Has this question been keeping you up at night? No matter how much NyQuil you guzzle down at 2am?
Well, no company holiday party should be something to have an upset stomach about. Even if you do have the best of intentions like giving your co-workers the warm fuzzy holiday season feels.
At Clean Comedians®, we don’t believe that your office holiday party should be something for you to stress about. Instead, holiday parties should be something for you to look forward to with your team members.
So let’s get to the root of this question. And help guide you to not only a good night’s sleep, but also to having the best company holiday party ever – and all without even breaking a sweat.
#1. Decide on some holiday party entertainment ideas
If you’ve only come up with one fun holiday party idea so far, don’t beat yourself up too much. There are plenty of ways to get into the holiday spirit. And if you need a little help, just take a look below.
See Related: How To Host A Virtual Holiday Party
Ugly sweater contest
An ugly sweater party is an easy way to give your corporate holiday party a theme. And get everyone into the holiday spirit.
An ugly Christmas sweater is not only terrifyingly easy to find. But it creates a kind of special event in and of itself! Especially when there’s a contest that can add some extra excitement.
Gingerbread houses
If you want some fun activities that are a little more interactive, you can never go wrong with building some gingerbread houses alongside your colleagues. If you’re going virtual, simply send out the gingerbread materials before the Christmas party.
Then, hop onto the annual company holiday party, as brought to you by Zoom, and get to building! This is a fun way to provide corporate entertainment without all the hassle of event planning.
And besides, you’ll get to eat some gingerbread out of it too! So long as your furry friends don’t get to it first…
Murder mysteries
A murder mystery is guaranteed to bring some holiday fun to your Christmas party – that is, with a holiday twist. That’s right, murder!
Out of all the party entertainment ideas though, this one is definitely going to require some extra planning on your end. But if you’re worried about how to pull this event off, keep reading because we’ve got a fun surprise for you in store!
Spoiler alert: we see a virtual host in your future. That is, if you want to have a smashing murder mystery on your hands!
Scavenger hunts
Playing games around the virtual Christmas tree is bound to bring back some memories of holiday cheer. And even remotely, you can bring some holiday party fun to the mix with a holiday-themed scavenger hunt!
Pro tip: Up the ante by dividing co-workers into small groups. Then, whichever team finds the most amount of goodies wins the scavenger hunt!
What? You can’t say in complete honesty that a little friendly competition doesn’t make up what the holidays are all about. After all, just think of your own family Christmas celebrations!
#2. Assess your budget
Maybe this goes without saying. But the activities you can pull off will greatly depend on your company’s holiday party budget.
There are plenty of ways to make your virtual holiday event as budget-friendly as possible. But that being said, if you’ve got some extra cash to burn just in time for the end of the season, consider putting your money to good use!
And no, we don’t mean spending all of your budget on decorations from Michaels. We’re talking about putting your money where it’s really going to work for you.
That’s right – the holiday entertainment, of course! You’d be surprised at how much your holiday party ideas will come to life with the right entertainment to accompany it. And, of course, the right entertainment agency to guide you through.
#3. Meet with a virtual holiday party entertainment agency
When it comes to hosting a virtual holiday party, each host is going to want something different. Whether that’s working collaboratively with the virtual holiday party entertainment coming in.
Or, whether they’re interested in less work for them without sacrificing the quality of said holiday party entertainment. So when you find the right holiday party entertainment agency for your company, consider asking them these questions.
Get party entertainment ideas from them
Let’s say it’s your first time hosting the corporate Christmas party. And you’re just scrambling for ideas.
Well, why not ask the agency for some entertainment ideas that you might not have thought of yourself? Holiday parties and events are their business. So it never hurts to ask an expert.
And you might be surprised at how many ideas they come up with that you can implement for years to come! Some folks consider brainstorming the best part of planning an event.
Because you know what they say. The sky’s the limit!
Make some goals for your corporate holiday party
That being said, you should definitely come prepared to talk about your goals for the Christmas party. Maybe you’re looking to welcome in a new team member and you want some team bonding to happen by the end of the night.
