How to Plan the Ultimate Holiday Office Party: Do’s and Don’ts

As the Holiday season grows closer, it’s time for you to start thinking about this year’s Holiday Office Party. Holiday office parties can be a fun night of celebration—or a painfully awkward event where everyone’s counting the minutes until they can leave without looking rude. There are many ways to throw a Holiday Office Party, and it’s important to know the Do’s and Don’ts in order to throw a successful one.  

To do this, let’s take a page out of the book of the “Biggest Office Party Lover” himself, Michael Scott, from the hit series The Office. Michael hosted a plethora of Holiday Office Parties during his time as Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton. While most were absolute catastrophes, ending in injury, anger, and often boredom, others ended up being a success where all employees felt welcomed, connected, and left having had a fun time. To avoid throwing a Michael Scott-level disaster of a holiday office gathering, let’s get into the best Do’s and Don’ts for throwing any Holiday Office Party! 

Themes 

When throwing your Holiday Office Party, it’s important to think about a theme. Most holiday parties are centered around winter or holiday themes, and while these can be fun, they are a bit predictable. Instead, consider choosing a theme that is a bit more unique but still evokes the holiday spirit.  Below is a list of Do’s and Don’ts to consider when choosing your theme. 

Do’s 

• Choose a theme that makes the party feel unique: Choosing a unique theme will make your office party more exciting and therefore enjoyable. Whether it’s a Tropical Island Holiday, Holiday Movies Party, Winter Carnival, or Ugly Sweater Bash, an original theme invites guests to get creative and have fun!  

• • Take a cue from The Office, Season 5, Episode 11, “Moroccan Christmas”. Michael’s Christmas party is a surprising success because the theme encouraged creativity amongst members of the office. Unique decorations and the opportunity to dress up brought the theme to life and made the party engaging, resulting in attendees actually having fun. 

• Make the theme inclusive: When choosing a theme, it’s crucial that it is inclusive. You know your office best! Make sure the party isn’t specific to one holiday if you have employees who celebrate a variety of festivities. Neutral themes that celebrate the holiday season are usually the safest option, and you won’t run the risk of excluding anyone because of their personal preferences, cultural values, or beliefs. 

• Keep a Balance between Festive, Flexible, and Comfortable: While dressing up may be fun for some, others may find it to be more of a hassle than it’s worth. Make dressing up a suggestion, not a requirement. Provide a dress code that allows for comfort while maintaining an appropriate policy. The more comfortable people are, the more fun they will have.  

Don’ts 

• Choose a theme that is too niche or potentially inappropriate: Choosing a theme that is too niche is a big NO. If only 20% of guests understand the theme, party engagement will be low, and your holiday party won’t be a success.  

• Choose a theme that is overly complicated: Avoid a theme that asks too much from attendees (e.g., “Create your own costume”, a potluck style party, etc.). A party is meant to be a way for people to unwind and have fun outside of the office; most people won’t want to have to do more work to enjoy the party. 

Holiday Gift Exchange  

A holiday gift exchange is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Unfortunately, gift giving can quickly go south if it is not done properly. To ensure your Holiday Gift Exchange ends with smiles and laughter, follow these Do’s and Don’ts! 

Do’s 

• Set a price limit: The best way to keep a holiday gift exchange from becoming awkward and stressful is to set a price limit. This ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them and that gift-giving doesn’t become a competition of who can outspend whom.  

• Encourage giving personal and thoughtful gifts: A great way to have a successful Gift Exchange is by encouraging members to give out thoughtful gifts that really speak to the recipients. Take note of people’s likes, hobbies, and quirks. 9/10 times, buying a gift that relates to one of these three things will be a well-received gift. 

• • Let’s take a note from Jim Halpert in Season 2, Episode 10 – “Christmas Party.”  Jim’s gift to Pam, a teapot with a sentimental note, is the perfect example of a personal and thoughtful gift. It showed that Jim had been paying attention to Pam’s preferences and made the gift feel meaningful. This kind of gift exchange fosters connections and makes the holiday party feel special, with everyone feeling appreciated and valued. 

Don’ts 

• Give gifts that are too expensive: Giving out gifts that are overly expensive is a quick way to make your holiday gift exchange extremely awkward. No one wants to feel like their gift is bad just because someone spent 2x as much money. Receiving an expensive gift can also be awkward and make the recipient feel guilty for not spending the same amount.  

• • Michael Scott shows us exactly what not to do in Season 6, Episode 13 – “Secret Santa”. During the office gift exchange, Michael spends an exaggerated amount of money on all his gifts to his coworkers, buying Pam an iPod, Ryan an expensive Watch, and Phyllis a very large mystery gift. This extravagant display creates an imbalance in gift-giving efforts, resulting in an awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere for the remainder of the exchange and party. 

• Buy gifts that are too impersonal or generic: We all know the feeling of receiving an ugly pair of socks that don’t match our vibe, and another mug that we will never use and must pretend to like. Gifts that feel generic and thoughtless not only create an uncomfortable exchange but also make people feel unappreciated. 
• Give away gifts that are inappropriate or offensive: Ensure that gifts are appropriate and won’t offend people. While your gag gift may seem funny to you, it may be taken seriously by the recipient or other members of the holiday office party. Remember, this is still a work event; the gift should be appropriate for a professional setting.  

