Since the beginning of September, we have experienced a veritable tsunami of Christmas Party enquiries, from this 5 key trends have emerged:

1. Thursdays are the new Friday

With so many having missed out on a Christmas party last year, demand is set to be higher than usual this season. As a result, venues may well be fully-booked over the weekend, meaning Thursday or a mid-week midweek night could be a better – and cheaper – option.

1. Bye-bye buffet, hello bowl food!

Be prepared to say farewell to the buffet table. While the situation is ever-changing, plenty of venues and caterers are adapting their approach this year, offering canapés, bowl food, and sit-down Christmas meals instead.

1. Business meets pleasure

For many, this year’s Christmas function may be the first time the whole company is reunited in the same room in two years. As such, expect to see more “combined” events, with conferences or awards ceremonies segueing into a festive lunch/dinner.

1. Let me entertain you

With live events only just returning, this Christmas we’re predicting a rise in seated entertainment as a Covid-cautious alternative. Shows are set to be a popular choice – think comedy slots and cabaret performances instead of the usual packed bars and clubs.

1. A longer booking season

Whatever your chosen party format, Christmas event-planning is shaping up to be a particularly competitive process this year. Bear in mind some companies have already got events booked due to postponements from 2020 – this is the year to get in early!

6. Sustainability is king (+queen and price)

Some felt that the harsh economic realities of a post covid world would push questions of sustainability to the back burner, this certainly has not happened. A venues sustainable credentials is one of the top 3 questions by clients, see HERE for our top sustainable venues., or HERE for a green venue accreditation scheme.

Here at the venue booker we are booking venues for Christmas Parties / Conferences & Meetings all day every day, that is all we do. In this era of non-comparable contracts, massive price fluctuations etc the value of a venue finding agent has never been greater. We can and will save you time and money.