The venue is booked. Food is sorted. The DJ has been given strict instructions about when Mariah Carey becomes acceptable.
But if you're planning a corporate Christmas party, adding a few interactive elements can turn a fairly standard dinner-and-dance into something guests actually remember.
A Christmas glitter bar is an easy addition to a company party because it doesn't interrupt the evening or require everyone to participate at the same time. Guests can wander over, choose their glitter and get a little more sparkly as the night goes on.
And Christmas is one of the few times of year when covering your colleagues in gold glitter feels entirely appropriate.
Here's why a professional glitter bar could be the perfect addition to your corporate Christmas party.
What Is a Christmas Glitter Bar?
A glitter bar is an interactive entertainment station where guests choose their favourite glitter colours before a professional glitter artist applies their chosen look.
For Christmas events, think gold, silver, icy iridescent shades and plenty of festive sparkle.
Guests can choose glitter for their face, hair or beard, with looks ranging from a subtle sweep of shimmer to something considerably more noticeable.
At Glitter Elements, we bring the complete mobile glitter bar to your event, including the glitter artist, styled station, cosmetic-grade biodegradable glitter, application equipment and hygiene supplies.
We set it up.
You get sparkly colleagues.
Why Does a Glitter Bar Work at a Corporate Christmas Party?
One of the challenges with corporate Christmas party entertainment is finding something that works for lots of different personalities.
Some people will be on the dance floor approximately four seconds after dinner.
Others won't go near it.
A glitter bar sits somewhere in between traditional entertainment and an activity. Guests can visit whenever they fancy it, either individually or with colleagues, without having to join a scheduled performance or game.
That makes it particularly useful alongside other entertainment rather than replacing it.
It Gives Guests Something to Do
There's often a natural lull between arriving at a Christmas party and the main evening entertainment getting started.
People have a drink. Find their table. Talk to colleagues.
A glitter bar gives guests something else to discover during those gaps.
Depending on your schedule, it could operate during the drinks reception, after dinner or alongside your DJ and evening entertainment.
By the time the dance floor opens, half the room may already be considerably more sparkly than when they arrived.
It Works Brilliantly Before the Dance Floor Opens
Timing your corporate glitter bar for the transition into the evening party can work particularly well.
Dinner finishes, the music gets louder and the glitter bar opens.
Guests can get their Christmas sparkle before heading onto the dance floor, and it helps signal that the formal part of the evening has finished.
It's a small change in the event experience, but it can help build the atmosphere.
It Doesn't Require Forced Participation
Nobody wants to hear the words "mandatory festive team-building activity" at the Christmas party.
A glitter bar is entirely optional.
People who love glitter can go all in.
Those who aren't sure can choose something subtle.
And anyone who doesn't fancy it can simply carry on enjoying the party.
Ironically, removing the pressure to participate often makes people considerably more likely to have a go.
It Works for Different Ages
Corporate Christmas parties can bring together employees from very different age groups and backgrounds.
That's another reason drop-in entertainment works well.
Glitter isn't restricted to one particular age group. We've yet to discover an official upper age limit for sparkle.
Guests can choose a look that suits them rather than everybody being given the same design.
That might mean a tiny touch of silver for one person and a spectacular gold glitter beard for another.
Create a Festive Glitter Palette
Your Christmas glitter bar can naturally complement the styling of the event.
Classic combinations include:
Gold and champagne
Silver and white
Red and gold
Green and gold
Icy blue and silver
Pink and silver
Iridescent winter sparkle
If your company Christmas party has a particular theme or colour palette, tell us about it when enquiring and we can discuss how the glitter bar can sit alongside the wider event styling.
Winter Wonderland Christmas Parties
Planning a Winter Wonderland corporate Christmas party?
A glitter bar is practically made for it.
Silvers, icy blues, whites and iridescent glitter work beautifully alongside snowy styling, fairy lights and winter decorations.
Add a photo backdrop or photo booth nearby and guests can capture their newly glittered looks.
Après-Ski Christmas Parties
An après-ski theme gives you permission to make everything a little more playful.
Think ski-lodge styling, winter drinks, music, cosy food and plenty of sparkle.
A glitter bar can become part of the evening entertainment alongside DJs, games, performers and photo experiences.
No actual skiing ability required.
Probably safer that way.
Disco Christmas Parties
Mirror balls and glitter require very little introduction.
For a disco-themed corporate Christmas party, use metallic and iridescent shades and position your glitter bar close to the evening entertainment.
