The holiday season is a time for giving, for showing gratitude and appreciation to those around us, and celebrating all we’ve accomplished during the year. It’s also party season, with shindigs and galas keeping calendars full until January 2nd. The challenge for planners is to create an office holiday party that will stand out amongst a sea of soirees and give employees a memorable experience. It can be challenging to come up with unique holiday party ideas year after year and all too tempting to set out the karaoke machine and punch bowl and call it an evening. But with the help of Wintrust Sports Complex, party planning committees can treat the office to a night of entertainment, games, great food, and lasting memories.
In this article, we’ll provide some company holiday party ideas and highlight all of the amazing amenities Wintrust offers under one roof.
It’s About the People, Not the Party
When planning a work Christmas party, it is important to remember that your work Christmas party ideas should prioritize showing your staff a good time, not getting bogged down in décor details, a random theme, or replicating the same party the office has been throwing for years. While tradition has a place, of course, making sure hard-working employees have a great time is the main goal of a successful office Christmas party. By choosing a facility that offers activities for everyone, planners can create a corporate Christmas party that feels rewarding instead of mandatory.
Wintrust Sports Complex, the Facility
Whether you’re hosting an intimate office gathering or planning a corporate Christmas party for a Fortune 500, Wintrust Sports Complex’s 116,000-square-foot facility can handle it all. If your holiday party ideas include some friendly competition, our basketball, volleyball, and pickleball courts are a great way to encourage teamwork and employee bonding. You can also use the gymnasium for hosting a larger event. Once adorned with table-clothed tables and chairs and outfitted with all the tech you need for speeches, award ceremonies, slideshows, and media, the gym is a versatile space that can make a variety of company holiday party ideas a reality.
For guests who prefer their games on screen, our 4,000-square-foot redemption arcade features the latest and all-time greatest arcade games, which is especially appealing for the family-friendly office holiday party where kids will be present and eager to partake in the action. For even more active office holiday party ideas, party planners can arrange a laser tag tournament in our 2,000-square-foot arena, which can accommodate up to 20 participants and boasts two levels of obstacles that’ll leave your employees singing, “fa la la la la, la la laser tag!”
Catering and Libations
Organizing a third-party catering service or having to apply for a temporary liquor license are hassles no party planner wants to worry about. Wintrust Sports Complex offers all food and drink services in-house, with an on-site catering team, a full-service kitchen that offers customizable menus of seasonal favorites and festive desserts, a mobile bar serving wine, beer, and cocktails, and excellent service to help streamline your evening.
For a more intimate office Christmas party, smaller companies and businesses can book our on-site restaurant, Station Grille. Featuring a full bar with beer on tap and delightful fare prepared fresh on site, mingling in our restaurant provides a more casual environment for employees to kick back, relax, and enjoy each other’s company out of the office.
Tech the Halls
If your work Christmas party involves handing out awards, giving speeches, and sharing presentations, our meeting rooms can fit as many as 150 guests and come fully loaded with all of the tech you’ll need, including:
· Digital screens with HDMI and Chromecast
· Food and beverage serving stations with refrigerators
· WiFi
· Wireless microphones
· Podiums
· Projectors
· PA systems
· Bluetooth speakers
Dealing with the technical aspects is one of the more tedious parts of planning your office holiday party, but Wintrust meeting rooms have got it covered.
Work Christmas Party Ideas
Thinking of new office holiday party ideas year after year can be a real challenge for party planning committee members with strict budgets and little time. It’s also challenging to plan an event for wide ranges of ages, interests, abilities, and personality types. Wintrust Sports Complex’s facility is super versatile, and our expert staff can help planners realize all kinds of corporate Christmas party ideas. If you’re wracking your brain to come up with something new and exciting for your guests, consider:
· Tournaments: Whether they’re department vs. department, rounds of trivia, or a murder mystery they have to solve, games get guests up and moving, mingling, and making memories.
· Sports: If you’ve got an active crew, a company-wide pickleball competition is a great way to raise the energy.
· Charity: It is the season for giving, after all. Silent auctions are great for more introverted guests to participate, give back, and enjoy themselves all at the same time.
Make Your Work Christmas Party Memorable at Wintrust Sports Complex
When you invite your employees to an event off the clock, the party better be worth their while. Choosing an event space that can accommodate and entertain a wide range of group sizes, interests, activities, and dining preferences takes a lot off the plate of party planners and ensures everyone who attends has a great time. Whether employees want to settle water-cooler beefs on the basketball court or get to know each other better over a themed, house-made cocktail, Wintrust can help create a memorable corporate Christmas party guests will be excited to attend year after year. Our inclusive facility truly has something for everyone. From large corporate gatherings to celebrations for mom-and-pop businesses, our team can take your company holiday party ideas and turn them into lasting memories. Contact our team today to get your event on the books.