The annual pressure to book the best spot in town for a killer festive bash (which has only been enhanced by two years of lockdowns) is a classic conundrum for those tasked with organising the office Christmas party. This often results in last-minute, below-par parties with cheap wine and a bowl of nibbles, but what if we told you there was another way to give your team a party they deserve?
Allow us to present - the January Christmas party! With more availability for those impossible-to-book venues, less stress to pin down suppliers, and the chance to boost your team through the January Blues as a bonus, here’s why we think it’s the Next Big Thing.
More flexibility with dates
Post-pandemic, offices up and down the country are desperate to unite their team for a festive celebration. In fact, the number of people typing in 'office Christmas party' on Google is currently the highest it has been since 2018. With this desire to get back to normal and the high demand for dates in November and December, it can be really tricky to lock in a preferable date during these months.
January is a notoriously quiet month in the events world, so there often tends to be a lot more availability with venues and suppliers, and subsequently a better chance to find a date that works better for your team. Bailey Whitnell, Business Development Manager at Swingers London, has noted a rising interest in January parties too:
"Despite being at a healthy pre-Covid level with most Christmas dates sold out, October has seen our enquiries surge astronomically. This is great, but frustrating, as we would love to be able to host for everybody if we could! With this in mind, I anticipate that it will only be a matter of time until we see January Christmas party enquiries come through in a big way."
That venue you know your team would love, but that’s been fully booked for Christmas parties since March? Now’s your chance to snap it up!
Better pricing
Christmas is arguably the busiest time of the year for parties and celebratory events, which makes it an expensive time of year too. Venues and suppliers are extremely busy and in-demand, so they can charge higher rates.
Certain days of the week become more expensive too, which means organisers often have to compromise on dates due to their stretched budgets. Thursdays are particularly high in-demand for corporate parties, whereas Fridays and Saturdays can get pricey for public or non-corporate events.
January, on the other hand, is a much quieter month for bookings. This means venue and supplier costs aren't as high and organisers can lock in their preferred dates and times for a fraction of the cost in December.
Did you know? Hire Space have strong relationships with venues and suppliers in all corners of the industry and can negotiate the best deals around for planners. Get in touch to speak to one of our Hire Space 360 team about how we can help you.
Less time pressure
November and December is an extremely busy period for all of us, in both our professional and personal lives. Those who work in the events/hospitality industry are particularly swamped and won't necessarily have time to attend a party whilst planning everyone else's! We chatted to Amy Williams, Head of Sales at Fairgame, who told us that most of their Christmas parties booked in for January are currently mainly for hospitality businesses, so it seems event planners are indeed starting to favour January for their celebrations.
Even if you're not in the hospitality industry, a January party takes the pressure off and means that your attendees have one less thing to make time for in the busiest season of the year! It also gives you more time to organise, too.
If you're still feeling the pinch to get your party sorted in time, let us help.
Less January blues
It's very common to experience feelings of sadness and low mood after the action-packed Christmas period, which is usually filled with family, friends, and festive plans. When January rolls around (including Blue Monday, which in 2023 will be on the 16th January), bank balances are stretched, the nights are dark, and everyone's feeling a little, well, deflated.
So what better way to cheer up your team than to bring them down for a night of fun at one of London's top venues?! It will give your team something to look forward to and add a little sparkle to the 'most depressing month' of the year. Read our top tips for a fun party to really push the boat out.
Take it digital
We've discussed the benefits of throwing your in-person Christmas party in January, but what about taking it virtual? Back in 2020, we saw 89% of companies going virtual for their Christmas parties, due to lockdowns and restrictions on in-person gatherings.
A saviour of socialising at the time, virtual events have remained a steadfast ally of the events industry as it has navigated the tricky landscape of the last few years. Now, thanks to the ever-present cost of living crisis reducing budgets for team perks all across the board, throwing a virtual party could be a more convenient and cheaper option. Check out all our virtual event content for some inspiration on how to plan a virtual Christmas party that's actually fun.
Our top tip? Our friends at Wildgoose run awesome, innovative virtual and hybrid games and activities, from ‘Murder on the Slopes’, to ‘Festive Around the World’ tours, which are fun, easy ways to bring your team together, wherever they are. These activities are perfect for some team bonding anytime of year (take it from us, our team are still talking about our Wildgoose experience!), but they’re especially great as a January pick-me-up and can be given a festive twist!
If you're sold on the idea of a January Christmas party, get in touch below, check out our top planning tips, and have a browse of our top Christmas Party venues to get some ideas for your dream festive backdrop!
If you need some help planning your Christmas party and other events you have up your sleeve, Hire Space 360 is a great solution which offers everything the modern event planner needs to create memorable events, in-person and online.
Author
Izzie Lachecki
Izzie brings a deep understanding of the events world to Hire Space, and keeps busy by writing lots of Hire Space and EventLAB content and managing the Hire Space social media presence.
