How to Save Your Company Christmas Party

Have we taken for granted the end of year free-flowing champagne and the nights out at fancy soirées?

This year has been difficult to describe! Had someone told us at the start of the year that what lies ahead would be a summer that mostly spent at home, our holidays cancelled and travel plans disrupted to the point of disbelief, we would not have believed it!

The year has flown by, and while the future we once took for granted was pulled from our reach, we can’t help but think… What about Christmas? 

The new normal we expected by summer is still yet to come. And with less than 100 days left until the 25th of December, Christmas is virtually around the corner. It’s time for people to start thinking about how they are going to throw this year’s Christmas bash, online? With the persistence of the pandemic and an increasing number of local lockdowns putting a damper on our future festive spirit, it might be the right time to think about how important Christmas parties actually are?

Brands that genuinely care about their people and their customers approach the end of the year celebration not just as an opportunity to throw a great party. This is a time to acknowledge their employees and customers for being integral to another successful year and that without a positive relationship with both, perhaps the festive budget might not be so flush.   

In the past, we took for granted the end of year free-flowing champagne, the nights out at fancy soirées, entertaining conversations with tipsy colleagues. The pleasure of meeting and greeting clients in person while wining and dining them was a reminder that companies do care.

There is no shortage of advice from highly successful business leaders like Jean-Claude Biver talking about the importance of taking care of customers in times of crisis. Biver, LVMH Group Non-Executive President of the Watch Division recently said “you should never lose contact with your client because you have to recreate contact afterwards, people will remember…”.

Arianna Huffington. Photo: Felix Wong

Biver went on to say “During a crisis, how can the crisis be our friend and not our enemy? Because if the crisis is the enemy, you are lost, you cannot win. So, when the crisis becomes your friend, then you have the synergy of the crisis and you can take market share.”

We are experiencing one of the most challenging phases of our lifetime, and we all need to look for ways of how we can help and support each other. We have been isolated for months, separated from colleagues, experiences and culture, reconditioned to work from the kitchen table and our positive approach to perseverance is wavering. 

“We are frazzled when we are exhausted, it’s super hard to be empathetic. And it’s very hard to be creative and deal with the growing stresses of living in this very uncertain time,” said Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, on the recent CNBC @Work livestream event, Leadership & Management Amid Crisis.

Scientific evidence shows that when we are under stress, our brains are less productive and have less capacity to think creatively. December is actually the most stressful time of the year for 42 per cent of workers, while another survey found that 23 per cent of the British employees feel more stressed in the lead up to Christmas. This is partly due to the fact that December is one of the shortest working months, with as few as 20 working days due to Bank Holidays. This, coupled with the fact many workplaces are closed between Christmas and New Year, means employees are often under huge pressure to get all their work done and ensure targets are met before the end of the year. With travel off the cards this year, the usual escape for the holidays means that people are more likely to be more stressed over the holiday period.

Winter is around the corner and companies have an opportunity to strengthen their leadership by shifting the energy of the crisis. Companies can create a positive movement by taking care of their people and customers this Christmas by coming up with creative and innovative ways to celebrate and acknowledge their loyal teams and customers.

One company that is offering an alternative to the traditional Christmas party this year is Satopia. With the launch of the Virtual Christmas Experience for companies and brands to co-host an online event with high profile hosts.

With three themes to choose from, Rejuvenate, Celebrate or Appreciate, Satopia will design a virtual experience with hosts such as celebrity chefs for virtual masterclasses or inspirational talks and guided meditations by world-renowned wellness experts.

If you are feeling bold, you can have a talk show host or famous comedian join your virtual office party and interact with employees. All virtual experiences are coupled with a box of luxury items related to the theme, from fluffy dressing gowns to cocktail making sets, delivered to your doorstep before the live event.

Giving employees and your most valued customers something to look forward to at the end of the year can have a significant positive impact. Making people feel valued and appreciated for their hard work, the new challenges they have faced this year, and acknowledging loyal customers for the on-going support matters in times like these. These experiences are sure to give people something to talk about with a shared experience and a positive way to end the year.