How to organise Christmas drinks at work without turning them into a second job

Somewhere between year-end deadlines, someone asks who is sorting the Christmas drinks. It sounds easy until you need a date that works across the team, an accessible place to meet and a plan for getting everyone home. Keep it small if small is what people want. It is a chance to catch up, not a production.

Decide what sort of gathering this is

Is it an hour together at the office or a whole evening out? Ask how many people will come, whether colleagues from other sites need to travel and what you can spend. The answer tells you much more than picking a theme first.

If you are planning a full party with a venue and entertainment, the company party planning guide covers that. Here the focus is a shorter end-of-year get-together.

Pick a date people can actually make

Offer two or three dates, checking leave and shift patterns before committing. If December is already packed, early January works too. For an external venue, ask what is included and when final numbers are due. There is no single booking deadline that applies everywhere.

Make the invitation useful

Say where and when the drinks start and finish, whether food is substantial enough to replace dinner and whether people need to reply. Ask about dietary needs without asking anyone to justify them. Include remote and part-time colleagues, not only the people you saw in the office this morning.

Food, drinks and the person who locks up

Finger food works better than a complicated meal if people are standing. Put non-alcoholic drinks where they are as easy to reach as the wine. Plan for allergies with whoever is providing the food. If you are using the office, decide who will deal with glasses, bins and the building at the end of the night.

A loose running order

For drinks straight after work, this is one possible schedule, not a rule:

• 5.30 pm: guests arrive and grab a drink.
• 6.00 pm: bring out food, including something filling.
• 6.30 pm: a short thank-you if there is something to say.
• 7.30 pm: last drinks and unhurried goodbyes.
• 8.00 pm: finish, tidy up and lock up.

A quiz or novelty jumper is fine if people enjoy it. Nobody needs a compulsory activity to have a conversation.

The final week and afterwards

Confirm numbers and delivery times. Check coats, toilets, seating and transport home. Ask one colleague to be the contact for suppliers. Before sharing photos, tell people who will see them and follow your workplace policy and any consent requirements.

If colleagues want to contribute their own pictures, a QR code through Partylio can collect them in one place and optionally show them on a screen during the gathering. Agree first which photos stay within the team. For larger gatherings, see our corporate events page.