The research, which canvassed insights from a broad range of industries such as banking and pharmaceuticals, also showed that 72% of businesses host a Christmas party every year without fail. In contrast, only 9% of companies opt out of festive celebrations entirely.

The larger the organisation, the more likely they are to celebrate, with only 2% of businesses with over 1,000 employees skipping the occasion. This suggests that size influences the importance placed on end-of-year festivities.

Spending on corporate Christmas parties has steadily increased. In 2024, businesses spent an average of £172 per head, up from £160 in 2022. This growth aligns with a wider trend of increased investment, with 61% of companies allocating over £150 per person for their celebrations, while just 5% spend less than £75. The rising figures reflect a heightened focus on creating memorable and high-quality festive experiences for employees.

Businesses are also starting to plan their parties earlier in the year, with a noticeable increase in enquiries during July and August in both 2023 and 2024. This marks a shift from the post-COVID trend in 2022, where plans were typically finalised later, around September or October.

Given the busyness of the festive season, 40% of senior business leaders now outsource their Christmas party planning to professional events organisers, while 29% sometimes seek external help. Only 28% manage the entire process in-house.

The survey also highlighted an appetite for more engaging activities at Christmas parties. Respondents noted that enhancing entertainment and incorporating interactive games could make the experience more enjoyable, with comments such as: "More fun activities to make sure employees have a fun-filled party" and "For improvements, I would suggest including more interactive games."

Additional take outs from the research include:

• 60% believe ‘employee good time’ to be the most important thing when planning a Christmas party, followed by cost [21%] and location [11%]
• Socialising with colleagues [28%], Food and drink [26%], and theme and atmosphere [24%] are the main things respondents enjoyed about their Christmas party last year

Qamile Zejnullahi, Group Marketing Director of Camm & Hooper, mentioned: “The corporate Christmas party is definitely one of the most anticipated and celebrated events on the work Christmas calendar. We've observed a growing trend where organisations are reaching out and starting their event planning earlier starting in 2023. This perfectly aligns with over 70% of businesses moving up their Christmas celebration timelines.”