There are mince pies in Co-Op. Thornton's are stocking advent calendars. To a seasoned event organiser, these are signs that the Christmas season is already upon us. In fact, it's well underway. Clients who have't booked Christmas party venues well in advance are now looking to us to help find quality alternatives. Our roster of specially designed festive games is being requested by companies who want to add a little competition to their Christmas parties.
In events management, the Christmas season can start in January, as brands that have had a blast at their just-finished festive events race to re-book for the following year. Venues booked, they tend to forget about them until now. With summer out the way and the days drawing in again, those calendars are pulled out of desk drawers (or fired up on desktops) to count down the working weeks until the big corporate bash.
It's always sooner than you think.
Two things make a great Christmas party: a good theme and a great atmosphere. And the latter doesn't always have to be conjured by sherry and mince pies.We've found that incorporating festive challenges into an event can be as effective as dressing a venue to create a winter wonderland.
Of course, we believe the best atmosphere is immersive - a combination of set dressing, entertainment and activity. But if you're looking to create a memorable Christmas bash on a budget, or add a festive theme to standard team building away days, here are a few ideas to get you started.
We love a team building exercise where delegates get to create an advert. The Apprentice-style challenge of writing, directing and editing a successful Christmas commercial encourages teams to use every ounce of skill at their disposal. With a tight budget to stick to, limited props and a punishing deadline, only the most organised survive.
It takes very specific talents to recreate a festive picture, especially when only one person is allowed to direct the painting team! In this Christmas twist on one of our favourite team building activities, the group is tasked with reproducing a classic winter scene according to directions given by their communicator. The communicator is only allowed to view the picture for limited time, and teams must work to a different scale from the original.
Bake Off inspired events always go down a treat, and at Christmas they're even more popular. The team must swap Victoria sponges and pastries for festively-themed munchies. Will they be able to create a Christmas showstopper, a batch of mince pies and a plate of seasonal cookies good enough to impress Kris Kringle himself?
Christmas themed events don't have to be completely focused on team building. Our 12 Games of Christmas are the ideal way to add a little competition to your Christmas party. Using classic challenges like Splat the Rat and Air Hockey, we award presents to winning teams. The group with the biggest pile of festive loot at the end of the day get crowned Christmas Champions.
Are you looking for a Christmas themed event? Get in touch with our team on 01773 766050.
