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The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to continue creating unique and memorable experiences for your team. Building on Part 1 of our top holiday event ideas, here are 10 more inspiring concepts that will make this year’s corporate holiday celebration one to remember!
If you missed Part 1 of our series, you can find it here.
From charity-driven gatherings to interactive experiences, this list has something for every corporate team looking to elevate their holiday spirit and impress their guest list.
Combine the spirit of giving with holiday glamour by hosting a charity auction and gala. Employees can bid on experiences like yacht trips, helicopter tours, or hotel stays, with all proceeds going to a selected charity.
This idea works especially well for large groups, creating a night of excitement, camaraderie, and elegance. To enhance the experience, consider collaborating with local businesses for exclusive auction items. A well-curated guest list and luxury ambiance will make this corporate holiday party a meaningful and memorable event.
Adding a live band or holiday carolers can also add to the festive atmosphere, blending entertainment with purpose.
Ideal Venue: Consider banquet halls or conference rooms that offer an upscale setting, as these spaces provide the perfect backdrop for a high-end gala atmosphere. If you want to go the extra mile, look for venues with holiday décor or winter theme options to make the setting even more festive.
Transform your event space into a stunning winter sculpture garden with ice and light installations. Commission talented sculptors to create intricate, interactive pieces that guests can explore and take photos with, providing a magical winter theme experience that feels straight out of a storybook.
These installations could feature seasonal motifs like snowflakes, reindeer, or even a giant Christmas tree made of ice, which serves as a unique photo opportunity. This special event combines art, holiday spirit, and a unique experience that will enchant attendees and make your corporate holiday party truly stand out.
Enhance the Experience: Encourage guests to participate in the art by hosting a live ice-sculpting demo where they can try their hand at sculpting under professional guidance.
This activity brings a touch of hands-on interaction and allows participants to bond over creativity and the challenge of sculpting with ice.
Take your guests on a virtual holiday adventure! Equip them with VR headsets and transport them to a snowy Arctic landscape filled with virtual penguins, polar bears, and mesmerizing mountain vistas.
This immersive experience is a cutting-edge way to bring the holiday spirit to life for tech-savvy teams, especially those who may appreciate a blend of digital innovation and seasonal fun.
To make the experience even more memorable, you could create custom VR content tailored to your company, incorporating elements related to your business or team achievements.
Ideal Venue: Set this up in a conference room or event venue with ample space to allow multiple guests to participate at once. A dedicated area for people to “explore” the virtual winter landscape will enhance the flow and excitement of the event. OR book out a venue like Arcadia Earth and fully immerse them in this theme through custom projection mapping.
Added Touch: Include winter-themed VR accessories, like faux fur blankets or cozy seating, to make the setting even more immersive and comfortable for participants.
If your office is pet-friendly, let pets take center stage with a corporate holiday pet parade! Bring in a pet styling team to dress each furry friend in festive costumes, creating a pet-friendly event that will be a hit with both employees and their four-legged companions.
Set up a virtual runway show where a panel of judges crowns the “Best Dressed,” awarding prizes for categories like “Most Festive,” “Best Pet & Owner Duo,” and “Funniest Costume.” This event idea provides a lighthearted way to engage team members and add a festive flair to your office holiday party.
Make it Memorable: Offer a pet photo booth with holiday-themed backdrops, allowing employees and their pets to capture memorable moments. A keepsake print can be a great holiday gift for pet owners.
Virtual Twist: For remote teams, encourage employees to participate in a virtual pet parade and share photos or videos of their dressed-up pets, bringing a sense of togetherness even from afar.
Give holiday karaoke a Broadway makeover! Pair teams with vocal coaches to help them practice Broadway-inspired renditions of classic Christmas tunes. Set up a stage with professional lighting, sound, and maybe even some costumes to give participants the full theatrical experience.
This is the ultimate office holiday party activity for large groups that want to enjoy the magic of performance and holiday music. Team members can showcase their vocal talent (or lack thereof) and build camaraderie through shared laughs and creative performances.
Enhance the Fun: Turn it into a competition with different categories like “Best Group Performance,” “Most Creative Lyrics,” and “Biggest Crowd-Pleaser.” Add a voting system and a few holiday-themed prizes to get everyone excited to participate.
