10 Alternative Christmas Ideas
When it comes to Christmas, everyone wants to be different. Except it turns out you probably don't. That's because being different sounds like a great idea until you realise that it's more trouble than it's worth and you end up booking another rubber chicken dinner!
Of course, there's nothing wrong with a shared party but you can do something altogether more memorable if you're ballsy enough. Or if you seek out the right shared party, of course.
So, with that in mind, here are some venues for your Christmas ideas, with ten alternatives to another boring Christmas Party.
1. Cook. Aveqia is an innovative Swedish approach to team building. Combine team work with fresh organic ingredients, fine wines, and creative flair in a state of the art kitchen, guided by some of the world's finest chefs. You can even cook reindeer, which is either festive or the opposite of festive, I can't decide! A wonderful way to bring a team together and enjoy the fruits of your collective labour in a stylish Scandinavian environment. I somehow managed to ignore the safety briefing though and sliced my finger off on a mandolin. I now know what a mandolin is.
2. Sing. Lucky Voice. Everybody loves karaoke. Even those who don't, certainly do after a Christmas tipple or two. But Lucky Voice is a next generation, different class of karaoke. With their super cool, state of the art sound booths, plush leather banquettes, Christmas cocktails and perhaps even an inflatable guitar, you and your colleagues will have the perfect platform for festive fun in both Soho and Islington. It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid...!
3. Travel. Through the Wardrobe to another world. One of the most memorable events I've ever attended was one where you had to enter the (vast) venue via a small changing room locker in a lifeless changing room. On the other side was a huge, dramatic, Halloween themed forest. This Christmas party at the Old Truman Brewery conjures a similar Magic by re-creating Narnia on a grand scale. From the Ice Queen's central performance stage to the aerial acrobats above, this is your chance to get the best of both worlds (Earth and Narnia, of course!) - a shared party with a genuine difference.
4. Cruise. All Aboard! How cool would it be to enjoy a sumptuous Christmas dinner, in a totally unique venue none of your guests have ever been to before, which just happens to double up as a floating hotel on the Thames!? With an amazing show and an on site hotel room to retire to after all the fun, what's not to love about a Christmas party aboard the classic cruise ship Boudicca....?
5. Get high. Why not celebrate Christmas on top of the world? Landing 42 is not only the City of London's newest event space, but it's also the highest dedicated events venue in town. This awe inspiring urban space is an impressive destination for even the most seasoned party goer and is guaranteed to take your guests' breath away. With fantastic food options from Create (a full sit down meal to food stations for up to 280 guests) and, arguably the best views in town, Landing 42 is officially higher than Santa's expected flight path...You won't find a (cheese) grater place to party this Christmas!
6. Go West. Ok, so you'd have to be a member of the Soho House group for this one but there aren't too many more Christmassy settings than this beautiful estate farm yard on the edge of the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire's Great Tew (which also happens to be the location of one of the UK's most magical pubs - the Falkland Arms). Soho Farmhouse cleverly combines the two things Londoners want when in the countryside - tranquility without boredom and beautiful surroundings without being too isolated. With an air of rural luxury, of course. There are an array of 40 log cabins to choose from along with the famous Cowshed Spa, an Electric barn cinema, pools, restaurants and even a five a side football pitch! Getting out of town is the new thing and there's nowhere more impressive than this!
7. Get Steamy. Everything's a little big bigger and brasher in America and Steam & Rye is no exception! From their 'Maize Balls' welcome cocktails to their Wild West dress up box and even their famously insane rodeo bull, the former Bank of America will recreate the American Dream for you and your guests in true unabashed glory...
8. Rock! Ok, so we've already established the benefits of Karaoke, and this takes that to a whole new level. Imagine being the lead singer (or even backing singers) for a band that can instantly play (almost) any hit song you can think of, from any decade with their actual instruments! Basically, imagine being a rock star with a full back line and a bunch of awesome musicians following (or keeping up with) every word you sing, shout or even scream! Honestly, this is a brilliant, all inclusive way of really engaging, inspiring and liberating your entire audience. Everyone's a rock star with the One Hit Wonders and they can bring their tour almost anywhere...
9. Going Underground? Cahoots is the place where the spirits are high and they never run dry! Transport yourselves back in time to the late 1940's and a time when Soho's illicit nocturnal escapades were all the rage. Descend the authentic wooden escalators and enter another era in a magically re-created abandoned tube station, complete with a vintage carriage to explore. We predict that Cahoots will be a huge hit this Christmas, especially for those who want to do something totally different.
10. Blow off some Hot air. Christmas is all about magic. And where is more magical than the eclectic and gloriously eccentric Fogg's Tavern on St.Martin's Lane? As the fictional home of Phileas Fogg's late aunt, (famous actress) Gertrude Fogg, the 'Upstairs, Downstairs' theme is just the beginning of a world of treasures you'll uncover in this charming emporium of worldly delights...
Still not satisfied? Well, check out our fabulous and fully comprehensive array of festive corporate packages...
Will Broome, CEO