Christmas Wasn’t Cancelled

2011 was the year the staff made Christmas their own, following a trend towards market fragmentation and the decision-making process shifting to a more local level.

Opening the papers on any day in December and you would invariably stumble across an article about one of the few corporate conglomerates pulling the plug on its Christmas party funding. Whether it was RBS withdrawing its £10 per head subsidy or Unilever cancelling parties in the wake of staff strikes, even the Queen chose to cancel the annual festive bash for 600 guests and staff. It seemed a good time for bad news but our experience of the knock-on effect this had on the Christmas party industry was marginalised by what we see as the great British resolve to keep calm and carry on – it’s Christmas after all. 

Office Christmas saw an increasing number of firms continuing to book their Christmas parties in 2011 by reaching into their own pockets to cover the cost of their tickets, occasionally a +1 guest or partner losing out on an invite in the process. Companies that had traditionally booked a large private party for the whole company to attend together were instead looking at shared party options on a departmental basis, causing a general trend towards market fragmentation and moving away from traditional event formats into more creative ways to make the most of a party budget.

With the decision-making process shifting from head office down to a more regional level, staff were able to choose the type of party that was right for them, be it a themed party, comedy night, live band or black tie dinner. The scrutiny on package inclusions was greater than ever in 2011, and value for money hit home all the more when spending employee’s own personal money.

In the wake of pay freezes, cuts and redundancies sweeping most work places over the past few years, Christmas remains a focal point of the year and, most importantly, the opportunity to build staff morale with a positive and fun-spirited event.