Christmas Parties 2015 – To Theme or Not to Theme?

The debate about whether themes for Christmas parties are great or gratuitous rages on, and so we are following up on our discussion from last year.

Once again, we took to the LOVES group on LinkedIn to test the mood amongst London leading event professionals…

[feature-box imgid=”undefined” link=”” title=”Lerease Sweeney” linktitle=”” colour=”yellow” icon=”comments” ]Events, Lettings and Reception Manager at City of Westminster College[/feature-box]

“People want talking points, which I’m sure most of our venues are, and sometimes the hard work lies in being creative for some organisers. Packaged theming ideas strip that hard work away which is great and ultimately gives them a nudge for something more memorable”

“I work at Stationers’ Hall, which is already equipped with beautiful décor and doesn’t need excessive theming to transform any of the rooms. I think that the focus of a Christmas package should be on the quality of the food and service because those are two key aspects to every event. The theming and décor can be added on to the package price if there is room in the budget.

[feature-box imgid=”undefined” link=”https://itavenues.wpenginepowered.com/venues/stationers-hall/” title=”Suzy Khan” linktitle=”” colour=”grey” icon=”comments” ]Events Executive at Chester Boyd, Stationers’ Hall[/feature-box]

“Don’t get me wrong though: I do enjoy it when a client wants to build a theme into their party, I especially love using lighting to transform the rooms and create really atmosphere!”

[feature-box imgid=”undefined” link=”https://itavenues.wpenginepowered.com/venues/zsl-london-zoo/” title=”Chelsey Hoefkens” linktitle=”” colour=”yellow” icon=”comments” ]Sales Manager at Events and Hospitality, ZSL London Zoo[/feature-box]

“We also have a simple theme which incorporates our unique selling point…animals! “Christmas with a hint of animal” has been our theme for the past 2 years and we have found it really successful. The main reason is that clients almost have a blank canvas with this theme – they can use it as much or as little as they want to, and it doesn’t take away from the excellent service and great food.”

“Here at Egg London, we incorporate a simple theme that can be worked on. This gives the creative client scope to go crazy, and those with very little imagination some sort of theme.”

[feature-box imgid=”undefined” link=”” title=”Priya Narain” linktitle=”” colour=”grey” icon=”comments” ]Corporate Events Assistant, Egg London[/feature-box]

[feature-box imgid=”undefined” link=”https://itavenues.wpenginepowered.com/venues/the-law-society/” title=”Leeanne Beton” linktitle=”” colour=”yellow” icon=”comments” ]Events and Sales Executive, The Law Society[/feature-box]

“Last year at The Law Society we went with a simple and traditional Christmas parties theme. This proved to be more popular than other years, and we are sticking with it in 2015. This ensures that the venue has a great Christmas atmosphere but allows clients to also incorporate their own decoration and theming if they wish.

“Less is definitely more when it comes to theming!”

“Last year the Royal College of Surgeons had the most Christmas parties we have ever had, and I believe this to be largely down to our simple theme. Clients liked that we were a historic, beautiful venue and small traditional Christmas touches secured the deal for us. The clients then had the option to upgrade their theming and entertainment to make it as festive as they wished

[feature-box imgid=”undefined” link=”https://itavenues.wpenginepowered.com/venues/royal-college-of-surgeons/” title=”Jade harrison” linktitle=”” colour=”grey” icon=”comments” ]Business Development Co-ordinator, Royal College of Surgeons[/feature-box]

“Stripped back packages with a focus on great catering and the ability to upgrade theming are definitely the way to go in my opinion…”

Our Christmas Specialist, Laura’s Conclusion

[feature-box imgid=”7049″ link=”” title=”Laura pearce” linktitle=”” colour=”yellow” icon=”comments” ]Special Events Executive[/feature-box]

I must say I do love a themed event, although for Christmas I do have to agree with Suzy – the majority of our venues have a huge amount of character, style and class that already gives the guests a ‘wow’ factor for their Christmas party. You can really with the existing features and colours of a venue by using simple but effective lighting and decoration and not over-doing it. This can also save time and money.

All venues are different and themes that work well for some just don’t suit others, so this year we have decided to keep our Classic Christmas theme for our exclusive venues, and let the space do the talking!

Having said this, theming, if done well, can really add an extra element of fun for a party and help the organiser to set the scene for the rest of their event planning. The beauty of our venues is that, should our clients decide they would like to introduce a theme to their Christmas party, we can help bring this to life with our creative genius and contacts with our preferred partners.