Add a DJ, colourful lighting and a photo area and you're essentially encouraging people to become part of the decoration.
Festival-Style Christmas Parties
Christmas parties don't have to mean formal dinners.
Create an indoor winter festival with street food, live music, colourful lighting and different entertainment areas.
A glitter bar works particularly well in this format because guests can move between activities throughout the evening.
You could combine it with music bingo, games, photo experiences, food stations or creative workshops.
Add a Glitter Bar to Your Drinks Reception
If you're planning a more formal corporate Christmas dinner, you don't have to abandon the glitter.
Instead, use the glitter bar during your drinks reception.
Guests can arrive, collect a drink and visit the glitter station before dinner.
It provides an easy talking point, particularly at larger company events where employees from different teams may not know one another particularly well.
Pair Your Glitter Bar With a Photo Booth
If you're already hiring a photo booth, a glitter bar makes a natural companion.
Let guests get glittered first and then head over for photographs.
It encourages people to interact with both activities and creates plenty of photographs from the evening.
If you've invested in a beautiful event backdrop or branded photo experience, sparkling guests certainly won't hurt.
What Else Can You Combine With a Christmas Glitter Bar?
A glitter bar doesn't need to be your only entertainment.
It can sit alongside:
DJs
Live bands
Photo booths
Music bingo
Casino tables
Magicians
Karaoke
Street food
Cocktail and mocktail bars
Live illustrators
Games
Performers
Think of it as another layer of the event rather than the entire entertainment programme.
A Glitter Bar for Corporate Family Christmas Parties
If you're organising a corporate family Christmas event, a glitter bar can work across generations.
Children can choose colourful glitter looks while parents and other adults can join in if they fancy it.
For family events, Glitter Elements can also provide jewellery-making workshops, giving guests another creative activity alongside the glitter bar.
This can work particularly well for daytime Christmas celebrations and employee family days.
Glitter Bars for Christmas Brand Activations
A glitter bar can also work at customer-facing Christmas events, launches and seasonal brand activations.
Interactive experiences encourage people to stop rather than simply walking past a display.
Depending on the event, the glitter bar can become part of a wider activation featuring photography, giveaways, entertainment or other experiences.
If you're organising a branded event, tell us about your concept, audience and expected attendance when enquiring.
What Does Glitter Elements Corporate Glitter Bar Hire Include?
Our mobile glitter bar comes to your venue with everything required for the glitter experience.
Bookings include:
Professional glitter artist
Styled glitter bar
Cosmetic-grade biodegradable glitter
A selection of glitter colours
Glitter application for faces, hair and beards
Application tools and hygiene supplies
Illuminated neon sign
Set-up and pack-down
Public liability insurance
For larger corporate Christmas parties, we'll discuss guest numbers and your event schedule to help determine the most suitable booking length.
How Long Should You Hire a Glitter Bar For?
That depends largely on your guest numbers and how the glitter bar fits into the event.
For a smaller company Christmas party, a couple of hours may be enough.
For larger events, you may want the glitter bar operating for longer or during a particular section of the evening.
When enquiring, tell us:
Your event date
Venue or location
Approximate guest numbers
Event timings
Your Christmas party theme, if you have one
We can then recommend the most appropriate setup.
Corporate Christmas Party Entertainment in Oxfordshire
Glitter Elements provides corporate Christmas party glitter bar hire across Oxfordshire and surrounding areas.
We can bring our mobile glitter bar to office Christmas parties, company celebrations, staff events, festive family days, Christmas festivals and corporate events.
We cover events across Oxford, Abingdon, Didcot, Wantage, Wallingford, Witney, Bicester, Thame, Banbury and surrounding Oxfordshire areas, with travel further afield available for larger corporate bookings.
If your Christmas party is outside Oxfordshire, get in touch with your venue details. Travelling further may be possible depending on the event.
Make This Year's Christmas Party a Little More Sparkly
You don't need to reinvent the entire company Christmas party.
Book a good venue. Feed people properly. Put on some decent music. Give them time to enjoy being together outside work.
Then add a few things they weren't necessarily expecting.
A professional glitter bar is simple for guests to participate in, works alongside your existing entertainment and gets increasingly entertaining as more members of senior management succumb to the glitter.
And really, who doesn't want to see their Managing Director in a glitter beard?
Planning a corporate Christmas party? Explore Glitter Elements Glitter Bar Hire or get in touch to check availability for your Christmas event.