Or maybe your team is already close and you’re just looking for some fun entertainment for this year’s party. Either way, these factors will definitely affect the kind of entertainment you bring in.
And it will affect the way the corporate entertainers interact with your group. So start making some goals you want to accomplish by the end of the Christmas party to make the brainstorming process even easier!
Ask what holiday party entertainment ideas will work best
After you’ve gone over the goals you want to accomplish at the corporate Christmas party, the entertainment agency should have an idea of what will work best for your group. Whether that’s bringing in a bunch of board games to work on team building.
Or having a wrapping paper contest to give employees a little friendly competition. Either way, they’ll take care of the rest.
Bonus: Virtual Holiday Team Building Activities
#4. Look at all of the entertainment options they offer
Feel free to browse around and see all of the entertainment options they can bring to the table. And who knows? They might even throw in Santa’s sleigh for the event!
Virtual event host
Remember all of those Christmas party ideas and activities from above? Well, how better to introduce these play games than with a virtual event host?
Not only will a virtual event host be able to take song requests as DJ or turn the office party into a dance floor. They’ll take your Christmas parties to the next level with their professionalism and clean charisma for your family audience.
Really, you can bank on a successful holiday party with a virtual emcee who knows how to take your Christmas party from a five to a ten! And what better way to treat your co-workers this holiday season?
Clean comedy act
Bringing a clean comedy act into your holiday celebration is a great way for team members to wind down and laugh with each other. You can even make it a BYOB-type of virtual event where employees bring their own beer or other beverage of their choice.
Either way, a comedy act will allow folks to sit back, relax, and if they’re up for it, interact to make the event all the more memorable. And who knows? You may find that the entertainment is so good, you’ll have them booked annually for the next Christmas party too!
Virtual magic show
You might think that a magic show is the type of activity reserved for kid’s events. But don’t underestimate the power of magic to make you feel like a kid again!
When you infuse magic into your holiday event, you’re reminding folks to come in with an open mind. Maybe the past quarter was particularly stressful.
But now is the time to set aside stress and lean into holiday music. Accompanied by magic, of course!
Variety show
If you’re worried about pleasing everybody in the office, consider looking into virtual entertainment agencies that offer variety shows. There’s nothing like bringing in a couple of acts that infuse holiday songs into the evening.
And you’ll give everybody a little something to enjoy. Whether that’s a holiday song here or there. Or a comedic act that leaves your co-workers gasping for air from laughter!
Dance band
Let’s say you want to give your co-workers an event where they can blow off some steam. Well, why not bring in a dance band who can accompany your colleagues as they let loose!
Not too loose, of course. But just enough to ring in the holiday season with flair. Even find out if the virtual DJ can take song requests. Then, tell your colleagues how they can submit their requests and dance the night away!
Photo booth
Want to make sure folks remember your Christmas party? Then bring in a virtual photo booth to help capture some memories.
You can even find a virtual booth that has fun holiday filters. And you can bet that those pictures will make their way onto the office fridge once you’re meeting in person again!
Now that’s a fun party!
Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start when you’re tasked with hosting the company holiday party. But that shouldn’t mean that the process itself is stressful.
Luckily, hiring virtual entertainment for your corporate holiday party has never been easier. So long as you know the right questions to ask that will help you steer the party in the direction of holiday spirit.
So just to recap: brainstorm some ideas on your own. Make sure your budget allows for those ideas. Schedule a meeting with a virtual entertainment agency.
And come prepared with goals in mind. That way, you’ll know exactly what you want at the end of the night. And the entertainment agency can take care of the rest for you.
So, now that that’s all squared away, how about a good night’s rest? And no, you can put down that bottle of NyQuil for tonight.
Keep Reading: Icebreakers For Your Virtual Holiday Party
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Adam Christing is a professional comedy magician, virtual MC, and the founder of CleanComedians.com. He is a member of the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and a popular corporate entertainer, magician, and virtual speaker.