Planning a memorable holiday office party starts with understanding what your employees really want. A well-crafted event survey helps you gather insights on preferences for food, music, venue, and activities—ensuring your celebration reflects your company culture. With SurveyLegend, you can easily create pre- and post-party surveys to measure satisfaction, collect feedback, and make each event better than the last. From dietary accommodations and gift exchange options to inclusivity and recognition ideas, this guide covers everything you need to host a fun, engaging, and stress-free holiday party that boosts morale and brings your team together.
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Mariah Carey or Bing Crosby? Vodka or Coca-Cola? Ugly sweaters or elegant affair? When it comes to company holiday parties, as well as holiday parties hosted at your home or community center, there are many considerations to make. To make the planning easier on you, and to be sure people will enjoy themselves, it helps to create a holiday office party survey.
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Company Holiday Party Survey
A company holiday party survey is a questionnaire distributed to employees to gather feedback and insights about company-sponsored holiday parties. These surveys can be conducted before or after an event to understand preferences, evaluate satisfaction, and improve future events. Analyzing responses from the survey helps identify trends, measure satisfaction, and pinpoint areas for improvement, ensuring each event is more engaging and successful.
Surveys play a crucial role in not only collecting feedback but also in fine-tuning event details to match employee preferences better and align with company culture.
While holiday parties were largely canceled during the pandemic, they’ve made a comeback, with approximately 64% of U.S. companies holding in-person holiday parties, the highest percentage since 2019. This year, the U.S. party and event planning industry is projected to generate $6.9 billion in revenue in 2024, reflecting the significant role of corporate events, including holiday parties, in this sector. Well-organized holiday parties can also boost team morale, fostering a stronger sense of unity and engagement among employees.
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Why Conduct a Holiday Party Survey?
Companies, and even individuals holding holiday parties at their homes, usually via email Christmas party surveys for a number of reasons.
- Understanding Preferences: Surveys help party planners learn what employees value most, such as venue, food, office party activities, and themes.
- Encouraging Participation: Including employees or guests in the planning process can increase engagement and attendance. Making surveys accessible and user-friendly on mobile devices also helps boost response rates, as employees can easily participate using their smartphones or tablets.
- Gathering Feedback: Following the party, planners can see what worked well or not so well to put on a better event the following year. Surveys also help identify which aspects of the event need the most improvement, ensuring continuous enhancement of future parties.
- Showing Care: Asking guests, particularly in the workplace, what they’d like at a party shows that the company values employee input.
- Optimizing Budgets: By focusing on elements employees appreciate most, people and companies can save money by not spending it on unnecessary items or venues.
- Ensuring Inclusivity: More and more, companies want to align with diverse employee needs and preferences. This could be as simple as asking whether to call the event a “Christmas party” or a “Holiday party,” so those who celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanza, or who don’t celebrate at all, don’t feel excluded.
Holding a contest at your office Christmas party or within your neighborhood? Be sure to check out these other blogs!
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Common Topics in a Holiday Party Survey
Here are some common topics to include on a holiday party questionnaire before and after the event, such as Christmas party survey questions that help gather targeted feedback for Christmas-specific celebrations. Using a survey template can help ensure all important topics are covered efficiently and consistently.
Before the Event
- Timing: Preferred date and time (e.g., weekend vs. weekday, evening vs. daytime).
- Venue Options: In-office, offsite, virtual, or hybrid.
- Food and Drink Preferences: Catering styles, dietary restrictions, and alcohol availability.
- Entertainment: Music, games, gift exchange, speeches, awards, or other activities.
- Themes: Feedback on potential party themes or dress codes.
- Invitations: Clarity and effectiveness of event invitations, including whether they provided all necessary information and set expectations.
- Party or Bonus: Some companies may choose to give employees a bonus instead of a party if the consensus is for that instead.
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After the Office Event
- Overall Satisfaction: Ask respondents to rate their overall satisfaction with the event.
