The end of 2022 is near and after a long time of tight regulations and restrictions, it’s finally a good time to bring everyone back together and celebrate the achievements of the past year(s).
However, many aren’t ready to book an external venue for this and not everyone is a fan of Christmas, so we’ve put together 5 creative ideas for an in-office end-of-year party:
- A “chic” evening
- Invite a special guest
- Give back to the community
- Experiential networking
- Make it an unforgettable experience
The end of the year is the perfect time to dress up and even if you’re not renting a venue, you can still decorate your office nicely, provide cute cocktails or mocktails and treat the team to some tasty food. Consider holding a casino-themed or a horse racing-themed evening and have your team dress up for the occasion. And why not go see actual horse races with the team right after?
It could be a great surprise for your colleagues to bring in someone special to give more meaning to your party. It could be a motivational speaker, performer, comedian, philanthropist or even a band. Even for a virtual event, keynote speakers are available worldwide. This will add more value to your office party and people will appreciate that, making dropouts less likely.
The end of the year is a great time to reflect on what was achieved over the past year, but also to go above and beyond by adding purpose to it. In every city, there are plenty of charities that would love for your team to volunteer and help them. We can also help to make it more gamified, for example by donating the non-perishable food that was used to create a golf course.
Since we have been working from home a lot in the past two years, we might not have got to know all of our colleagues very well. Even though it’s almost the end of the year, it’s not too late. At your end-of-year office party, you can hold a mix-and-match mingling session to make sure that people get to know people other than those they already know. Knowing Me Knowing You is one of our most popular experiential networking activities for any occasion.
Add an extra level of spice to your event by adding a theme or experience to it. A holiday-themed party is always a winner, and it doesn’t have to be cheeky, you can for example bring in a mixologist that gives a workshop on holiday-themed cocktails (ensure to include non-alcoholic options). Or have your team compete in a Santa’s Sleigh building activity and race them against each other.
Either way, your office party can make a big difference to how your team feels about the year and the sooner you start organising it, the better. Make sure to block your teammates’ agenda in time (we recommend about six weeks in advance) and to communicate all the details clearly in the invitation.
Here’s to engaging office parties that people don’t want to miss out on!
PS: here are many more ideas to celebrate with your team