Holiday event planning can become immensely competitive. As winter rolls in, people seek out exciting events to have a good time and end the year on a festive note. This can be an excellent opportunity for event creators to capitalize on the electric mood and reach an even wider audience.
However, coaxing your target audience to notice your event in a saturated market isn’t exactly a walk in the park. That’s why we’re here to spill the beans on holiday party planning that’ll get your people really excited about your event.
We’re shaking things up from flipping traditional holiday events on their head to embracing global holiday party ideas and niche celebrations.
Get ready to transform your event into an enchanting experience through creativity and strategy. Learn how to make your holiday event stand out against the competition by offering attendees an unforgettable way to celebrate.
You’ll learn how to:
Prepare for your Holiday events
Get creative with your event formats
New Year’s Eve 2023 @230 Fifth Rooftop / 230 FIFTH ROOFTOP / NY, NYC
How to host a unique Holiday event
It’s no joke throwing a stand-out event in a saturated market. You need to put yourself in your target audience’s shoes and really think — am I celebrating the best occasion for my audience?
Many events have Thanksgiving or holidays, so you need to make sure your event speaks directly to your audience and also meets your goals to make sure it’s a hit.
Two broad tactics that can help you pick the right holiday party idea or theme for your audience. Either put a new spin on traditional big-name holidays like New Year’s Eve or Christmas or focus on niche holidays or event ideas of local or global relevance to entice a niche audience.
Let’s discuss a few tips for choosing the best holiday for your audience and letting your party shine brighter during the festive season.
1. Get global
Why limit yourself to holidays recognized by the U.S. government? Just because people don’t get the day off from work doesn’t mean that a special celebration isn’t going to draw a crowd.
You can focus on internationally celebrated holidays around the world that fall around the same months as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year. Here are a few global festivities celebrated from September to December:
- Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese celebration, falls in September or October)
- Diwali (Hindu festival, falls in October or November)
- Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos (Mexican celebration, falls in October)
- Hanukkah (Jewish holiday, falls in December)
2. Go niche
Another way to get around the most popular holidays of the year is to think niche. If you’re part of a specific community, you can bet there’s demand for events that celebrate special occasions for that community.
For example, Ermantourage Hollywood’s “Dinner with Strangers” events, which encourage meet-ups for those living in big cities globally, has a ‘No Shave November’ installment coming up in Los Angeles, to raise awareness for men’s health.
Waverly Cooking School hosts a ‘Swiftie Sweets’ baking experience event to coincide with Taylor Swift’s birthday, which falls around the holidays. The event invites Swifties to spend an evening baking treats inspired by the singer, like chai cookies, Pop Tarts, and cinnamon rolls.
3. Know your community
Depending on the state and city in which you live, there will be a different demand for niche or international events. So, knowing your community, what kind of events are most popular with attendees in your area, and population demographics are all critical.
Another way to gauge interest in a possible niche event? Look at societies, fan groups, religious organizations, or cultural preferences in your geographic location.
DJ Prashant hosts events around niche cultural and musical experiences inspired by his passion for dance and the culture of his birthplace. He has been using Eventbrite to reach his people and support his growing business. Look out for his ‘Bollywood Nights’ dance parties, in cities including Portland, Seattle and Lone Tree, Colorado, this festive season.
He appreciates how the platform has continuously evolved and innovated: “Eventbrite was one of the only choices when I first started. I’ve stayed with it because of the new features they’ve kept bringing on, such as integration with Facebook events and ticketing, the newsletter, the integration with Facebook and Instagram ads, and focus on building a creator community.”
Holi Hai / Bollywood Dreams Entertainment / Magnolia Mansion
Prepare for your Holiday event
The key to successful holiday party planning lies in balancing meticulous organization and a grand vision. As you begin planning your event, keep in mind that it’s easy to get lost in the details, like party decorations and playlist selections.
True event mastery lies in prioritizing the high-level aspects first. This crucial distinction can set professional event creators apart from the rest. So, before diving into the world of tinsel and tunes, ensure you’ve nailed the foundational elements that will make your holiday event shine.
Here are a few key points to cater well before it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty details of an event.
1. Set your event calendar as soon as possible so you clearly know which events you will organize during the holidays well in advance.
2. Set the dates and secure venues for holiday parties as soon as you have a rough guest list. Logistics take time—the earlier you can sign a contract, the better your chance of nailing down special rates.
3. Reinforce who is responsible for what on your team. It makes it easier to ensure every detail has a point person.
4. Firm up your communication by visually mapping out how and what you want to communicate and when you’ll do so until the day of your event.
