This year we’re expecting to see parties that are bigger, bolder and more festive than ever. We all deserve to let our hair down, right?
But what to do, what to do? With hundreds of people waiting for you to produce something spectacular, the pressure is on to make this year’s large Christmas party one to remember. But don’t worry, we’ve got some fabulous ideas that will give your festive get-together the edge.
Your own winter fairground
Think Ferris wheels, bumper cars, carousels… who says fairgrounds have to be an exclusively summer affair? Draped with fairy lights and festive decorations a fairground can create a magical atmosphere at Christmas time.
We’d suggest using the fairground attractions for the first part of your evening. Give people a chance to mingle. They can go on the rides, indulge in a little mulled wine and seasonal street food as the sun goes down. Once the evening chill descends, move your guests in doors to a warm, luxurious space for an indulgent, sit-down dinner. Follow up with live music and dancing.
One of our favourite large Christmas party venues in London with a vast, outdoor space is The HAC. Situated in the heart of the City and just a few minutes’ walk from Moorgate tube, its five acres of lush lawns offer the perfect backdrop for a winter fairground. Take it inside for the night, in the stunning Prince Consort Rooms. The space looks incredible when dressed for Christmas parties and can cater for large numbers of guests.
Masquerade ball
There’s nothing more decadent than a ball. Although it comes with an expectation on your guests to make a real effort with their outfits, it’s always going to be worth their time getting glam. This is a Christmas party that everyone will remember for years to come.
A masquerade ball demands a venue with style, class and of course, volume. Be careful when choosing a London venue for your ball as it’s about so much more than just capacity. High ceilings, sweeping staircases, pillars, chandeliers… Make a list of what makes a space feel grand and keep these details in mind when you’re narrowing down your choices. (Period features in a venue also add to its sense of occasion and grandeur as they help transport your guests to another world and time).
Clothworkers’ Hall, Old Royal Naval College and The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn are all large venues in eve’s portfolio, each with its own historic charms.
Christmas Casino Night
If you’re looking to shake up your seasonal celebrations this year, consider a competitive casino Christmas party. Bring Vegas to you for the evening and If you’re worried about the party not feeling seasonal enough, simply using classic greens, reds and golds throughout the décor will give your party the Christmas spin it needs.
Set up casino tables throughout the room that accommodate your many guests. Give them endless amounts of fake money, and they’ll have the time of their lives betting their way through the night.
Two of our venues that might fit the bill for your casino Christmas party are Exhibition London and Plaisterers’ Hall. Although very different in style, both can cater for large dynamic events. They also have fantastic, in-house caterers who have amazing seasonal menus for you to choose from. They are also happy to work with clients to create bespoke dishes if there’s something specific you have in mind.
Festive film showing
Perhaps its Miracle on 34th Street. Or Home Alone. Maybe it’s a Wonderful Life? Most of us have that one film which indicates the start of the Christmas season. So what better way to get your party guests into the seasonal spirit than a movie screening?
A pre-dinner film could offer the perfect time for you and your colleagues to unwind, enjoy some drinks and nibbles, before your main reception or dinner.
Many of our venues have one grand room, and lots of meeting and break out rooms throughout the building. One of these eve venues is BMA house. Set your film showing up in one of the larger rooms, and then create break out rooms. One could be a photo booth room. This ensures that your Christmas party guests are interacting with one another and aren’t sat in one space all evening.
City-wide treasure hunt
Injecting a bit of healthy competition amongst your guests can help create bonds and raise energy levels. A cleverly thought-out treasure hunt around the City, or wherever you’ve chosen to hold your Christmas celebrations, could involve rewards like cocktails at bars, little gifts at shops and snacks at street food stalls. The treasure hunt’s final clue would lead your guests to your Christmas party venue where you would lay on a drinks’ reception, dinner and dancing.
Race night
A huge screen and excellent A V facilities are a must for any race night to make sure all of your guests can feel immersed in the action.
For those of you not familiar with a race night, it goes a little something like this. Pre-recorded horse races are played to an audience who have placed bets with pretend money. The bets are usually made digitally after everyone has been shown the odds and the horses’ forms. All contestants are competing against each other, and an overall winners’ board will rank all players from first to last. Prizes could also be awarded if you’re so inclined.
The great thing about a race night is that it can provide intermittent entertainment and doesn’t have to dominate the entire evening. This will give your guests plenty of time to socialise, eat, drink and dance.
All of eve’s venues have great AV facilities, equipment and support. One of these venues is The Pavilion at the Tower of London. The venue offers high-class AV facilities, including two large screens, projectors, full atmospheric lighting and sound equipment. This is all included in your venue hire price. Support is on hand with a dedicated event manager and technician on site throughout your event, so you won’t feel alone when it comes to the techy side of things.
Ice bar
Installing an ice bar (as in an actual, working bar which serves drinks that are made entirely out of sculpted ice) is a brilliant way to embrace winter and give your guests a truly memorable night. Sealed in a sub-zero chamber and adorned with beautiful pieces of ice sculpture, an ice bar is an invigorating experience and very, very Insta-worthy.
A visit to the ice bar will most likely only last one drink, which means there will be plenty of time for all of the guests at your large Christmas party to indulge. Ski suits or faux fur coats, snow boots, gloves and hats should be on hand for your party goers to borrow for the duration of their ice bar experience and will usually be provided by the company that installed the bar.
Hosting a large Christmas party is quite an achievement, but it doesn’t need to be a headache. We hope these Large Christmas party ideas have helped spark your imagination and ideas. The event organisers at eve are expert in putting on fantastic parties with wildly different themes and requirements. Get in touch through https://www.goaskeve.com/ and start your Christmas party planning journey today.