You have to experience London in December! The Christmas lights on Oxford Street and Regent Street, the festive ice rinks at Somerset House and the Natural History Museum, and the special effort made by Londoners spell the Christmas spirit like nowhere else! This year there are even more Christmas party venues in London than in previous years, making good old London town an even better place to host your Christmas party! Having so many options makes party planning even more challenging!
The Early Bird Catches The Venue
The demand for party venues in London exceeds what many would think is reasonable! West End, City and Canary Wharf venues for hotel party nights and Christmas event spaces are often fully booked by October. Do not wait if you’re planning a Christmas party for a large team or a number of different corporate departments. Confirming a booking in October leaves you with more options to choose from than waiting and booking in November.
Match the Venue to the Group
The variety of venue options can make choosing a venue for any function more difficult. Choose a rooftop bar for a younger and smaller group. For larger groups that want a traditional festive dinner with a dinner and dance, a ballroom will suffice. For the senior groups or the clientele, you want something more exclusive. Choose a private members’ club or reserved restaurant. Consider the group before browsing venues, as that will eliminate the majority of options quickly.
Consider Where Attendees are Travelling From
This will matter more in London than in most other locations. If your venue is in Zone 1, it will help centralize a multi zoned group. If your group is multi zoned or many of your group are commuters, going trendy and choosing Shoreditch is going to yield a disappointing turnout. Before you confirm a venue, look at the transport and consider what time you will have to realistically let everyone leave to avoid a disappointing turnout.
Things to Do to Build the Evening Around the City
One benefit to booking Christmas parties London is the availability of events and activities surrounding the main event. There is plenty to do in London. For example, the dinner event can be preceded by an early evening skate at Somerset House, a walk through the illuminations on Carnaby Street, or drinks at a seasonal pop-up bar. To incorporate a seasonal activity into the event and avoid a boring work dinner with a bit of tinsel, book Christmas parties London.
Be Aware of the Costs
Care needs to be taken with the budget, as London can be expensive, even though it doesn’t have to be. The minimums required at venues in the city can be a nasty surprise, and service charges for large groups can accumulate. Some offers can appear to be reasonable, but come at a cost when the less expensive drink packages are factored in.
Get it in Writing
When your group is large and you have a specific location in mind, it is always a good idea to have confirmation of numbers, menu selections, and any audio-visual needs, or entertainment requests well in advance of the party. Venues will be hosting multiple Christmas parties, and having a trail of emails will save a lot of work on the big day.
The party planners that put in the work will be the ones that win. You also will have not only the best Christmas party of the year but also one of the best Christmas party locations in the world.