5. Estimate how much time you should allocate for planning each event. Move up your planning schedule if need be, giving you a chance to workshop your plan for bigger events.
6. Use past event reports to streamline your marketing efforts. Create an event marketing timeline for all the events, identify gaps, and fill them with promotion channels with high ROI.
Pro tip: Use Eventbrite’s event organizer app to easily create and manage your events from a single platform. From ticketing to real-time reporting and analysis, the organizer app offers a seamless experience for both event organizers and attendees.
SantaCon 2015 / NYC Santaco / New York, NY
Get creative with your event formats
Just because your event celebrates a beloved holiday doesn’t mean it has to follow a traditional format. In fact, incorporating the unexpected is a great way to delight attendees and attract new people to your seasonal event. Here are two ways to help you think outside the box.
Look for unusual pairings
Events that bring together disparate experiences are often super popular with attendees because unexpected pairings are irresistible and exciting—the main ingredients of FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”
Don’t give your attendees the same old Christmas party or a tired company holiday party. Shake things up with interactive activities, innovative venues, and new ideas.
The best place to start is with research on your attendees. Who are they? What do they like to do in their spare time? What attracts them to the events? Answering these questions and building a profile of your target audience can help you find the fresh perspective your holiday event needs.
Here are five examples of unexpected holiday pairings:
- Hanukkah 5K Race
- Thanksgiving Food Truck Festival
- New Year’s Eve Obstacle Course
- St. Patrick’s Day Pop-up Pub
- Die Hard-themed Holiday Escape Room
KINKA offers New Yorkers a twist on traditional Christmas wreath-making with its Japanese ‘Shimekazari’ wreath workshops, using Shinto rice straw rope to create one-of-a-kind designs said to bring luck to the home.
For those who prefer a gentler start to 2025, ring in the New Year with a different kind of sensory immersion that doesn’t involve screaming revelers: Jen Haddix’s intention-setting sound bath. Using gongs, crystal singing bowls, chimes, journaling, and more, this event offers a head-clearing start to January.
Here are some exciting and unique New Year’s Eve event ideas for your inspiration.
Find your niche in the market
Knowing your audience is key to finding your niche in the holiday events landscape. But your event is just one of many in a crowded marketplace, so it’s important to understand how the experience you offer fares against the competition during these busy, wonderful times of the year.
Take to the Internet and conduct some market research. Survey what’s already available in your area or niche and determine how you’ll differentiate your holiday event from the competition.
Your best bet is to analyze what your target audience cares about, like sustainability, eco-friendliness, mental health, etc. Similarly, you can do a SWOT analysis of your previous events to identify any opportunities you may have missed previously.
If you’ve never done market research before, here are a few pointers to get you started:
- Start a spreadsheet to track all of your data
- Identify 5-10 events that are similar to yours in your area
- Collect information on their theme, positioning, and target audience
- Look at each ticketing page and note if they use multiple tickets and what the pricing is
- Use the information you gather to see how your event compares
Pro tip: While online research has its merit, your first source for customer research should be the attendees themselves. For example, did they complete the survey when they last attended your event?
If so, you may be able to find their demographics and understand what convinced them or their friends to buy the ticket and how they came to know about the event. All this information can help you create a suitable event and carve the right message for your target audience.
Black Culture Market
How to promote festive events
Now comes the fun part—finding your audience and marketing your seasonal event so you can help attendees get into the spirit and enjoy a special celebration.
Marketing can be overwhelming at the best of times, but with the pressure to stand out during specific holidays, it’s essential to stay focused on what works best for your event. Here’s a quick overview of popular promotional channels to help you choose the right ones.
Social media
One of the best ways to spread the buzz about an upcoming event is through social media. With several platforms to leverage, you can reach various segments of your audience where they live online.
Typically, if you can do some promotion on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you should be well covered. Here’s a quick overview:
- Facebook: Share event updates, engage followers, and create event pages. Use paid promotion to target your messaging to specific groups.
- Instagram: Share pictures and videos at all stages of event promotion with Instagram Stories and live streaming to engage your audience.
- LinkedIn: Use this professional platform for B2B and industry networking and to post corporate event announcements.
SEO (search engine optimization)
For some events, the search can drive a fair number of ticket purchases or registrations. But those sales aren’t automatic—it takes dedicated effort to make your event rank in Google search results. The key is SEO.
Here are three basic principles you can follow to get your event to rank on Google:
- Keywords: Search engines know that events are timely and location-based, so they will use your event’s date and location to determine its ranking. You can increase your chances of ranking even more if you include your city or state in the title of your event.
