The Christmas Party Thread ! !

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The annual pressure to book the best spot in town for a killer festive bash (which has only been enhanced by two years of lockdowns) is a classic conundrum for those tasked with organising the office Christmas party. This often results in last-minute, below-par parties with cheap wine and a bowl of nibbles, but what if we told you there was another way to give your team a party they deserve?

Allow us to present - the January Christmas party! With more availability for those impossible-to-book venues, less stress to pin down suppliers, and the chance to boost your team through the January Blues as a bonus, here’s why we think it’s the Next Big Thing.

More flexibility with dates
Post-pandemic, offices up and down the country are desperate to unite their team for a festive celebration. In fact, the number of people typing in 'office Christmas party' on Google is currently the highest it has been since 2018. With this desire to get back to normal and the high demand for dates in November and December, it can be really tricky to lock in a preferable date during these months.

January is a notoriously quiet month in the events world, so there often tends to be a lot more availability with venues and suppliers, and subsequently a better chance to find a date that works better for your team. Bailey Whitnell, Business Development Manager at Swingers London, has noted a rising interest in January parties too:

Better pricing
Christmas is arguably the busiest time of the year for parties and celebratory events, which makes it an expensive time of year too. Venues and suppliers are extremely busy and in-demand, so they can charge higher rates.

January, on the other hand, is a much quieter month for bookings. This means venue and supplier costs aren't as high and organisers can lock in their preferred dates and times for a fraction of the cost in December.

Less time pressure
November and December is an extremely busy period for all of us, in both our professional and personal lives. Those who work in the events/hospitality industry are particularly swamped and won't necessarily have time to attend a party whilst planning everyone else's! We chatted to Amy Williams, Head of Sales at Fairgame, who told us that most of their Christmas parties booked in for January are currently mainly for hospitality businesses, so it seems event planners are indeed starting to favour January for their celebrations.

Even if you're not in the hospitality industry, a January party takes the pressure off and means that your attendees have one less thing to make time for in the busiest season of the year! It also gives you more time to organise, too.

Less January blues
It's very common to experience feelings of sadness and low mood after the action-packed Christmas period, which is usually filled with family, friends, and festive plans. When January rolls around (including Blue Monday, which in 2023 will be on the 16th January), bank balances are stretched, the nights are dark, and everyone's feeling a little, well, deflated.

So what better way to cheer up your team than to bring them down for a night of fun