Year-end party ideas

Year-end party ideas for companies: plan the whole night

Everything to plan a company year-end party in the right order: when to start, the theme, the running order, the awards, the games and the lucky draw, with a checklist for the last week. It works for 30 people in a restaurant or 1,000 in a ballroom.

When to start

  • Eight to ten weeks before: book the venue and the date. December weekends go first.
  • Six weeks before: choose the theme, the emcee and the prizes budget.
  • Four weeks before: send the invitation and ask about dietary needs.
  • Two weeks before: set up the activities and the running order.
  • One week before: rehearse every activity on the real screen.

Pick a theme people can dress for

A theme gives guests something to talk about before the night and makes the Best Dressed award work.

  • A Night of Gold, Great Gatsby or Hollywood glamour
  • Retro: the 70s, 80s or 90s
  • Around the world: guests come in the dress of any country
  • Masquerade, or simply black and white
  • A festive theme for the season: Christmas, Lunar New Year or a winter wonderland

A running order that keeps the room

For a four-hour dinner, put the speeches early and the big moments late, and never more than 20 minutes without something happening.

  • 7.00 pm: arrival, photo wall open, welcome drinks
  • 7.30 pm: welcome speech, first course
  • 8.00 pm: quiz round, Best Dressed voting opens
  • 8.30 pm: year in review and long-service awards
  • 9.00 pm: games between courses, a performance or two
  • 9.45 pm: Best Dressed winners
  • 10.00 pm: lucky draw, grand prize last
  • 10.30 pm: group photo and goodbye

The moments people remember

  • Awards: staff vote for colleague awards (best team player, best newcomer) on their phones the week before, and the winners are revealed on the night.
  • Best Dressed: the room votes live; the race on the screen is part of the fun.
  • Lucky draw: every guest is in it, the prizes climb through the night, and the grand prize closes the party.
  • Quiz: tables play as teams, with a round about your own company.
  • Thank-you wall: guests post photos and messages; you keep them as the year's album.

Budget tips

  • Spend on the lucky draw and the screen, not on decorations nobody remembers.
  • Ask suppliers and partners to sponsor prizes; they often say yes for a thank-you on the screen.
  • One run sheet, shared with the emcee, the AV crew and the venue.

Last-week checklist

  • The staff list for the lucky draw is final and uploaded.
  • Every activity has been tested on the real screen and on a phone.
  • The emcee has the running order and knows which button runs what.
  • Someone other than the emcee runs the screen.
  • The prizes are labelled and at the stage.
  • The Wi-Fi works in the ballroom, or guests can use mobile data.

Try it free

Plan the quiz, the voting, the awards and the lucky draw in one Yaypick event, and rehearse with up to 20 people for free.

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