What should a holiday party agenda include?

A start and an end time, a short welcome, one main activity, a moment of thanks or awards, food if you are together in person, and a close. Write the time, the length and who leads each part.

How long should a work holiday party be?

On video, 60 to 90 minutes; longer and people drift off camera. In the office, a lunch party runs about 2 hours and an evening party 2 to 3 hours, with the main activity in the first hour.

What is a good schedule for a virtual holiday party?

Five minutes to join, a three-minute welcome, a hosted game of 45 to 60 minutes, then thank-yous and a group screenshot. Most hosted games run about 60 minutes, so a 75-minute calendar slot fits the whole party with room to spare.

When should speeches happen at a holiday party?

Keep the welcome to two or three minutes at the start and put longer thanks or awards after the main activity, when everyone is still there and warmed up. Our opening remarks page has short scripts.

Is a holiday party agenda the same as a run of show?

The agenda is for guests: what happens and when. A run of show is for the crew: who does what minute by minute, including cues guests never see. Our run of show template builds the crew version.

How far ahead should I book a host for the party?

Hosted games book about 2 weeks ahead. Kit workshops, where every guest gets supplies at home, need about 3 weeks for US addresses and about 5 with guests in Canada or abroad. Send your date and headcount to get a free quote and a full plan within 24 hours.

Holiday party
Event planning

Holiday party agenda: 5 sample schedules for work

A work holiday party agenda has five parts: a short arrival, a two-minute welcome, one main activity of about an hour, thanks or awards, and a firm end time. Copy any of the five samples below and shift the times to yours.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated Nov 20265 min read

Get a free quote or see virtual holiday parties

60-minute virtual holiday party agenda

The most common shape for a remote team: one hosted game is the party, and you add a short welcome and a warm close.

60-minute virtual holiday party agenda, with start times
Time	Segment	What happens
3:00 PM	Join and say hiPlanner, 5 minHoliday music plays while people arrive; greet each person by name in the chat.	Holiday music plays while people arrive; greet each person by name in the chat.
3:05 PM	WelcomeLeader, 3 minOne line of thanks for the year, then the plan for the hour.	One line of thanks for the year, then the plan for the hour.
3:08 PM	Festive Family FeudHost, 45 minTeams guess the most popular answers to holiday survey questions while the host keeps score.	Teams guess the most popular answers to holiday survey questions while the host keeps score.
3:53 PM	Three thank-yousPlanner, 5 minRead three short thank-yous that people sent in with their RSVP.	Read three short thank-yous that people sent in with their RSVP.
3:58 PM	Screenshot and goodbyePlanner, 2 minCameras on for one group screenshot, then end on the minute.	Cameras on for one group screenshot, then end on the minute.
4:00 PM	End	On the time in the invite.

60 minutes, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Shift the times to your start.

Most hosted games run about 60 minutes. For a hard one-hour slot, ask the host when you book to fit the game into 45 minutes, or let the calendar invite run 75.

90-minute virtual holiday party agenda

Room for people to talk before the game and to celebrate after it. Good for teams that rarely see each other.

90-minute virtual holiday party agenda, with start times
Time	Segment	What happens
2:00 PM	Small-group helloPlanner, 10 minBreakout rooms of five, each with one cozy question to answer.	Breakout rooms of five, each with one cozy question to answer.
2:10 PM	WelcomeLeader, 5 minThanks for the year in a few sentences, no slides.	Thanks for the year in a few sentences, no slides.
2:15 PM	Christmas Music Bingo PartyHost, 60 minGuests mark holiday songs on digital bingo cards as the host plays them.	Guests mark holiday songs on digital bingo cards as the host plays them.
3:15 PM	Year-end awardsPlanner, 10 minFive quick awards from the nominations; each winner says one sentence.	Five quick awards from the nominations; each winner says one sentence.
3:25 PM	Close, then optional hangoutLeader, 5 minA last thank-you; the call stays open for anyone who wants to linger.	A last thank-you; the call stays open for anyone who wants to linger.
3:30 PM	End	On the time in the invite.

90 minutes, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Shift the times to your start.

The middle hour here is Christmas Music Bingo Party; any hosted game fits the same slot, and our virtual holiday party page compares them. For the awards, pick from these holiday party awards.

A remote employee laughing at his laptop during a virtual holiday party, with cocoa and cookies on the desk

2-hour office holiday lunch agenda

A daytime party in the office, so everyone can come and nobody has to arrange an evening.

2-hour office holiday lunch agenda, with start times
Time	Segment	What happens
12:00 PM	Arrive and fill a plateFacilities, 15 minFood is out and labeled before the first guest walks in.	Food is out and labeled before the first guest walks in.
12:15 PM	Lunch at mixed tablesEveryone, 30 minSeat people by table number so departments mix; a question card sits on each table.	Seat people by table number so departments mix; a question card sits on each table.
12:45 PM	WelcomeLeader, 5 minThank the room while people finish eating.	Thank the room while people finish eating.
12:50 PM	Hosted game, teams by tableHost, 60 minA live host runs a game show or trivia for the room, with each table as a team.	A live host runs a game show or trivia for the room, with each table as a team.
1:50 PM	Dessert and send-offLeader, 10 minDessert comes out, one last thank-you, and people head back or head home.	Dessert comes out, one last thank-you, and people head back or head home.
2:00 PM	End	On the time in the invite.