Activities 

Activities are a great way to foster connection and teamwork at your Holiday Office Party. It allows colleagues to interact in new ways and with people whom they may not normally get to work with. To make sure your activities are a hit this year, check out what you should and shouldn’t do below! 

Do’s 

• Choose fun and engaging activities: Having activities planned is very important when throwing the best holiday office party. Small talk can only last so long, and having planned activities like trivia games, scavenger hunts, or karaoke is a great way to keep the energy and fun lasting through the night! 

• Make sure activities are accessible and inclusive for everyone: Take your colleagues’ interests into account and avoid activities that require special skills or are overly tailored to a specific interest. For example, avoid games that are overly physical, require strong art skills, or can only be enjoyed by select members of the office.  

• Offer prizes: Offering prizes or rewards is a great way to encourage participation in activities. Planning activities and having only a couple of people willing to participate will quickly ruin the fun. Offering an incentive is the best way to avoid that. 

Don’ts 

• Plan overly competitive or stressful activities: Avoid activities that may create a rift in the party. The activity is meant to foster fun and engagement, not create tension or animosity. We recommend you avoid high-stakes competitions, activities that make people feel left out, and games that include gambling. 
• Over-schedule: As fun as activities can be, don’t pack too many into one event. Be sure to leave time for people to relax, eat, and mingle amongst themselves. You don’t want your guests to feel forced or rushed to move on to the next activity.  

Plan ahead 

No matter what kind of party you plan, it’s important to always plan ahead of time. The earlier you start to plan your corporate holiday event, the more successful your party will be!  

Do’s 

• Delegate planning to a highly organized individual or team: Party planning isn’t everyone’s forte. If it’s not for you, we recommend that you delegate the tasks to a trained and organized individual. This can be another member of the office or a professional party planner. Good leadership, planning, and the ability to communicate with all points of contact are key to a successful Holiday office gathering.  

• • The importance of delegating planning to an organized individual is highlighted in Season 7, Episode 11 – “Classy Christmas”. When Michael Scott hands over the party planning to Pam, she replaces his usual chaos with a well-organized approach, resulting in one of the office’s more successful events. It’s a clear example of how delegating to a responsible person can lead to a smoother, more enjoyable party. 

• Confirm details early: Make sure that you double-check details like RSVPs, catering, or transportation early on to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the party.  

Don’ts 

• Wait until the last minute to start planning: Waiting until the last minute to start planning your holiday office party will likely result in caterers being booked and venues being filled, guaranteeing an unsuccessful party. Attendees will be able to tell that the party was rushed, which doesn’t create an atmosphere that encourages people to stay and have fun.  

• • Andy Bernard shows us what NOT to do in Season 8, Episode 10 – “Christmas Wishes”.  Andy’s choice to procrastinate party planning alongside his weak leadership skills leaves the event feeling disjointed and lacking focus. This leads to uncomfortable moments and poor attendee engagement with the party, serving as a perfect example of how rushing party preparations can result in a lackluster event. 

• Forget to send reminders: People’s schedules are externally busy, especially during the holiday season. After you send the initial invites, make sure to send reminders as the party date approaches to ensure attendees don’t accidentally forget about the party.  

Choosing a Location 

Choosing a venue is one of the biggest decisions that needs to be made when throwing a Holiday Office Party. While the party could be thrown right at the office, it’s often more fun to have the party somewhere new that doesn’t just feel like eating cake in the cubicle you work in.  

Do’s 

• Choose a venue that suits the vibe: Make sure that your venue fits the vibe and is accessible to all attendees. Not sure where to host your next Holiday Office Party? Consider choosing Pleasantdale Chateau! Here at Pleasantdale Chateau, throwing the best holiday Office Parties is one of the things we succeed at most. With multiple event spaces, top-of-the-line chefs, flexible menus, and amazing decorators, we can guarantee that your Holiday Party will be fun, successful, and memorable. Schedule a free tour and consultation with us at (973) 731-5600 and hear how your Holiday Office Party dreams can come to life today!  

• • We see the positive impact the right venue choice has on a Holiday party in Season 3, Episode 10 – “A Benihana Christmas”. Michael Scott’s decision to host the holiday event at a local Benihana restaurant results in one of Dunder Mifflin’s most successful holiday outings. Michael’s choice highlights the importance of choosing a venue that complements the party’s energy and how the right venue can impact the outcome of the party.  

Don’ts 

• Choose a location that’s too far for most employees: It’s important to know where your employees live in order to choose a location that’s easily accessible for everyone. If a location is too far or difficult for people to get to, it may discourage attendance, leading to a small turnout and a less lively party.  

• Ignore the ambiance: Don’t select a venue whose ambiance doesn’t match the theme or vibe of your Holiday office party. If the venue is too loud, too quiet, too fancy, too casual or simply doesn’t offer the right atmosphere, then the party will feel confused and awkward.  

It’s Time to get this Holiday office Party Started! 

If you made it this far, you are now fully equipped with all the knowledge you need to throw the best Holiday Office Party! Here at Pleasantdale Chateau, we can ensure to check off every “Do” on this list and avoid all the “Don’ts”! Call us today at (973) 731-5600 to get a head start on this year’s Holiday party and make it one to remember!