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Published October 27, 2016    

When choosing a corporate holiday party venue, a hotel seems to be a go-to place. When it comes to corporate parties and conferences, however, there seems to be some pro’s and con’s to that idea. I wanted to take a moment to tell you two stories about businesses, one who chose a hotel as their corporate holiday party venue and one who didn’t, and why.

The Hotel Corporate Holiday Party Venue

I met a business client who would book a hotel for his staff as their annual corporate holiday party venue. Each staff member and their partner were treated to a dinner in a private dining area and after the evening’s activities, could retire to their rooms.

While his staff was captive at dinner, he would give a “state of the company” address and present awards. When done, he would head to his room early and allow the staff to enjoy the dining area and drinks (on their own dime) as long as they wanted. After the dining area closed, the hotel offered a bar with music, and the staff could dance and enjoy the hotel. He didn’t worry about staff driving home drunk, especially with the winter weather outside.

The employer gave the staff an experience and it was something some of them looked forward to every year, while others were a bit indifferent. (It seems this would be true of any perk an employer were to give.) The problem with the hotel corporate holiday party venue concept was that some staff, given the permission to drink as much as they wanted, shifted the business experience to “less than professional”. Additionally, the next morning, some staff (and their partners), were pretty sick from their night of partying.

The Professional Corporate Holiday Party Venue

Another corporate client chose to have a holiday party at a local restaurant with a conference room. They catered dinner for the staff and their partners, as well as their families, if desired. The owner, as well as the management team, would offer some words and awards for certain performance. They loved giving awards with the staff member’s family present, as it seemed to add to the pride the staff member felt when receiving it.

The owner and managers were able to meet their staff’s family, and visa-versa, which built relationships through conversation. By choosing a corporate holiday party venue that was more family friendly, they were able to engage with the staff more professionally.

Just like in the first example, the employer gave the staff an experience and some staff loved it while others where indifferent. The main difference was in the feeling between the two parties. The first one was a reward for the employees and it wasn’t designed for community by which the owners and managers interacted with the front line staff.

Another notable difference was that in the first example, while more corporate in feel than the second, in the end, the professional feeling dissolved into a party atmosphere. The second example allowed the staff and management team to maintain a professional, albeit more casual environment, for the entire event.

If you are looking for a corporate holiday party venue in Denver, we invite you to explore Quebec Place, “The Q”. Located just east of Denver, with free parking and limited traffic, The Q is happy to accommodate your corporate meeting or holiday party for up to 150 people. Avoid the downtown bustle and maintain the professionalism your business deserves. Call today to schedule your ideal date and/or a tour of the property.