Forget summer holidays and barbecues, in the events industry July is the month when Christmas parties pop up on the agenda with many venues already revealing their Christmas party packages.
The recession may have seen some Christmas parties kicked to the curb in the past, but Tim Stevens, Managing Director of Christmas party supplier Best Parties Ever says there is a sense of optimism around Christmas parties this year with companies seemingly more open to the idea than previously.
“The last few years has proved challenging for everyone in the wake of the recession with budgets being slashed, but there is a quiet confidence returning and companies are starting to think about the festive season and plan what they are going to do.”
Stevens goes on to say that enquiries for this festive season are robust with the company receiving its “best level of spring enquiries for many years and provisional bookings up 22 per cent on this time last year”.
Richard Longhill, Managing Director at Vivid Experience, adds that while the Christmas party market has been challenging over the past five years they have found that as company directors in the business sector have become more careful with their money and, he says, have maybe been less inclined to give pay rises or expand the business quite so quickly, a Christmas party has been an economical way to reward staff and boost morale.
“Clients have also become more discerning about where they spend their money and we’ve felt the benefit of that. We’ve had clients return to us after trying a party venue towards the budget end of the market and choosing to spend a bit more money again. Last year, Champagne sales and cocktail bar revenue was well up on previous years, which tells you a lot.”
While Best Parties Ever, which is working with Cheltenham Racecourse on its Christmas parties, has now incorporated a live band into more than half of its sites to meet demand for live music, The Science Museum has noticed a move away from more bespoke parties and instead has seen an increase in demand for its party packages.
“Over the past few years, we’ve mainly been offering Christmas parties on a bespoke basis, but recently we’ve seen a shift in the market trend as more corporates demand an all-inclusive price per head package,” says Communications Manager for Events at The Science Museum, Alicia Earls. “Whereas before our clients were looking for a carte blanche option, there is now high demand for packages.”
Vivid Experience’s Longhill agrees and says that moving with the times is key, hence the company offering a greater range of parties at different price points and with different packages.
“A couple of years ago we wouldn’t have run an all-inclusive night, however the market has demanded it and at two of our venues they are the most popular nights so far. We’ve tended to move away from the heavily themed nights based around countries and more towards nights based around entertainment.”
Vivid Experience and the NEC in Birmingham have teamed up this year to create ‘Christmas Party World’, which will take over the entire Hall 12 at the NEC. With 10,000sqm of flexible event space, it can be expanded or decreased in size to accommodate exclusive clients of between 500-3,500 guests, as well as a series of mixed party nights. The 2013 theme will be ‘Cirque’ based with aerial permances taking advantage of the venue’s 10m internal height.
“The offering this year will be on a different scale to previous years and the intention is that it will lead the UK in terms of size and guest experience,” says MD at the NEC, Kathryn James. “There’s a lot of competition within the business and if organisers want their parties to stand out, the bar has been raised high by some good party operators in the industry.”
Longhill says there has been a marked pick-up in ticket sales this year which he hopes will bode well for the NEC Christmas party. “Our first marketing push has been encouraging and we received around 300 enquiries for parties within the first week, which is above average for us when opening a new site. We expect to sell around 15,000 tickets this year at the NEC.”
As well as being able to offer exclusive parties, the NEC Group offers themed party nights at the ICC for shared parties through its partnership with JD Parties.
“The partnership with JD Parties has been a great success,” says James. “We’ve seen a 15 per cent growth year-on-year and are looking at increased nights and availability this year to meet demand. In fact, a booking for 1,400 is already in place for this year’s Venetian Masquerade themed party experience.”
Rachel Rolfe, Creative Director at Fisher Productions, which is working with the Science Museum on its ‘Big Christmas Party’ package, says Christmas parties are more than “a jolly for the staff”.
“Companies want to see their employees align with their brand as stakeholders in the business as this allegiance is crucial to the company’s success. Christmas parties are an opportunity to network across all levels and create a feeling of oneness through the whole organisation,” she says.
Rolfe says one of the most challenging Christmas parties worked on by Fisher Productions was an over-the-top party for a corporate client in a derelict building. “The venue was perfect because the party was for 3,000 guests and was the only space in London large enough, but there were no toilet facilities. We had to build two complete sets of 10 fully-working cubicles and deal with the plumbing and drainage back through the building.”
With the need to offer more variety for Christmas parties evident, central London venue 8 Northumberland Avenue will offer two creative themes for 2013. Its Old Billiard Room will be transformed into the Sugar Palace, a fairy-tale playground with giant gummy bears, edible table centrepieces and oversized lollipops.
Alternatively, guests can ‘Rock the Ballroom’ in the venue’s Victorian Ballroom. With the help of holographic 3D entertainment specialists, Musion, guests will think they are watching top artists perm live on stage at their very own private gig through 3D holographic technology.
“Our packages this year include a number of ‘firsts’ for the events industry with amBX and Musion, so even the most seasoned party goer will enjoy something different this Christmas,” says Director at 8 Northumberland Avenue, Charles Boyd.
Sporting stadiums are also getting into the Christmas spirit with a range of packages on offer. Headingley Carnegie Stadium, home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club, is offering a trio of evenings this year including a New York themed Ladies Night, a Bollywood night and a Hollywood theme.
For football fans getting into the Christmas spirit, Goodison Park, home to Everton FC, is offering a Festive Fun party package that includes entertainment from Swing ‘n’ Soul, disco and photobooth. While over in Newcastle, St James’ Park’s Christmas party programme includes Festive Party nights and Hot Fork Buffet Party nights as well as Christmas with Bells on; a Black Tie, dinner and dancing evening on 13 December.
Not forgetting those cricket fans out there, Lord’s Cricket Ground is offering a ‘Christmas Live’ party package in its Thomas Lord Suite. A reception or three-course dinner for 150-400 guests will be followed by the client’s choice of DJ and one of three entertainment options: Rat Pack-style cabaret from Christmas Swing; favourite songs from the stage by West End Musicals, or retro floor-fillers from Disco Fever.
Jane Blanchard, an organiser from an energy company who has organised Christmas parties at Ascot since 2008, bar one year, says while the first time at a new venue is always “hit and miss, the party went so well we go back each year even though some of the guests have to travel quite far; they are happy to do so”.
“Ascot assigned different acts for different days and took us into London to experience them firsthand. When one of them wasn’t quite suitable for our corporate clients they changed it immediately.
“We are holding a date for Ascot this year, and will hopefully be able to do it all again,” she adds.
The need to offer a variety of different packages is key for Christmas this year, with companies wanting more choice and flexibility to make their parties stand out.
“Gone are the days where people just want a Christmas dinner and disco, which was driven by large companies trying to cater for all tastes,” says Director of Sales at Breadsall Priory, Liz Whitaker. “Like so many things, these days, a one-size -fits-all approach to Christmas event planning just doesn’t cut it in today’s demanding market.
“Get it right and Christmas parties are an opportunity to sell your services to a new and wider group of people than the average event. Creating a memorable party means sending guests out as merry advocates of your brand, Tweeting, posting and tagging themselves in photos from the event to an even wider social network as they go. So get your santa hat ready; I hear holidays a-coming,” says Whitaker.
This was first published in the July/August issue of CN. Any comments? E-mail conferencenews@mashmedia.net
