you of the fun times with colleagues for years to come (see photo on my linked in post!)
Team challenges or scavenger hunts.
Gianna’s Gem: To really go above and beyond, use your holiday party as an opportunity to make the world brighter and better.
Example 1: One year when I was working at Google, our event team decided that instead of having a big party for our team, we’d instead do a team-building, give-back activity. There had recently been a fire in Napa Valley that destroyed many people’s homes and belongings right around the holidays. Truly devastating. We were able to work with a local organization to get a few family’s wish lists and then divided into teams of 5 to “shop” downtown San Francisco for their wish lists. To make it more of an “event”, we first assigned team leads who received cash to 1) treat the team to a fancy lunch (cocktails allowed) and then we all set off to shop for the wishlists. At the end, we returned to the office where we had more drinks and appetizers and all wrapped the gifts together. It was fun, promoted unconventional teambuilding, and left the world better as a result.
Example 2: Rather than a generic canned good or coat drive, have people bring a book to donate to local women/children’s shelters and have everyone write a personal message inside. I’ve done this before and it’s so powerful and leads to really great discussions. Could you imagine receiving a book with a handscribed inspirational note from an Executive at Google? It could change your life trajectory and give you hope.
The Don'ts That Save Your Budget (and Sanity)
Skip the expensive entertainment – that money is better spent on food and experiences people can share
Avoid weekend events – respect people's personal time during a hectic season
Don't plan events too close to when people typically take vacation
Skip the elaborate sit-down dinners that limit mingling
More Fresh Ideas Worth Trying
The Distributed Celebration
Give managers a budget to take their teams out for dinner and get something meaningful for their group. I've seen this create more intimate bonding opportunities and allow for more personalized celebrations. I created customized stationary for my team with things that I knew they loved (unicorns for one gal, the color pink for another). It is thoughtful and shows team members you care and appreciate them.
Theme It Right
Skip the traditional holiday themes and try something unexpected like a Roaring Twenties party or a New Year kick-off celebration. It's more inclusive and gives people a creative direction for outfits and activities
The Summit Strategy
Take a page from the All-In Holiday Summit playbook – could your company partner with an industry event or create a learning opportunity that doubles as a celebration? It's budget-efficient and adds professional value with much less load on your already strapped events or people team.
The Bottom Line
The best corporate holiday celebrations put people first. They consider:
How people actually want to spend their time
What makes everyone feel included and appreciated
Ways to create genuine connections
How to respect both personal time and company budgets
Remember: The goal isn't to have the most expensive or elaborate event – it's to bring people together in a way that feels authentic and appreciated.
What's working for your company's holiday celebrations? I'd love to hear your fresh takes in the comments below!
Things I’m loving this week:
Entertain: I love making fun icecubes! If you have trays, pop some cranberries, raspberries or pomegranate seeds into them to make any punch look more festive. Bonus points for using a mold like these!
New Years attire: I’ve promoted them before, but they’ve refreshed their site and have so many incredible offerings at any price point, I wanted to share Tinsel Arcade again. My own custom-designed blazer is so stylish and fun for holiday parties, I get stopped whenever I wear it by people wanting to know where I got it. I selected the color-palette, materials, and style and they created me such a gorgeous and perfectly fitted garment, but they also now make ready-to-wear! Design your own, or check out the ready-made styles. BONUS: Take 10% off your order (custom or ready-made) with the insider code: GIANNAVIP
Delightful Holiday Gifting: If holiday or everyday gift-giving feels more like a chore than a joy, let me introduce you to my go-to gifting company, Bestowe. From beautifully curated wellness gift boxes to the incredible Solo Stove Fireside Fun Box, complete with all the essentials for a perfect S'mores night (seriously, who doesn’t want to be a kid again!), Bestowe Gifting has something for even the most discerning on your list. Their unique, thoughtful gifts are sure to make your everyday shopping stress-free and thoughtful.They also custom curate and design elevated large volume orders for events and companies. And the best part -You can enjoy 10% off your first order using my link below!
Entertainment - Now in NY! Eva, a company I advise, just publicly launched in New York, thankfully in time for the holiday season and new year! This women-owned biz is my favorite one-stop platform to book whatever it is I need to make an event more entertaining: From comedians to musicians, unique team-building activities to A-List speakers, I can easily find and book it here and at any price point. I use Eva for both inspiration and new ideas as well as to handle logistics like payment, insurance and riders for me. And since I’m a fangirl, they’ve provided me with my own discount code to give you 10% off any booking with the code: EVAGVIP.