- Satisfaction: Rating the overall experience, food, entertainment, and venue.
- Engagement: Whether employees felt included and appreciated.
- Suggestions: Ideas for future improvements or changes.
- Attendance Barriers: Reasons why some employees may not have attended.
- Additional Comments: Invite respondents to share any further feedback or suggestions.
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Dietary Restrictions and Accommodations
When planning a holiday party, ensuring that every guest feels welcome and included is key to a successful event. One of the most important ways to achieve this is by addressing dietary restrictions and special requests through your holiday party questionnaire. By asking guests about their dietary needs—such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free options—you can make informed menu choices that cater to everyone. Don’t forget to include a space for guests to mention any food allergies or intolerances, as these can be critical for their safety and comfort.
Taking the time to gather this information not only helps you plan a menu that everyone can enjoy but also demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and respect for individual preferences. This attention to detail can have a big impact on company culture, showing employees that their well-being matters and boosting overall employee engagement. Whether you’re hosting a company holiday party or a festive gathering with friends, thoughtful planning around dietary restrictions ensures that all guests can fully participate in the holiday cheer. With SurveyLegend, it’s easy to add these questions to your party survey, making the process seamless and ensuring no one is left out during the holiday season.
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Venue and Decorations
The right venue and decorations can transform an ordinary holiday party into a truly memorable celebration. When planning a corporate event, it’s important to consider how the setting and decor will reflect your company culture and holiday traditions. Using a party survey to gather feedback on preferred venues and decoration styles allows you to tap into employee preferences and create an environment that feels both festive and authentic.
Popular venue options for holiday parties range from classic event halls and cozy restaurants to unique spaces like outdoor ice skating rinks or rooftop lounges. The choice of venue can set the tone for the entire event, whether you’re aiming for a formal affair or a relaxed, casual gathering. Decorations also play a crucial role—think traditional holiday lights and garlands, or get creative with themes like Winter Wonderland or a holiday market. By involving employees in the planning process through a survey, you can ensure the event reflects the spirit of your team and boosts morale.
Create your FREE Holiday Office Party Survey Now!
SurveyLegend makes it simple to collect and analyze feedback on venue and decoration preferences, helping you plan a holiday party that everyone will look forward to. A well-chosen venue and thoughtful decorations not only enhance the festive atmosphere but also foster a sense of community and celebration within your company.
Gift Exchange and Recognition
Gift exchanges and employee recognition are time-honored traditions that add an extra layer of fun and meaning to any holiday party. Whether you’re organizing a Secret Santa gift exchange, a White Elephant swap, or another creative gift exchange, it’s important to consider the preferences and comfort levels of your team. A holiday party survey can help you gather feedback on interest in participating, preferred price ranges, and even new ideas for gift exchanges that align with your company culture.
When planning a Secret Santa gift exchange, be sure to ask about any dietary restrictions or allergies that might affect gift choices, especially if food items are involved. Including these questions in your party survey ensures that everyone can join in the fun without worry. In addition to gift exchanges, recognizing employees for their hard work and achievements during the holiday season can make your event even more special. Whether through awards, bonuses, or a simple thank-you, recognition goes a long way in boosting morale and reinforcing your company’s values.
By using SurveyLegend to create a customized holiday party questionnaire, you can easily collect feedback on gift exchange preferences and recognition ideas. This thoughtful approach to planning helps create a holiday party that’s not only fun and engaging but also meaningful and inclusive for all employees.
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14 Holiday Office Party Survey Questions
Here are some questions to consider asking at your office holiday party survey.
- Would you prefer a small bonus or a holiday party this year?
- Bonus
- Party
- If we host a holiday party, would you plan to attend?
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
- What type of holiday party would you prefer?
- In-person (offsite)
- In-person (in-office)
- Virtual
- No preference
- What type of holiday gathering do you prefer?
- Formal dinner
- Casual get-together
- Themed party
- Other (please specify): *****
- Which date works best for you?
