A company Christmas party in the mountains is more than dinner at a restaurant next to the office. Going away – even for one evening – means the team really gets together: no rush, no checking the last bus timetable, in a winter setting that creates a festive mood on its own. Below we’ve gathered everything worth thinking about when organising it: the date, choosing a venue, the menu, activities, a sample evening plan and a checklist for the organiser.
When should you start planning a company Christmas party?
Ideally in autumn. Company Christmas parties mainly take place from the end of November until around 20 December, and the most popular days are Fridays and Saturdays in the first half of December. If you want a specific date and an exclusive hall, book it in September or October. By November there are usually only a few free dates left – more often midweek.
Before you start sending enquiries, run a quick survey in your team: Thursday or Friday, with or without accommodation, dinner only or dinner with activities. A few minutes at the start saves many changes later.
How to choose a venue for a company Christmas party in the mountains?
- Travel time – for most companies a trip of up to 1–1.5 hours from the office is reasonable. A longer journey in December, in the dark and in winter conditions, takes time that could be spent celebrating together.
- Exclusive hall – a Christmas party is about a family atmosphere. Check whether the hall is reserved just for your company and whether everyone will fit at the tables.
- Accommodation in the same venue – nobody has to watch the clock or look for transport after the party.
- Kitchen – ask for a sample menu and about vegetarian options.
- Indoor activities – winter weather can be unpredictable, so a sauna, games room or hut with a fireplace come in handy.
- Formalities – VAT invoice, quote turnaround time and booking terms.
Christmas party with accommodation or dinner only?
Dinner only works well when the company is nearby and the get-together is meant to last a few hours. A Christmas party with accommodation has a completely different atmosphere: nobody leaves early to catch a train, conversations move to the games room or sauna, and breakfast together the next morning rounds off the trip at a relaxed pace.
More and more companies combine their Christmas party with team building. Day one is the year-end review and a festive dinner, day two – outdoor activities and the journey home after lunch.
What to serve at a company Christmas party?
A company Christmas party doesn’t need all twelve traditional Polish Christmas Eve dishes. The format that works best is: a starter, a soup of your choice, two main courses of your choice, a cold buffet and dessert. For example:
- soup: red borscht with dumplings or mushroom soup with noodles,
- main courses: carp with potatoes and braised cabbage, pierogi with potato & cheese and with cabbage & mushrooms, cabbage rolls with buckwheat and mushrooms, or trout,
- cold buffet: herring in oil, herring salad, Greek-style fish, salmon roulade, cheese board,
- for dessert: cheesecake, poppy-seed cake and dried-fruit compote.
Collect information about diets in advance – the kitchen can easily prepare a vegetarian version if it knows the number of portions.
Activities for a company Christmas party in the mountains
- Torch-lit sleigh ride – a sleigh ride through the winter forest (subject to snow conditions).
- Bonfire and mulled wine in the barbecue hut – in a highland hut with a fireplace, even when it’s freezing.
- Highland folk band – live music and carol singing together.
- Highwaymen raid – a highland show combined with a traditional feast.
- Sauna and jacuzzi – the perfect end to the evening at a Christmas party with accommodation.
- Paintball – for teams who want a bit of exercise on day two.
Sample plan for a company Christmas party with accommodation
- 15:00–16:00 – arrival and check-in,
- 17:00 – year-end review or a short official part,
- 18:00 – Christmas dinner, sharing the Christmas wafer and wishes,
- 20:00 – sleigh ride or bonfire with mulled wine,
- 21:30 – highland folk band, carols and dancing,
- late evening – sauna, jacuzzi, billiards and table football,
- morning – breakfast and the journey home, or a second day of team building.
Checklist for the company Christmas party organiser
- set the budget and approximate number of guests,
- choose 2–3 possible dates,
- decide: with or without accommodation,
- request quotes from several venues and compare exactly what’s included,
- collect information about diets,
- choose activities and plan the evening,
- arrange transport – one minibus for the whole group is easiest,
- prepare the Christmas wafer, wishes and any gifts,
- confirm the final number of guests a few days before the event.
Read more about costs in the article How much does a company Christmas party cost?, and companies from Silesia are invited to read Company Christmas party for companies from Silesia.
Company Christmas party in the Beskids – By the Waterfall
If you’re looking for a venue in the Beskids, we invite you to By the Waterfall (Nad Wodospadem) in Międzybrodzie Bialskie, at the foot of Żar Mountain. We have a banquet hall for up to 70 people, a room for up to 45 and the cosy Wodospad room for up to 28 with a view of our waterfall. We can accommodate about 50 people in our rooms, and on site there’s a sauna, jacuzzi, games room and barbecue hut. And after dinner – Italian pizza from our cooks. It’s about 25 minutes from Bielsko-Biała and about 1 h 15 min from Katowice.
The “Company Christmas Party” package costs from 119 PLN per person. See company Christmas party packages or call +48 796 862 060 – we’ll prepare a quote within 24 hours.