Why a winter festival is more than a Christmas party

The strongest winter festivals have a clear concept that goes beyond 'wintry and cosy'. Popular winter festival concepts are: Alpine Village (the feel of a ski lodge, fire, fondue, live music), Ice Palace (light, ice, crystal, spectacle on a grand scale), Nordic Wonderland (Scandinavian simplicity, warmth, hearty comfort food), Winter Carnival (retro and nostalgic).

The strongest concept is always the concept that connects to who you are as a company. More on concept development.

Winter festivals are best held at a venue with character. Outdoors you get authentic winter atmosphere, room for large decorations and fire, but the event is weather-dependent. Indoors the temperature and sound are well controlled, but you have less of that 'real' winter feeling.

The best winter festivals combine the two: a heated indoor core with outdoor elements around it.

Plan the venue choice early. Popular winter venues are often fully booked for December as early as September. Start at least six months before your event date.

A winter festival deserves an entertainment programme that feels like more than a party. Strong choices are: a live band that can shift from a smaller-scale winter sound to a festive grand finale, circus acts or fire shows, ice-skating instructors or curling lanes as a participatory activity, and light installations or projection mapping.

Build in quiet moments too. A heated corner with hot chocolate and soft music gives people the space to catch up.

A staff party costs roughly €250 to €350+ per person excluding VAT for 250 to 500 guests. For 500 to 1,000 guests you should expect around €225 to €325+ per person. For 1,000 to 2,000 guests around €200 to €300+ per person. Above 2,000 guests around €150 to €200+ per person. All amounts exclude VAT and include venue, catering, entertainment and production.

You can organise this tax-efficiently via the WKR (Dutch work-related costs scheme).

A winter festival at this level is not something you organise on the side. It demands conceptual strength, production expertise and a network of reliable suppliers.

Live Impact organises winter festivals for companies of 200 to more than 2,000 employees and clients. We develop the concept from your brand DNA, select the venue, arrange the entertainment, coordinate the production and make sure everything on the night itself runs smoothly.

Call 085 401 40 14, email hello@live-impact.nl or fill in our online brief.

Seriously fun.