20 Company Holiday Party Themes Employees Will Remember

A theme on an invitation is a promise, and most company parties break it at the door: a few paper snowflakes, a playlist and the same buffet as last year. The themes employees remember are carried by something they can do. A Ski Lift Photo Booth makes an apres ski lodge real, Glow Roulette turns casino royale into a night at the tables, Arctic Thunder puts an arctic expedition on a snowmobile, and After Dark Park gives a glow night something to glow about.

Here are 20 company holiday party themes, organized by style: winter themes, glamour themes, game and arcade themes, late-night themes and classic holiday themes. Each one explains why it works for a mixed workforce, names the rentals that carry it and ends with a planning tip, and every rental is available from the winter rentals collection and the rest of the Perfect Parties USA inventory for parties across Massachusetts and New England. Most of the themes are non-denominational on purpose, so the whole company feels invited.

Winter Themes

Snow, ice and mountain themes celebrate the season without picking a holiday, which is why they fit almost any workforce.

1. Winter Wonderland

SnowGlobe Live: A 15 foot tall, life-size walk-in snow globe at the entrance tells guests the theme before they find their name tags, and a Snow Machine adds falling snow that will not accumulate or damage the venue. Winter wonderland works for every age and every background, which keeps it the safest pick for a mixed crowd. Planning Tip: Keep the decor white and silver, let the snow globe and the snowfall supply the drama, and see the winter wonderland party ideas guide for the full layout. Rent SnowGlobe Live.

2. Apres Ski Lodge

Ski Lift Photo Booth: Guests pose on a real ski lift chair inside a wooden log cabin set while a theatrical snow machine above drops slow-falling flakes, and the set decorates the room on its own. It is non-denominational, and the lodge theme invites flannel, sweaters and a relaxed dress code that suits a mixed team. Planning Tip: Add a Hot Chocolate station beside the lift, and ask guests to bring their worst vintage ski sweater. Rent the Ski Lift Photo Booth.

3. Holiday on Ice

Synthetic Ice Skating Rink: A synthetic ice rink that needs no refrigeration and runs indoors, including in a ballroom, with fencing and rental skates in assorted sizes included. The smallest open skating layout is 20 by 40 feet for up to 25 skaters at a time, and the guests who do not skate gather at the fence to cheer the ones who do. Planning Tip: Size the rink to your room before you sign the venue, and read the synthetic ice rink rental guide for layouts. Rent the Synthetic Ice Skating Rink.

4. Winter Games

Street Stones Mobile Curling Lanes: Three synthetic ice curling lanes with beginner stones on steel ball bearings turn the party into an indoor winter games, with departments competing for a podium. Curling needs no physical skill, so the whole company competes on equal footing, and the lanes are as fun to watch as to play. Planning Tip: Award medals at dessert, and borrow the format from the winter office olympics ideas post. Rent Street Stones Mobile Curling Lanes.

Glamour Themes

Dress-up themes give the party an occasion feel, and the right rentals keep them from feeling like a fundraising gala.

5. Casino Royale

Glow Roulette: LED roulette tables with colors that change to match any theme give a black-tie night its center; the tables are shown with dealers dressed in white, so confirm the dealer count in your quote. Pair it with Glow Black Jack so the room has an easy game and a crowd game side by side. Planning Tip: Play for fun money, not cash, confirm the chips in your quote, trade the night’s totals for raffle tickets at the end, and see the casino party rentals guide for table counts. Rent the Glow Roulette table.

6. Roaring Twenties Speakeasy

Mob Boss Actor: A Mob Boss Actor brings a vintage, commanding presence to the door of a 1920s speakeasy and turns every arrival into a scene. The theme gives everyone permission to dress up without anyone being asked to dance, and a password at the door does half the work. Planning Tip: Send the password with the invitation and hand out a printed “menu” of 1920s slang at the entrance. Book the Mob Boss Actor.

7. Hollywood Holiday Premiere

Red Carpet Entrance Way: Ten feet of red carpet with ropes, stanchions and up lights turns the entrance into a premiere, and every employee gets a star arrival. It is a theme everyone understands, with no holiday attached, and the arrival photos tend to be the best of the night. Planning Tip: Hand out awards after dinner for the year’s best supporting role and other categories every department can win. Rent the Red Carpet Entrance Way.

8. Winter White Gala

Snow Queen: A Snow Queen character in a sparkling gown and frosty crown greets guests at a white-on-white gala, and her graceful performance sets the tone. The dress code is simple, everyone wears white or silver, and a white room photographs well. Planning Tip: Add the Ball Pit Photo Booth – White, an adult-size white ball pond, as the photo moment, and ask about the all-white furniture packages offered with the glow casino tables. Book the Snow Queen.