- Domain authority: The higher your partner’s domain authority, the better your event will rank. Eventbrite is one of Google’s top 100 most trusted sites — the only ticketing or registration page with a high enough domain authority to rank alongside sites like Yelp.
- Mobile search: People prefer apps to complete tasks, including finding events and buying tickets. Eventbrite app is a comprehensive platform that helps event creators reach a wider audience and manage registration, payment, and marketing, all from one place.
You will need a good email marketing strategy to sell out your event. Email is a direct line to potential attendees and an optimal channel to build your audience. To make the most of it, you need to pay attention to three key metrics: open rate, click-through rate, and unsubscribe rate.
On average:
- 26% of recipients open their event emails
- 4.95% of recipients click links in their event emails
- 0.8% of recipients unsubscribe to their event emails
Pro tip: With only 20-25% open rates for marketing emails, it’s crucial to craft attention-grabbing emails optimized for mobile — 81% of emails are opened on mobile. With Eventbrite, you can take guesswork out of it and use AI to write mobile-optimized captivating emails.
Special Promotions
Boost ticket sales and attract more attendees by offering discounts or special promotions. With Eventbrite’s discount tool, you can effortlessly create public discounts for your event tickets — no promo codes needed.
Customize your discount to fit your event’s needs: set the discount amount, apply it to specific ticket types, and schedule it for the ideal time frame, all in just a few clicks. Hosting a Timed Entry event? Take advantage of the tool’s flexibility to offer discounts on specific time slots, helping you maximize attendance during off-peak hours.
LÔILÔI BREAKFAST CLUB/ LOILOI.SPACE / Los Angeles, CA
Holiday party ideas
Let’s dive into the realm of holiday party innovation! Discover fresh, engaging ideas that redefine traditional celebrations, making your event unforgettable.
Host a party for like-minded professionals
Part networking, part socializing, this corporate holiday party idea is as versatile as it comes. You can organize a unique party fully customized for your target audience. Choose a profession, trade, or skill and throw together a personalized event to provide socializing opportunities for their fellow professionals in the field.
Construction Industry of Maui organizes plenty of “pau hana” (outside of work hours socials) for members, from golf outings to their festive holiday party. It’s a great opportunity to make connections and strengthen the network, while having a good time with friends and their friends.
Another variation for inspiration? Ladies Lifestyle Network organizes a Holiday Night Market Sip & Shop for an evening of fun and festivities. Featured stalls are all from local, women-owned businesses, giving attendees an opportunity to come together for a social evening of networking, support, and mutual appreciation.
Organize an event for the hobbyists
Does your audience follow a particular hobby? It could be anything: painting, sewing, gardening, dry arrangement, beer making, cooking — you name it! And who says you can’t mix and match? Maybe pick two hobbies and throw a spectacular party where people can exchange ideas and tastes.
For example, take a cue from The Crafty Michigander’s sellout crafting sessions. These BYOB evenings offer a twist on the “sip-and-paint” night out with unconventional materials and a distinctly festive feel. Using beach glass, attendees mingle as they craft colorful and unique Christmas tree sculptures they can later display in their homes.
NaturalAnnie Essentials Candle Bar in Bridgeport, CT, takes it one step further by combining a sip & pour candle-making evening with an ugly Christmas sweater party. Food and drink are provided and guests are encouraged to make new friends, while also ‘dressing to impress.’ (The ugliest sweater wins a prize!)
Camps and retreats
Multi-day events can attract a niche audience who can’t go home for holidays, such as students or expats, or who’d like to celebrate the holidays away from home. Camps and retreats can be an excellent way to capitalize on that need, and you can choose a theme your potential attendees care about to make it appealing to them.
For example, Out Our Front Door’s overnight bike camping trip known as ‘Decemberg: Winter in the Woods,’ will be perfect for anyone who loves the outdoors, discovering new nature scapes, and cycling for 75 miles across a weekend.
The Hayloft’s Winter Solstice Horse Yoga offers a grounding yoga experience that can be done on—or off—the horses and will appeal to equestrians and animal lovers.
Similarly, the beach clean-up event by Clean Up the Beach will be a significant draw for youth sensitive to environmental causes.
Most seasonal events, like holiday dinner events for Thanksgiving or holiday shopping events for Christmas, follow tried and true formats. They’re recognizable, comfortable, and easy to create.
But these types of events can’t hold a candle to unique and inspiring experiences that help develop new traditions.
Now that you’ve got a blueprint for holiday party planning, you can come up with your own holiday party ideas to create a memorable seasonal experience for your audience. Now, all that’s left is to take action—sign up with Eventbrite today to create and manage your next holiday event easily and quickly.
