It’s getting close to that time of the year again and you’ve been tasked with the thankless job of organising the corporate Christmas party. Rather than putting your time and energy into an event people dread – or worse still, don’t show up to – we offer you the secrets to staging a corporate Christmas party that people actually want to attend, and better yet, will even enjoy.

The secrets to hosting a successful corporate Christmas party are:

1. Take it offsite

The unbreakable rule of hosting a successful corporate Christmas event is that you don’t hold it at your usual place of work. The annual Christmas party should be an opportunity for colleagues and co-workers to interact in a relaxed social setting, without the demands dictated by the workplace. An alternate venue also helps to break down the workplace hierarchy and create a more level playing field for employees to interact.

2. Think beyond evening

Who says corporate Christmas functions need to be at night? For most of us, the lead-up to Christmas is definitely the silly season, as many people get booked out and worn down with a full calendar of night time events. Planning your corporate Christmas party during the day means more people will be available – hell, giving staff time off from work to attend will certainly raise your attendance rates!

3. Mix it up

Many corporate Christmas functions suffer from ‘tired old tradition’ syndrome. Just because that’s what you’ve always done, don’t let that dictate what you must do forever more. Staff appreciate you thinking outside the box to organise new and exciting Christmas party adventures. Try to change your Christmas party agenda every year with a range of activities that will appeal to everyone.

4. Get interactive

An ideal icebreaker for the corporate Christmas party is to base your event around an interactive activity, so that attendees have a focal point to channel their energies and experience a sense of camaraderie. Choose an activity that the majority of attendees will be able to participate in – avoid excluding anyone with activities that are too physically challenging, high-pressure or downright daggy. X-Golf Australia provides an ideal interactive corporate Christmas party option, offering entertainment, corporate challenges and team building activities, as well as food and beverages in a fun and relaxed environment — with no golfing experience necessary!

5. Extend your guest list

Allowing staff to bring along friends and family members to the corporate Christmas event makes it a much more social function, rather than purely an extension of your working environment. If budget is an issue, limit the amount of plus ones each employee can bring or investigate pay per head arrangements. Also consider the corporate Christmas party as an opportunity to acknowledge everyone who has contributed to your organisation over the past year. Broaden your invite list to include suppliers, associates and any other collaborators who have been a part of your organisation.

6. De-alcoholise your activities

We’re not saying don’t serve alcohol. A completely dry corporate Christmas function might be too much for many employees to bear. We’re just suggesting you don’t make it the focal point of your event. The days of employees seeing if they can set the record for consuming the most beverages on the company account are gone. Instead, look at options where alcohol is an accompaniment, rather than the focal point of your function. The downside of a successful corporate Christmas party Now you know the secrets to organising a successful corporate Christmas party, the only downside is you’ll do such a great job, they’ll probably ask you to do it again next year! For the ultimate Christmas Party experience visit XGolf.com.au