120 minutes, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Shift the times to your start.

Hosts come to your office for Feud Night, Music Bingo or live trivia in 17 US cities; the New York City holiday party page lists them all. More food-first formats are in our holiday luncheon ideas.

3-hour evening office holiday party agenda

The classic after-work party in the office or a venue, with dinner and a main event in the middle.

3-hour evening office holiday party agenda, with start times
Time	Segment	What happens
5:00 PM	Doors and drinksGreeters, 30 minTwo greeters at the door; alcohol-free drinks get as much care as the bar.	Two greeters at the door; alcohol-free drinks get as much care as the bar.
5:30 PM	WelcomeLeader, 5 minA short toast to the year, and the plan for the night.	A short toast to the year, and the plan for the night.
5:35 PM	Main eventHost, 60 minA hosted game show for the whole room, or a painting workshop at the tables.	A hosted game show for the whole room, or a painting workshop at the tables.
6:35 PM	DinnerEveryone, 45 minBuffet or food stations, so nobody waits for a seated course.	Buffet or food stations, so nobody waits for a seated course.
7:20 PM	Awards and thanksLeader, 15 minA handful of awards, one speaker, then the leader's thank-you.	A handful of awards, one speaker, then the leader's thank-you.
7:35 PM	Dessert and gift swapPlanner, 20 minOptional gift exchange or a dessert table; people start to drift.	Optional gift exchange or a dessert table; people start to drift.
7:55 PM	Group photo and last callPlanner, 5 minOne photo by the decorations, then lights up on the time in the invite.	One photo by the decorations, then lights up on the time in the invite.
8:00 PM	End	On the time in the invite.

180 minutes, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Shift the times to your start.

Coworkers at an office holiday party laughing and raising hands during a team game on a big screen, with remote colleagues on video

Need a shorter night? Drop the gift swap and trim dinner to 30 minutes for a 2-hour party. Painting workshops run at your office or venue in 30 US cities, and the game hosts in 17 of them. For ideas to fill the room, see our office Christmas party guide.

2-hour hybrid holiday party agenda

Part of the team in a conference room, part at home. Every segment is planned for both, so the call never watches the room have fun.

2-hour hybrid holiday party agenda, with start times
Time	Segment	What happens
1:00 PM	Room fills, call opensRemote lead, 10 minMusic in the room and on the call; the remote lead greets each arrival.	Music in the room and on the call; the remote lead greets each arrival.
1:10 PM	Welcome on the room micLeader, 5 minSpoken facing the camera so both groups hear it first-hand.	Spoken facing the camera so both groups hear it first-hand.
1:15 PM	Christmas Trivia PartyHost, 60 minTeams mix office and remote players; the host reads every answer out on the call.	Teams mix office and remote players; the host reads every answer out on the call.
2:15 PM	Food breakFacilities, 20 minThe office eats; remote guests get the same 20 minutes and a treat sent ahead.	The office eats; remote guests get the same 20 minutes and a treat sent ahead.
2:35 PM	Thank-yous, back and forthPlanner, 15 minAlternate between a voice on the call and a voice in the room.	Alternate between a voice on the call and a voice in the room.
2:50 PM	Photo with the screenPlanner, 10 minOne photo of the room with the call on the big screen, then close on time.	One photo of the room with the call on the big screen, then close on time.
3:00 PM	End	On the time in the invite.

120 minutes, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Shift the times to your start.

A host-run game such as Christmas Trivia Party puts office and remote players on the same teams. Room setup, mics and cameras are in our hybrid holiday party ideas.

How to write your own holiday party agenda

Start from the end time and work backward. These six rules keep any length on track.

Put the main activity right after the welcome. Energy is highest in the first 15 minutes; speeches can wait until after the game.
Give the leader two or three minutes. One speaker with a short thank-you lands better than four with a slide each.
Serve food before or after the game, never during. Half a team in the buffet line is half a team not playing.
Write a name next to every segment. If a slot has no owner on the agenda, it will start late.
Pick a slot inside everyone's working day. Across US time zones, 1:00 PM Eastern is 10:00 AM Pacific, and 3:00 PM Eastern is noon.
Leave five minutes of slack and end on time. Take overruns from the mingling, not the close; anything after the end time is optional.

Celebrating the year more than the holiday? The same shapes work for a year-end party. For everything before the day, from the budget to the RSVPs, use our week-by-week holiday party checklist.

The short agenda to put in the invite

Guests need times and what happens, not the crew cues. Paste four lines like these under the invite.

3:00 PM Join the call, holiday music on
3:05 PM Festive Family Feud with a live host
3:50 PM Thank-yous and a group screenshot
4:00 PM Done, right on time

The words around it are on our holiday party invitation wording page. The crew gets the detailed version: build it with the run of show template.