Corporate · December
Company holiday party ideas that are not a hotel ballroom
Every idea here comes with a guest range and a budget level, because you need those two numbers before you can propose anything.
- Guests in a private suite
- 10–40 Guests in a private suite
- NBA, NHL and NFL all in season
- Dec NBA, NHL and NFL all in season
- Book by, for a December date
- 6 wks Book by, for a December date
- One space, one contract
- 1 room One space, one contract
What is a good company holiday party idea for 20 to 40 people?
A private suite at a December game. The suite is yours for the evening, and the game gives people something to do besides stand and talk. You sign one contract, with no need to rent a venue and book entertainment separately. We quote it for your date and party size.
- 20–40 guests
- 6 weeks out
- One private room
Fourteen formats that work in December
Listed roughly by how often they get booked.
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01
A private suite at a December home game
This is the most popular choice for good reason. The suite is private, the catering is handled, and nobody has to make conversation for four hours straight. The NBA and NHL both play through December, so most cities have a midweek game.
- 12–40
- Mixed teams
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02
Two adjacent suites for a bigger company
For more than about forty guests, two adjacent suites opened together work better than one large room. People move around and mingle. This takes more lead time than a single suite.
- 40–80
- Whole-office parties
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03
An afternoon game instead of an evening one
A weekend afternoon game ends before dinner, which works well for people with families and cuts the alcohol bill a lot. It is also the lowest-priced time slot at most venues.
- 12–30
- Family-friendly teams
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04
A concert instead of a game
Nobody has to care who is playing, and there are plenty of concert tours in December. This is a good choice when your guests do not all follow sports.
- 12–24
- Mixed-interest groups
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05
Client entertaining split across two dates
If the goal is conversation, two suites on two nights with twelve guests each work better than one night with twenty-four. The cost per guest goes up, and the payoff usually goes up more.
- 2 × 12
- Key accounts
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06
A December hockey night
Two and a half hours, fast and loud, and you do not have to watch every minute. It is a great choice for a team that wants a fun night out more than a networking event.
- 12–20
- Internal teams
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07
A regional office party in a mid-market arena
Columbus, Salt Lake City, Denver. You get the same private suite at a fraction of the price range on the coasts. For a company with several offices, one event per office is easier to justify than one big party.
- 12–20
- Regional offices
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08
A suite plus a private dinner after
The game ends at ten, but the evening does not have to. Book dinner within walking distance of the arena and the group stays together without another drive.
- 12–30
- Client groups
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09
A college football bowl date
Late December, with a strong draw for alumni, and a different experience from a pro game. Bowl games book earlier than NBA games because the dates are set in advance.
- 16–40
- Alumni-heavy firms
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10
A New Year game instead of a December one
Moving the party to the first week of January cuts the competition for dates in half, and often the price range too. Attendance is usually higher as well.
- 12–40
- Tight budgets
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11
An incentive trip built around a big game
For a group of top performers, the game is the reward. In Las Vegas especially, a suite becomes part of a two-day trip and not just one evening.
- 10–24
- Sales incentives
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12
A supplier and partner thank-you
These are the guests who never fit into a company party but always deserve one. A twelve-guest suite is the right size, and it feels personal.
- 10–16
- Partner relations
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13
A board or leadership evening
Small, private and away from the office. A suite gives your leadership group a private room and a good reason to get together.
- 8–14
- Executive groups
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14
A holiday party with a charitable auction
The suite gives you a room full of guests and a natural break to run the auction. It works best at a slower-paced event, such as a baseball game in season or a concert.
- 20–40
- Firms with a foundation
How many people are on the list?
Your group size narrows the choices even before your budget does.
You book a suite as a whole space, so a small group pays for the whole room. Tell us the event and the date and we will suggest what fits a group your size.
The smallest suites fit a group this size comfortably. Arena suites work better than stadium suites here. Twelve guests in a 40-seat football suite can feel empty.
The most common group size. Every venue we cover has suites this size, so you can choose based on the date that works for you.
Upper-level suites and party suites work best. Once a group passes about 30, standing-room layouts work better than fixed seating, because people move around and mingle.
Adjacent suites opened together, or a club space. Talk to us before you build a shortlist. Groups this size need more lead time.
Venues with December dates
Arenas in all of these cities have games through December, so there is almost always a midweek game to consider.
No venue on our list matches that yet. We find suites at many venues that are not listed here. Tell us the date and your group size and we will get back to you with options.
The planner’s December checklist
- Confirm your guest count range before you look at venues. Everything else depends on it
- Set a budget per suite, not per person, so finance sees the real total
- Pick two possible dates, not one. December suites book fast
- Ask for dietary needs with the invitation, not a week before
- Decide early how you will pay for alcohol: by consumption or as a package
- Check how many parking passes you have against how many guests are driving
- Send the guest list a week before the event, with names as they should appear
- Agree on who the day-of contact is, on both sides
Holiday party questions
How far ahead should we book a December date?
What does a company holiday party in a suite cost?
Can we host forty people?
Is catering included?
What if our team has no interest in sport?
LuxuryVIPSuites.com (a dba of TicketEvents.com, LLC) is a resale marketplace provider of luxury suites to events all over North America. LuxuryVIPSuites.com is not affiliated with any team or venue. Prices are set by the sellers and may be above face value.
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