Game and Arcade Themes

For teams that would rather play than mingle, a game theme gives every guest a job the moment they walk in.

9. Game Show Night

Deluxe Game Show – Survey Says: A Family Feud style show with a host, a lock out buzzer, a giant projection screen and a deluxe stage set with glowing podiums makes the stage the center of the night. Departments field teams, the questions can be customized, and the audience plays along from the tables. Planning Tip: Collect the survey answers from staff two weeks ahead, and see the game show rentals for corporate events post for other formats. Book the Deluxe Game Show – Survey Says.

10. Retro Arcade

Skee Ball Pair: Two LED-lit skee ball lanes give a retro arcade its sound, and the game needs no explanation for anyone who grew up near a boardwalk or a bowling alley. Arcade themes work across generations because every guest already knows the rules. Planning Tip: Hand out tickets for high scores and let guests trade them for prizes at the end of the night. Rent the Skee Ball Pair.

11. Holiday Bowling League

The Lucky Pin Mobile Bowling Lanes: Regulation length mobile lanes with automatic ball return, digital scoring and LED accents turn a venue into a lounge-style bowling alley. Have teams wear matching bowling shirts, and score by team average so the beginners matter as much as the regulars. Planning Tip: Give the lanes a flat 30 by 10 foot space with two dedicated 20 amp circuits, and seat spectators behind the foul line. Rent The Lucky Pin Mobile Bowling Lanes.

12. Arctic Expedition

Arctic Thunder: A snowmobile racing simulator with thrilling tracks and powerful sleds, with gameplay that works for beginners and experienced players. The expedition theme lets the decor go full polar, with base camp signs and parkas at the coat check, while the simulator gives the theme a race to win. Planning Tip: Run timed heats by department in a 10 by 10 foot corner, and post the fastest lap at the bar. Rent Arctic Thunder.

Late-Night Themes

Themes built for the second half of the night, when the lights go down and the energy goes up.

13. Glow Night

After Dark Park: An illuminated installation built around a 30-foot truss with four glowing swings, plus LED props, swivel chairs, seesaws and midnight corn hole, customized to your space. It works indoors or outdoors and turns a plain function room into a lit playground. Planning Tip: Add the LED Dance Floor, with an adjustable size and controllable colors, so the glow carries onto the dance floor. Rent After Dark Park.

14. Winter Carnival

Winter Carnival Game Package: Four blue-and-white striped carnival booths, each with an attendant, bring a midway to the party, along with a table and a choice of two table-top carnival games or one premium carnival game. Carnival games are quick to win, so guests rotate through between conversations. Planning Tip: Add Roll-A-Ball Reindeer Racing as the holiday centerpiece, and see the Christmas party games for large groups list for capacity planning. Rent the Winter Carnival Game Package.

15. Ugly Sweater Party

360 Photo Booth: A 360 photo booth films a spin of every sweater on a 4-foot platform, and custom branding with your logo and hashtag turns the clips into the company’s holiday card. The theme costs guests nothing but nerve, so it is easy to join. Planning Tip: Run a sweater contest with categories and use the booth as the runway; the ugly sweater party ideas guide has contest formats. Rent the 360 Photo Booth.

16. New Year’s Countdown

LED Letters: Customizable LED letters spelling the coming year give a countdown party its backdrop and its photo, which suits a company that holds its party between Christmas and New Year’s or in early January. The theme sidesteps the holiday question entirely. Planning Tip: Add the Cash Cube for a prize grab at the countdown, and see the New Year’s Eve party games list for the rest of the night. Rent the LED Letters.

Classic Holiday Themes

For companies that want the full holiday, these themes lean into tradition, with rentals that keep them from feeling like a school pageant.

17. North Pole Workshop

Gingerbread House Making Station: Graham crackers, candies and snow-white icing turn a corner of the party into a workshop where every guest builds a gingerbread house. Workshop themes give guests something to make, which suits teams who would rather build than dance. Planning Tip: Judge the houses by department and put the winners on display in the lobby until New Year’s. Rent the Gingerbread House Making Station.

18. A Dickens Christmas

Christmas Carolers: Four costumed Victorian carolers set a Dickens scene at the door, singing holiday favorites as guests arrive. Pair them with the Holiday Scrooge Character, a strolling Scrooge who grumbles his way through the room, and the theme becomes a running joke the whole company gets. Planning Tip: Invite guests to come in Victorian layers, top hats and scarves welcome, and light the dinner tables with candles. Book the Christmas Carolers.