- Weekday during work hours
- Weekday after work hours
- Weekend
- How would you like to interact with your co-workers during the event?
- Team activities
- Group games
- Socializing/mingling
- Other (please specify): *****
- What kind of food options do you prefer?
- Buffet
- Sit-down meal
- Snacks and appetizers
- Food trucks
- Any dietary restrictions? (Please specify): *****
- Would you like alcohol to be served?
- Yes
- No
- Doesn’t matter
- Would you enjoy having a dance floor at the party?
- Yes
- No
- Indifferent
- What type of music do you prefer?
- Holiday music, of course!
- Top 40 (enough of the holiday music!)
- Classical music
- What type of party activities would you enjoy?
- Games (trivia, bingo, etc.)
- Live music or a DJ
- Karaoke
- Photo booth
- Awards or recognition ceremony
- Gift exchange
- Other (please specify): *****
- What are your preferences for gifts or gift exchanges at the party?
- Secret Santa
- White Elephant
- No gift exchange
- Other (please specify): *****
- If we hold a Secret Santa gift exchange, what amount should people spend?
- Under $10
- $11-24
- $25-49
- $50 and up
- What type of dress code would you like?
- Casual
- Business Casual
- Elegant/Formal
- Ugly Sweaters
- Themed (please specify): *****
Create your FREE Holiday Office Party Survey Now!
Create your FREE Holiday Office Party Survey Now!
Create your FREE Holiday Office Party Survey Now!
Create your FREE Holiday Office Party Survey Now!
Office Holiday Party Survey Example
Here’s an example of an office party survey created with SurveyLegend. It has a festive background and uses a variety of types of survey questions to engage employees or potential guests, including a question about participating in an office draw for Secret Santa.
Post-Christmas Party Questions
Here are a few questions you may want to ask employees or guests after the party is over. These can be rating questions, yes/no, multiple choice, or open-ended questions.
- How would you rate the holiday party overall?
- Did you enjoy the venue?
- How was the food and drink selection?
- What was your favorite part of the event?
- What activities or entertainment would you like to see in future events?
- Do you feel the holiday party reflects the company culture?
- Is there anything you think we could improve for next year?
- Would you attend a similar event in the future?
- If you won’t attend next year, why not?
- Would you be interested in incorporating charitable giving into future events?
- How would you feel about supporting a local charity as part of our holiday party activities?
- Do you think the event captured the spirit of the festive season?
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Conclusion
With nearly 65% of companies hosting holiday or Christmas company parties, it’s important to let employees have a say in the matter. Not only does this make holiday party planning easier, but it also lets them know that they have a voice. While the latter is not as important for a holiday house party, the former still applies, making the host’s job easier. SurveyLegend surveys are perfect for company parties, as they’re fun to create, fun to take, and allow for a lot of creativity. Start today for free!
Have you hosted a holiday party in the past? How about attending one? Would you consider surveying employees or guests before a holiday party? Let us know in the comments.
Create your FREE Holiday Office Party Survey Now!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do employees like company holiday parties?
Employees may have mixed feelings about company parties. Many enjoy them as a chance to connect and celebrate with colleagues, while others may feel awkward, obligated, or concerned about personal time being impacted. The overall sentiment usually depends on how well the event is planned and aligned with employee preferences, which is why a company holiday party survey can help.
What do employees prefer: bonus vs. holiday party?
Many employees would prefer a monetary bonus that they can use as they see fit. However, preferences can vary depending on the workplace culture and individual values; some employees may like parties for the social interaction and team-building opportunities. Surveys can help companies gauge what their employees value most.
Is it helpful to survey guests with holiday party planning questions before hosting at your home?
Including a survey for a holiday house party can be a good idea, especially if the event involves a lot of people or a diverse group of guests. The survey can help ensure the event feels personalized and enjoyable for everyone. For smaller, more casual gatherings, simply having open conversations with guests about their preferences may be enough.
