Planning Guide · For Office Party Planners
The Holiday Party Timeline
You got voluntold to plan the company party. Here's the month-by-month playbook that makes you look like you've done this for years.
Every December, thousands of Omaha-area companies celebrate in the same four-week window — which means every venue, caterer, and DJ in the metro gets booked for the same handful of dates. The party itself is easy. The calendar is the hard part. Here's the timeline that beats it.
Lock the venue — this is the whole game
The mid-December Saturdays sell out first, often before fall officially starts. Book now and you choose your date; wait until November and the calendar chooses for you. Decide two things only: rough headcount and whether you want a weekend blowout or a weekday evening (more on that trick below). Everything else can wait.
Book catering and bar service
Caterers cap how many December events they take. October booking gets you first choice and normal prices. If your venue lets you bring any caterer — ours does — this is where you control cost: taco bars and barbecue spreads celebrate just as loudly as plated dinners, at a fraction of the price. Arrange a licensed bartender and confirm the venue's insurance requirements while you're at it.
Send the invite before Thanksgiving
Get the calendar hold out before family obligations stake their claims — attendance is decided in early November, not December. Collect RSVPs and dietary notes in one form, and finalize your headcount with the caterer before their Thanksgiving cutoff.
Plan the program and decor
Awards, white-elephant exchange, year-in-review slideshow, playlist or DJ, photo backdrop — write a simple run-of-show. Order decorations now; December shipping is a gamble. A venue with white walls and an open floor takes any theme without extra draping costs.
Decorate without panic
This is where full-day venue access earns its keep: decorate in the afternoon at a walking pace, sound-check the playlist, set the awards table — then open the doors. Afterward, pack out the same night with no overtime clock running.
Ready to check December — or a wide-open January? See the holiday party venue page for the full details, or corporate events for meetings and retreats.
Quick Answers
When do December party venues sell out?
The two Saturdays in mid-December go first — often by early fall. Fridays follow. Companies that book in August or September choose their date; companies that start in November choose from what's left. Weekday evenings remain available far longer.
How much should a company budget for a holiday party venue?
At Valley Venue: a weekday evening party (Monday–Thursday) runs $150/hour — around $750 for a five-hour party. Full days are $1,250 on Friday or Sunday and $1,500 on Saturday. Catering, bar, and entertainment are booked separately with any vendors you choose, so total budgets scale with your headcount rather than a venue package.
Is a January party a real alternative?
Increasingly, yes. January dates are wide open, vendors are hungry for work after the rush, employees' calendars are clear, and a New Year kickoff or awards banquet avoids competing with family obligations. Winter weekday evenings are among the most affordable events of the year.
December Won't Wait
Tell us your target date and headcount — we'll confirm availability same-day, and you can check "venue" off the list before lunch.
Check Your Date Call 308-440-4334