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The end of 2020 will look a lot different this year, with many of us looking forward to saying good riddance to the year the world stopped.

With much of Australia, and especially Victoria, beginning to open back up and adapting to ‘COVID normal’, we’ll naturally start to think about Christmas.

Office Christmas parties will take on a whole new look this year with restrictions around indoor venue numbers and even table bookings over the festive season. We strongly believe this year needs a good send off, however as we cannot do this in true Speller style. That’s why we have put together a few suggestions on how your office can celebrate the silly season this year while staying safe.

Small team functions

Instead of holding a whole office party, think about your immediate team. Smaller teams are easier to coordinate if your state has seating restrictions and it will be a more intimate way to celebrate the end of the year . A sit down dinner, a cocktail party or a boat cruise, are some way you can thank and congratulate your team for the work they have done this year.

Picnic in the park

Organise catering for a picnic in the park. Victoria alone has many great open spaces, many of them central or close to transport and parking. Take advantage of the summer weather and set up a series of garden games like giant Jenga and Connect Four to get the entire team involved.

Some companies may not have been in the office since March, so enjoy the face to face interaction. Remember, this celebration is about spending time with your team in a social environment, reflecting on the year and looking forward to 2021.

Food Trucks

Bring the food to you! Food trucks are a great idea to create a hassle free end of year celebration and it can be arranged for your office carpark or the local park. Setup music, seating or even hire a local musician for some casual tunes, and relax into the Christmas break.

Outdoor activities

Keeping with the outdoor theme, consider a celebration at a lawn bowls or croquet club. They often have spaces for hire with either onsite food or partnering restaurant options. There are also outdoor scavenger hunts or amazing races, which are great for teaming, exercise and they’re a lot of fun. There’s the option of doing it yourself or hiring a third party to organise the day for you.

Virtual Party

Zoom calls have become a huge part of 2020 office set ups. However, if you have a large team or everyone is still working remotely a Zoom party is a great option. Here at Speller we’ve had a murder mystery, wine tasting and a quiz-mania. Each event had items delivered to our houses making it feel a bit more inclusive and not just a Monday morning catch up meeting.

Like Speller, a lot of businesses have Christmas parties that not only thank their staff but also contractors, clients and friends. Even though this year may look a little different, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a smaller, more intimate event. After all, it’s about showing your appreciation and gratitude of their hard work.

We know we’ll miss seeing all our contractors and clients, past and present at the famous Speller Christmas party this year, but we hope it’ll make 2021 even more special.

If you’d like to share with the Speller team any ideas your company has for celebrating the end of 2020, please feel free to comment on our LinkedIn page.