Traditional & Unique Bay Area Holiday Party Venues
Best Holiday Party Options
With the holiday season soon upon us, it’s time for managers and event planning staff to start looking at what to do for holiday and year-end parties. The following guidebreaks down your options, from the traditional to the unique to something in between. Remember, before you get to far into exploring ideas, get an idea of headcount and budget.
Restaurants
The old standby is to simply book out a section of a restaurant. This gives you flexibility to pick a restaurant that fits both your size and budget needs. However, if you thought it was difficult getting your family to agree on dinner, try a group of 20, 30, or 50 people. This type of choice for a holiday party works best when it’s a small tight-knit team — ideally, an individual group at a company that has a per-head budget rather than an entire department or section of a corporation. Other factors you’ll need to consider are time of day (lunch vs. dinner), how crowded the restaurant may be, and whether or not to cover the cost of alcohol.
Hotels
Hotel ballrooms are traditional venues for holiday parties due to their size and availability. These work for formal evenings and less-formal daytime gatherings. Hotel event managers will often have a list of preferred vendors you may be required to use, so you’ll be able to get informed opinions on catering and decoration. In addition, if there will be music, dancing, speeches, presentations, the hotel should have AV equipment available onsite, usually for an additional fee. Hotels will also probably have their own in-house restaurant available for catering in addition to outside vendors.
Activities
If you’re looking for something a little more engaging than a traditional meal for a holiday party, consider going out for a fun activity. Bowling, mini-golf, or places with interactive games such as Dave & Busters represent a much more active way to celebrate the holidays with your team. One step further is actual competitive-but-fun sporting activities, like bocce ball or broom ball. The pros for these include team-based activities that encourage greater staff bonding. The cons lie in the cost and organization, as it means participation fees on top of the cost for food and drink. In addition, not everyone would necessarily be enthusiastic about a physical activity, whether due to personal preference or physical limitations.
Unique Venues
Other unique options exist, and these are usually places that can host a gathering outside of the traditional restaurant/hotel space. These include gardens, historic venues, even clubs and soundstages. Each venue offers its own unique flair and options. For example, Meets the Eye Studios in San Carlos hosts Bay Area holiday parties. Attendees get access to large immaculately kept facility in addition to wired video feeds and a green screen for photo/video booth fun. Make sure to check the venue supports loading and catering options for your needs — Meets the Eye offers large 12×12 loading doors and a commercial-quality kitchen for caterers to use. Or get creative and have a couple of top rated food trucks for a different holiday event dining experience and channel your inner teen with a company game of laser tag–equipment can be rented easily to accommodate large and small groups.
Book a San Carlos Holiday Party
If you’re looking for a conveniently located and unique holiday party location, take a virtual tour of our facility, and see if it fits you need. If you think so or have a question, we’d be happy to answer it. Give us a call at 650-508-8801 or by email at info@meetstheeyestudios.com.