Perfect for Team Building: This activity allows colleagues to step out of their usual roles and embrace their inner performer. It’s a great way to break down barriers and foster team bonding, as everyone cheers each other on from the audience
Turn gift wrapping into an art form while supporting a good cause by organizing a corporate “Gift Wrapping for a Cause” event. Supply high-end wrapping paper, ribbons, and decorations to elevate the gift-wrapping experience, then donate all wrapped gifts to a local charity.
This activity allows employees to indulge their creative sides while giving back to the community. The event can be set up in a conference room or even in a more festive venue with holiday décor, enhancing the experience of giving while bonding with colleagues.
Added Touch: Invite a gift-wrapping expert to give a short demo on advanced wrapping techniques. Employees can learn new skills and make their wrapped gifts look stunning.
Community Engagement: Display a list of items needed by local charities so employees can bring additional donations if they wish, adding an extra layer of holiday spirit to the activity.
Celebrate your company’s accomplishments by highlighting a new innovation or product each day leading up to the holiday event. Showcase these “12 Days of Corporate Innovation” with a daily announcement recognizing the “innovators” and their contributions.
At the holiday party, hold a small ceremony to honor these individuals with holiday-inspired awards, like “Top Innovator” or “Most Impactful Project.” This idea emphasizes company pride and the contributions of your team, making it an office holiday party that recognizes and celebrates employee achievements.
Ideal Setting: Conference rooms or innovation labs are perfect for displaying each day’s highlighted achievement. Use posters, presentation boards, or digital screens to make each innovation visible to all employees.
Festive Touch: Serve holiday treats or small tokens related to each day’s theme, making the countdown to the event fun and engaging for the entire team.
Elevate your corporate holiday party with an exclusive winter cocktail and craft beer pairing experience. Curate a tasting menu that pairs creative seasonal cocktails with artisanal craft beers, allowing guests to explore sophisticated flavor combinations.
Consider inviting an expert mixologist or beer sommelier to guide the tasting, providing insights into each drink and its seasonal ingredients. This idea is ideal for corporate event planners seeking a refined and interactive experience for their holiday guest list.
Venue Considerations: Banquet halls or event venues with a cozy ambiance are ideal for this pairing event. The setup can include a bar area and a tasting table where attendees can sample the different drinks.
Added Touch: Provide recipe cards for each drink so guests can recreate their favorites at home, making this tasting a lasting memory.
Bring a touch of glamour to your holiday party with a high-fashion photo booth. Collaborate with a professional fashion photographer to design a photo experience that makes guests feel like they’re on the cover of Vogue’s winter edition.
Use curated lighting, holiday-themed props, and elegant backdrops to set the stage. Encourage guests to dress up in their best holiday attire and strike a pose for an unforgettable keepsake.
Interactive Element: Provide styling tips from the photographer or an on-site stylist to help guests look their best, making the photo booth experience truly unique.
Perfect for Social Sharing: Set up a branded hashtag and a digital gallery where guests can share their photos on social media. This helps build brand awareness and allows attendees to relive the event.
For a unique twist, host a speakeasy-style holiday event. Set up a secret entrance, assign a hidden password, and serve classic cocktails from the Prohibition era.
This exclusive, retro-inspired gathering brings mystery, charm, and a bit of holiday nostalgia to your celebration. Perfect for event venues with intimate spaces, this theme transports guests back in time for an unforgettable holiday experience. Include elements like jazz music, vintage décor, and a cigar bar to add authenticity to the speakeasy ambiance.
Enhance the Mystery: Send out “invitations” in the form of vintage telegrams or secret envelopes, setting the tone from the start. Add a hidden entrance and use signage sparingly to maintain the exclusivity of the speakeasy vibe.
Craft Cocktails: Work with a mixologist to develop a list of classic cocktails tailored to the theme, such as Old Fashioneds, Sidecars, and Manhattans. This curated drink menu adds sophistication to the holiday event.
These ideas add an extra layer of creativity and elegance to any corporate holiday event, giving your team a memorable celebration that will be talked about well into the new year. Stay tuned for more insights on how to make your corporate events stand out.
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