Ready or not, the holiday season is quickly approaching! Have you already starting brainstorming some new ideas to make your holiday parties really pop?

Either way, take a look at these three holiday ideas (for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Winter / Christmas) that will help create a seasonal event your attendees won’t forget!


1. Have a Signature Cocktail

We all know that people love limited-time food and beverage experiences (i.e. girl scout cookies, pumpkin spice lattes) so why not piggyback on this hype for your event?

  • For Winter / Christmas: Winter Moscow Mule (a cocktail to cover all December holidays!)

2. Make Your Decor “Instagramable”

One of our favorite aspects of planning any holiday party is creating an environment that you attendees want to capture for social media. Hint, hint: don’t forget to promote your hashtag!

  • For Halloween: Who doesn’t love to get a little scared from time to time! Try using: dry ice, cobwebs, black LED candles, skeleton bones, and varying size pumpkins.

To take it up a notch: Book a caricaturist or artist to come in and capture quick sketches of your guests in all of their Halloween attire!

  • For Thanksgiving: This event should feel like a celebration of thanks for a year’s hard work. Consider using: yellow and red leaves, greenery, rustic accents, varying size gourds, and cream LED candles.

To take it up a notch: Include a huge whiteboard station where your attendees can write what they are thankful for.

  • For Winter / Christmas: This event is the last thing your attendees will remember about you for the calendar year, so you should try to make it your ultimate showstopper. Try using LOTS of the following: huge bows, holiday lights of varying color, walls lined in wrapping paper, and hanging snowflakes.

To take it up a notch: Consider having Santa visit with a full mall decor display OR go the winter formal route and create a prom-like backdrop!

3. Include a Volunteer Aspect

During the holiday season, people typically feel more inclined to give back to those in real need and help do their part in taking care of their local community. Incorporating a volunteer aspect to your event will allow your attendees to feel like they’re doing their part to help.

  • For Halloween:  Host a Candy Drive (or something healthier). Ask your attendees for sealed bags of candy to donate to the US troops via groups like Operation Gratitude or another local organization near you.
  • For Thanksgiving: Host a Food Drive. Ask your attendees for canned food items to donate to your local community food bank.
  • For Winter / Christmas: Host a Toy Drive. Ask your attendees to provide a wrapped gift to donate to a local holiday toy drive.

When it comes to planning an event, you OBVIOUSLY want people to attend, especially considering how much time and money you’re putting into it. But event promotion…that’s a full-time job in itself!

We’ve got some tips! Check them out in our free guide, Event Marketing: Promotional Tactics to Amplify Attendance!

{{cta(‘2d12f8bf-7a09-481f-8b59-47f4307eb400’)}}