The opportunity to gather for holiday parties is an important way to recognize your team’s hard work and build brand loyalty. Its importance only grows during a challenging economic year, like 2025 has been, for companies forced to make difficult cuts.
More than ever, event planners need to rely on creativity and innovation as companies understandably rethink how to execute holiday parties this year.
Our team at VIBE recognizes the need to strike the right tone in a tough year between acknowledging the challenges and boosting employee morale, recognizing hard work through a memorable experience that can pave the way to a productive 2026.
“You have to rethink the objective of the holiday party so it’s not just some end-of-the-year bash,” says VIBE founder Valerie Bihet. “It needs to be a curated experience that emphasizes recognition, emotion, connection, and inclusion.”
Here are 5 ways to get your holiday party just right in 2025.
Lean into Immersive Experiences
Planners should lean into immersive elements over elegance.
Tell a story your attendees will embrace, using vibrant entrances, interactive decor, and popular stations like 360 photo booths. The goal is always to create moments guests talk about long after the night ends.
At VIBE, we’ve created immersive experiences that go far beyond the standard party setup. Highlights include:
- We once transformed a ballroom into a “secret garden,” with live greenery walls, fragrance diffusers, and hidden performers guiding guests into the space.
- At a luxury brand launch, guests could personalize digital art pieces on touchscreens, which were then projected live across the venue walls.
- We’ve designed dining stations where chefs prepare molecular cocktails and dishes right in front of attendees, combining taste, sight, and sound into one performance.
- Beyond 360 photo booths, we’ve incorporated AR selfie stations where branded filters and backgrounds made each guest feel like part of the story.
You want your company to be part of the event and not feel like just a guest. This builds companionship and teamwork that will result in stronger bonds going forward.
Ditch the Ballroom
Use this year’s climate as an opportunity to break from the norm of a hotel ballroom and go for a local, independent venue you haven’t visited before.
“People are a little tired of the ballroom,” Valerie says. “They want places that have a lot of character and authenticity.”
After all, you want your attendees to enjoy themselves and feel rewarded for their dedication throughout the year so give them just that. Pick a unique, independent venue that naturally induces conversations.
Rooftop bars, many of which are outfitted with inherent immersive experiences for winter, and art galleries are great alternatives to traditional venues.
Accommodate the Cultural Shift Around Alcohol
A new Gallup survey showed fewer people are drinking alcohol than ever. Event planners should see this as a sign to focus on inclusivity.
Whether you want to call them craft mocktails, zero-proof drinks, spirit-free, or soft cocktails alcohol-free libations are appealing to Generation Z and other younger adults.
Sober-curious individuals, recovering alcoholics, or non-booze drinkers don’t want to settle for water or soda, especially at a party.
You can get really festive with your F&B, like a cranberry-rosemary drink or a citrus-and-spice cooler, both of which are refreshing and are visual treats.
This also means that you need to have on-site activations and engagement options for guests that go beyond “Get a drink at the bar and mingle.”
For example you can bring in a magician or a painter who creates a piece in front of the crowd to get your crowd talking. To add the experience for an international client, we brought in authentic performers, music, and décor elements from their home country to make guests feel transported across the globe.
Open Up the Guest List
Plus-one options are often frowned upon by those looking to keep the expenses down, but going the extra mile to make the party feel more festive conveys a feeling of welcomeness.
In uncertain times, we all want to feel like we belong to something greater than ourselves. Inviting spouses and significant others is a way to subtly tell staff that they are part of a family.
This builds culture and culture is what keeps people loyal to a brand and more engaged in their work.
That emotional connection, perhaps more so than a salary or bonus, can inspire your team to reach their full potential when they get back to work.
Get Creative with Awards
When trying to create an emotional experience, plaques and statues are too static for the occasion.
Etching a person’s name on an award is not really personalizing the moment so much as an item.
Make the recognition more meaningful by turning the award into an activation in which the winners receive a gift (like a nice hat or bag) that they can personalize with monogramming, iron-on decals or buttons. You can also give the gift of an experience like concert tickets or a cookie class, which will create memories more than a static plaque.
A festive holiday spirit can help your team end the year on a high note and set up next year for success. This year’s challenges are an opportunity to think outside of a traditional party. The results could be spectacular.