19. Family Holiday Day

Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride: A sleigh-styled trackless train ride that carries four to six guests at a time, with the feel of a horse-drawn sleigh and none of the horses. For a daytime party that invites employees’ families, the sleigh loop becomes the line every kid joins first. Planning Tip: Map a short loop around the venue lot or hall, and see the kids holiday party ideas guide for activities by age. Rent the Enchanted Sleigh Train Ride.

20. Season of Giving

Build the party around a toy, coat or food drive, and let every donation earn a spin on the Prize Wheel or an entry in the raffle. The theme gives employees who skip parties a reason to come, and it ends the year on a note everyone can stand behind. Planning Tip: Partner with one local charity, set a visible goal at the entrance and announce the total during the toast.

How to Choose a Company Holiday Party Theme

Pick the theme your whole company can join. Winter themes, game themes and glow themes work for nearly any workforce because they celebrate the season rather than one holiday, so save the classic holiday themes for companies that already celebrate together. Then let the attractions carry the theme: the decor should frame the rink, the casino tables or the ski lift set, not replace them. Finally, check the room: a ballroom can take the rink and After Dark Park, an office floor fits the arcade, workshop and game show themes, and a venue with a flat 30 by 10 foot floor and two dedicated circuits can take the bowling lanes.

As a rule of thumb, give a theme one signature attraction per 100 guests and one supporting game or photo op per 50, and spend on what guests will use before what they will only look at. Perfect Parties USA builds themed holiday parties across Massachusetts and in Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. For casino royale, see the casino night rentals in Boston and New England guide, and for downtown offices and hotels, the holiday party rentals in Boston guide. The corporate event themes for team building post has more ideas, the company holiday party ideas and office holiday party ideas posts cover planning, and the holiday party entertainment ideas, corporate holiday party games and company holiday party budget guides fill in the entertainment and the spend.

Rent Holiday Party Theme Attractions From Perfect Parties USA

Perfect Parties USA is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and owns hundreds of attractions, including every rentable item on this list, so the games you book are the games that arrive, maintained and ready to play. Every rental includes delivery (fees based on your address), professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown. We are fully insured, with a certificate of insurance available for venues and schools, and we have produced events of every size across New England and the Northeast for decades, from Massachusetts, Boston, Connecticut and Rhode Island to New Hampshire and New York.

Ready to get this party started? Contact Perfect Parties USA to talk to one of our Party Pros. Request a Quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular company holiday party themes?

The most popular company holiday party themes are winter wonderland, apres ski lodge, casino royale, glow night, game show night and the North Pole workshop, because each pairs a simple dress code with an attraction guests can use. Perfect Parties USA supplies the rentals that carry each theme for parties across Massachusetts and New England.

What holiday party themes are inclusive for a diverse workforce?

Winter and seasonal themes are the most inclusive, because they celebrate the season rather than a single holiday: winter wonderland, apres ski lodge, winter games, glow night, retro arcade and game show night all work for any background. The Ski Lift Photo Booth is non-denominational, and themes built around activities give everyone a way to join in.

How do you make a party theme feel real without a big decor budget?

Let the attractions carry the theme and use decor to frame them. A Ski Lift Photo Booth builds an apres ski lodge, SnowGlobe Live builds a winter wonderland and glow casino tables build casino royale, so the decor budget can shrink to lighting, linens and signage. Guests remember what they did more than what hung on the walls.

What is included when you rent attractions for a themed holiday party?

Every rental from Perfect Parties USA includes delivery (fees based on your address), professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown, with a certificate of insurance for the venue on request. Some theme pieces include more, such as the fencing and skates with the Synthetic Ice Skating Rink and the four staffed booths in the Winter Carnival Game Package.

Does Perfect Parties USA deliver themed party rentals in Boston and New England?

Yes, Perfect Parties USA delivers and sets up themed holiday party rentals at offices, hotels and event venues across Massachusetts, including Boston and the North Shore, and in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. The company is based in Peabody, Massachusetts; confirm load-in and power with your venue at booking, and confirm delivery to your town with the quote.

Which holiday party theme works best for a large company?

For 300 guests or more, choose a theme with high-capacity attractions: a winter carnival with staffed booths, casino royale with several glow tables, or holiday on ice with a Synthetic Ice Skating Rink sized up from its 20 by 40 foot starting layout. Pair one headliner with supporting games so the lines stay short all night.

How far in advance should you pick a holiday party theme?

Pick the theme eight to ten weeks before the party, before the invitation goes out, and book the attractions that carry it right away, because December weekends fill early and ski lift sets, glow casino tables and synthetic ice rinks are worth reserving first. Choosing early with Perfect Parties USA also leaves time for a matching dress code and decor.