The Latest Christmas Party Industry Trends

The results of Venue Search London’s recently published 2018 London Christmas Party Survey includes information from over 300 corporate event buyers and reveals the latest trends in this core and valuable sector of the capital’s event market. We thought it’d be interesting to share with you what they found: 

The survey covers the party choices of over 36,000 guests in the 2017 season, with a total spend in excess of £3m. 

• The average spend per head rose by 2% in 2017 to £86.44 + VAT, with the proportion of buyers spending over £100 +VAT per guest rose from 28% to 32% in 2017. 
  

  At Smart Christmas Parties, our ticket prices are never overpriced; we ensure you pay for exactly what you get, and so much more. Our clients benefit from the same theming, especially with shared parties, and at spectacular venues in London and beyond, such as Battersea Evolution, Landing Forty Two and the Museum of London. It’s not like you have to deck out a venue from scratch to create an immersive party; at Smart Christmas Parties we do that all for you, and at a very reasonable price.

• 55% of parties are now held at restaurants, bars and clubs (up from 52% in 2016), with 60% of buyers still opting for the more formal seated meal catering style. 

  We always opt for the formal seated meal catering style at our shared parties, and always offer the option at our exclusive parties. Our caterers Smart Hospitality and Moving Venue ensure that our guests’ dining experiences are first-class and deliciously unforgettable. 

• Thursdays and Fridays remain the most popular nights for parties, accounting for 69% of the total market. There is an increasing trend towards lunchtime events, which now represent 21% of the total Christmas events market. 

  With this in mind, the majority of our shared Christmas party dates fall between Thursday and Saturday, apart from Willows Farm and Cutty Sark, where guests can party the night away on Wednesdays too. We understand that not everyone works 9-5 Monday to Friday, so our exclusive Christmas party dates are even more flexible. Click here to find out more.

• Average party numbers are likely to increase for 2018, with 30% of respondees indicating a likely increase in guests for 2018 and only 4% forecasting a reduction in their numbers from 2017.

  We’ve welcomed over 100,000 people to our Christmas parties, and can’t wait to see the numbers rise even more this year!

• 45% of total surveyed event spend was booked through venue finders and event agencies, representing an 11% increase from 2017.

  We love our venue finders and event agencies, and could not recommend them more. Combined with our dedicated and driven Ticketed Sales Team, they’re the reason that we welcome hundreds of thousands of delighted party-goers to all 10 of our Christmas party venues each year. 

  Venue Search London published the full survey results after The London Christmas Party Show, which we attended in May this year, where event agencies and corporate buyers can meet over 200 London venues and event suppliers. The full survey can be found here.