The Return of the Company Holiday Party in 2022

For many businesses, the last couple of years have been difficult. For a while, especially during the height of lockdown, office holiday parties appeared to go out of style. Work festivities swiftly shifted to online gatherings, and it took some time for them to turn back toward in-person events. Holiday parties are returning as the focus has turned back to in-person interactions to celebrate the season.

With some helpful suggestions to make the holiday season bright for your company, we spoke with Thriver Culture Experts Sarah and Jorge to obtain their insights on the most recent celebration trends and see what businesses are doing for Christmas and holiday parties in 2022.

Your organization's event planning committee can reserve your next Christmas party directly, or you can get in touch with our passionate staff to organise the perfect gathering, no matter how big or small.

The Return Of The Holiday Party

The days of holiday gatherings are long gone. It is clearer than ever that face-to-face interaction is essential to a healthy and cohesive work environment. Leaders want their workers to be gathered under one roof and prepared to celebrate. During the holidays, a lot of businesses with hybrid work models choose for in-person workplace celebrations.

Think big 

Larger, more reputable businesses seek out stunning locations and distinctive entertainment for their office holiday parties. In certain instances, managers fly staff members in from around the world to attend the event in person.

Prior to employees starting to take time off for the holidays, the majority of Christmas festivities are scheduled for early to mid-December. Bookings are quickly filling up as a result, so if you have a certain location or performer in mind, now is the time to act.

Keep it local 

Regional parties centred on specific office locations are another recurring theme among ideas for office celebrations, particularly in smaller firms with lesser budgets. It might often be simpler to celebrate depending on location for larger organisations with teams dispersed across the nation or even the world. These get-togethers are generally more affordable and give teams working in the same area a more intimate experience.

Enjoy a carefully picked list of the most interesting party locations to host your holiday gatherings.

High-tech entertainment

Include some technology or entertaining toys at your office party, such a competition for console games or VR headsets. The 360 photo booth is a popular addition this year. On each of these platforms, a camera system mounted on a robotic arm spins around you and your team. You may create a quick, 360-degree, slow-motion video to recall your celebration using the device's 120 frames per second photo capture. The footage from the photo booth is then sent to you to see and share.

Investigate local party rentals that you can reserve right on Thriver.

Smaller In-Office Bashes

An intimate in-office gathering is appropriate for tiny teams with limited resources. These events provide a chance to gather the team without spending a lot on a location and entertainment.

Budget-friendly fun

A beautiful evening of enjoyable festivities is provided by family-style cuisine or appetisers when combined with an open bar, a D.J., or a live band – without going over budget. Bring a Bluetooth speaker and prepare a nice playlist if you can't find live entertainment. Lacking space? Put arrange a party-ready space by moving workstations or hosting the event in a conference room.

Entertainment stations

Going all out isn't always in the cards. Consider hiring a caricaturist, a tarot card reading, or both for a low-tech, intimate celebration. Thanks to these entertainment choices, your staff may interact while participating in fun activities and having conversations.

On Thriver, look for inexpensive entertainment and presents for your holiday party.

Holiday luncheon

The traditional industries of banking and accounting are big fans of the holiday lunch, but any organisation can benefit from an employee outing to a restaurant or in-office catering. To make time for this scrumptious celebration, shut down early or plan a two-hour break in the midst of the workday. Additionally, afternoon festivities let workers retain their evenings free.

Opportunities for client connection

Jorge talks about a novel perspective that many tech firms have embraced. Tech companies are embracing the holiday party as an opportunity to communicate with customers rather than throwing employee-only parties. For their VIP clients, these businesses use a smart strategy that includes sponsored lunch and learns that feature fun activities like ice skating rinks or escape rooms.

Virtual celebrations for remote teams

Zoom meetings and Slack communications have become commonplace for some businesses. If your company runs remotely, Thriver professionals can assist you in organising a fun online event that all of your employees can participate in even though they are thousands of miles distant.

Remote hands-on fun

It doesn't imply you can't have fun together just because the members of your office are dispersed around the world. The DIY workshops available on Thriver are a few well-liked suggestions for work celebration activities for remote workers. Nothing can stop you from throwing a wonderful holiday party—not even the 5-star hot sauce-making workshop. For an immersive and interesting experience, each participant in our classes receives kits.

On the Virtual Celebrations collection, explore virtual experiences with seasonal themes.

Thank you gifts

Retention of employees is directly impacted by rewarding your staff for their efforts. Both remote-first and office-first arrangements can show their employees how much they value them by giving them thank you gifts.

Baskets, packages, and boxes

Gift baskets and care packages are a great way to interact with and thank your teams during this time of year. The Culture Experts at Thriver take pride in making it easier to navigate the overwhelming selection of gifts available online. Discover a large selection of gift options and the top employee appreciation services on Thriver's Marketplace. Our Marketplace allows you choose presents and activities by occasion and interests, making it easy to say "thank you," welcome newcomers, or offer your staff a health day.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for businesses and organisations because they are as diverse as the people who work there. Instead, it comes down to what kind of office holiday celebration works best for you and your team. For additional information on organising your Christmas party, whether it's in person at the workplace or virtually from home, go to Thriver. You may start the celebrations off well with the assistance of our Culture Experts.