Planning Your Christmas Team Event: Start With What You Actually Want It to Do
By Tom Frearson | Be Fearsome Events
Every year, the same question comes around: what are we doing for Christmas?
And every year, most companies answer it the same way. Book a restaurant. Add drinks. Maybe a DJ. Call it done.
There is nothing wrong with that. A good meal and a few drinks together has its place. The problem is when that is the only option, every year, and half the team quietly opts out.
Start with the question that matters
Before you look at venues, dates, or budgets, ask one thing: what do you actually want this event to do?
If the answer is “reward the team and say thank you,” that shapes the format. Something generous, enjoyable, no pressure.
If the answer is “bring people together who do not normally work side by side,” that is a different event. One that creates shared experience, not just shared space.
If the answer is “we have had a tough year and people need to let off steam,” that is different again.
The format should follow the purpose. Not the other way around.
Think about who is actually in the room
Your team is not one thing. Some people love a night out. Some have childcare to manage. Some do not drink. Some would rather do something active than sit at a table for three hours.
A good Christmas event gives people a reason to be there beyond obligation. That usually means making the activity the main event, not the afterthought.
Start earlier in the day. Build the event around something your team does together. Then finish with food and drinks for those who want to stay. That way, everyone gets the experience, and nobody is excluded because the whole thing depends on staying late.
What works well
Formats that give people something to do together, not just somewhere to be. A few that we run regularly at this time of year:
Murder Mystery. A murder mystery experience. Not a read-from-a-card parlour game. A fully produced investigation with evidence, suspects, and a room full of people who did not realise how competitive they are. Works indoors, works for groups of 10 to 150, and gives quieter members of the team a role that suits them.
Crystal Quest. Teams rotate through a series of challenges, earning crystals for each one they complete. Engineering, puzzles, coordination, problem-solving. It builds to a finale in the crystal dome. High energy, scored, and the kind of thing people are still talking about in January.
The Imposters. A social deduction game. Think hidden roles, bluffing, and a room full of people trying to work out who is lying. Indoor version available for winter. Works brilliantly for teams who think they know each other well.
Keep it simple on logistics
Two service levels. We can deliver activities at your venue, or we can manage the whole thing: venue, catering, activities, set-up, and run-of-day. Most of our venue partners are around London, and we work with venues nationally.
Either way, we handle the planning so you do not have to.
The earlier you book, the more options you have
December fills up. Venues, dates, and availability narrow quickly from mid-October onwards. If you know you want to do something, start the conversation now, even if the details are not locked in.
Get in touch. Tell us the size of your group, roughly when you are thinking, and what you want the event to feel like. We will come back with options.
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