How To Make Your Corporate Holiday Party a Smash Hit for Everyone

Work parties can be so much fun if done well – but when a corporate gathering isn’t planned with intention, well, it’s anything but jolly.

This holiday season, elevate your office holiday party or corporate gathering with these simple tips from holiday party pros.

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Personalize your corporate holiday party

A canned corporate gift isn’t on anyone’s wish list this holiday season. Adding personal touches to gifts can be a great option to show care, but personalizing a holiday party can be so much more than just a gift card to a frequent coffee shop. “Employees want to feel cherished and seen by their employers,” says Andrea Paganelli, marketing manager for Elevate Entertainment. “Sending out a form for employees to submit their favorite holiday song for the playlist or a slideshow of holiday photos of their families, submitted by team members, can be easy ways to personalize an event. Creating an experience for your employees shows that you know them.”

Elevate the photo experience

Extend the magic of a great party with photos sent directly to your guests’ phones. Elevate Entertainment’s new Paparazzi AI Experience combines facial recognition technology with holiday party candids, delivered to guests’ phones. When guests arrive, a photographer will snap a quick photo and ask for a phone number for their photos to be texted to. Then, the AI technology will recognize and send photos featuring their faces throughout the event. “When the party's over, guests want the fun to continue with photos they can share online,” said Paganelli. “Paparazzi AI makes every guest feel like were a VIP, and that’s how employees should feel.”

Invest in live entertainment

Create an immersive experience that feels truly magical with live entertainment. Professional musicians don’t just bring an ambiance, they bring a skillset to bring everyone into the fun. Professional Jazz Singer Laura B. French plays with jazz musicians who respond to the energy of a crowd, playing tunes that connect with guests at any corporate party. “We love taking familiar, beloved holiday tunes and performing them in dozens of different ways – whether that’s ‘Jingle Bells’ as a bossa nova, swing or ballad,” she says. “But when you hear a live singer belt a familiar holiday tune, it's not just about the music—it’s about finding that connection with the audience. That’s the beauty of music; it helps bring people together."

Raise the bar of holiday events

With sober curious and mocktails trending topics on TikTok, Gen Z to Baby Boomer team members need more food and drink options than ever. Be inclusive with your menus, offering signature mocktails, a gluten-free appetizer and don’t just consider, cater to specific dietary restrictions of any team member. “It’s all about creating more inclusivity within your event,” said Paganelli. “Incorporating food and drink options for every diet, every choice, but also creating a photo experience that roams to them. Making your employees feel like the party was planned with them in mind shows that you love and care about them; that’s a gift that lasts long beyond the holidays.”