Nominations are now open for the 12th Annual EEAs!

It's time to make your mark. Nominations are now open for the 12th Annual Event Experience Awards!

100 Holiday Party Ideas: Invitations, Venues, Decor, Catering, Entertainment, Gifts & More

Lauren Matthews

September 20, 2012

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Whether you have 2,000 guests or 20, budget constraints or virtually unlimited funds, traditional tastes or quirky aspirations, our holiday party guide has your number. We asked event designers to come up with unique concepts for six event formats and share the resources they would use to pull them off, one by one.

Coachella 2024: 5 Steal-Worthy Event Design Trends From This Year's Festival

City Harvest presented The 2024 Gala: Magic of Motown at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan on April 10.

City Harvest Gala 2024: See How the Annual Event Served Up Some Soul

Guests were welcomed to their seats with a book decorated with a reading light that illuminated the place cards and added an amber glow to the tablescape.

A Must-Read: Get Inspired by These Book Launch Event Ideas

Because of rain and blustery conditions, event organizers had to make their own sunshiney atmosphere, compensating for the dismal day by drawing guests out for cheerful activities, decor, and food.

Springtime Event Ideas From Janie and Jack’s Cheerful Garden Party

Event Design & Decor

Coachella 2024: 5 Steal-Worthy Event Design Trends From This Year's Festival

From purple color palettes to Insta-friendly logo integrations, here are some of our favorite design details from the buzzy music festival.

Event Design & Decor

City Harvest Gala 2024: See How the Annual Event Served Up Some Soul

The food rescue organization transformed Cipriani 42nd Street into a Motown-inspired dance party.

City Harvest presented The 2024 Gala: Magic of Motown at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan on April 10.

Event Design & Decor

A Must-Read: Get Inspired by These Book Launch Event Ideas

From a mobile flower shop to clever place settings, here are some design concepts from recent gatherings celebrating authors.

Guests were welcomed to their seats with a book decorated with a reading light that illuminated the place cards and added an amber glow to the tablescape.

Event Design & Decor

Springtime Event Ideas From Janie and Jack’s Cheerful Garden Party

Despite rainy conditions in Hollywood, the event made its own sunshine via springtime decor, activities, and catering.

Because of rain and blustery conditions, event organizers had to make their own sunshiney atmosphere, compensating for the dismal day by drawing guests out for cheerful activities, decor, and food.

Event Design & Decor

7 Steal-Worthy Design Trends From the 2024 Award Season's Prettiest Parties

From unexpected color schemes to unique logo integrations to memorable uses of patterns and texture, here are the most glamorous event design ideas we spotted at Hollywood's biggest award show events.

Event Design & Decor

14 Stunning Uses of a Neutral Color Palette for Events

Neutral shades like tans, beiges, and creams can instantly bring elegance, sophistication, and timeless appeal to event design.

Warner Music Group's 2020 Grammys Party

Dreamville Festival 2024: See How This Music Event Kicked Off the Outdoor Activation Season for Brands

Coachella 2024: 5 Steal-Worthy Event Design Trends From This Year's Festival

Team Spirit: 5 Tips for Hosting a Private Event at a Stadium or Arena

Spring Event Inspo: 14 Flower-Filled Food Presentations We're Still Dreaming About

City Harvest Gala 2024: See How the Annual Event Served Up Some Soul

Which Social Media Platforms Are Making the Biggest Impact for Event Profs Right Now?

Event Design & Decor

Love Rocks—Take It From New York City's Sweetest Valentine's Day Soiree

The LOVE Party’s dessert bar was sweet, but we think event profs will find the attention to detail at this rock ’n’ roll-themed affair even sweeter.

Of course, the centerpiece of the LOVE Party was a dance floor that boasted the event’s paint-splattered and lipstick-kissed branding. Amid dancing the night away, eventgoers could quench their thirst at one of multiple bars, where liquor bottles shared shelf space with the amount of red roses lovers dream about receiving on Valentine’s Day.

Event Design & Decor

12 Valentine's Day Decor and F&B Ideas That Give Us Heart Eyes

Whether you need last-minute inspo or are just feeling festive this week, take a look at these swoon-worthy event ideas for V-Day.

Although this bright tablescape from JOWY Productions brought to life a Barbie-inspired luncheon, the red, pink, and purple hues and flower varieties easily evoke V-Day. Celio's Design provided the florals for this event at a private residence in Malibu.

Event Design & Decor

How Office Supplies Became Chic Party Decor at This Anniversary Bash

School and office supplies company Bazic Products hosted a glamorous Silver Jubilee—complete with pencils, paper clips, and more products as decor—to mark 25 years in business.

'Because of the nature of Vibiana and the way the venue lays out, projection was the way to go,' said Rembac. 'We felt it would yield a much bigger impact than a ceiling install or anything too complicated on the tables.' Sterling Engagements worked closely with the venue's in-house AV team to produce 'scenes' that would subtly shift throughout the night: For arrivals, it depicted a snowlike journey to the destination; for the program, it was a forest that made guests feel like they were staring out a window at a perfect winter setting; and for the party, the projections morphed into a fun, festive, and celebratory atmosphere. 'We modified the overhead and front perspective within each look, and as the evening progressed, so did our surroundings—which was really fun,' she noted.

Event Design & Decor

How This Gala Became an Authentic Spotlight for the Asian and Pacific Islander Community

Character Media's Unforgettable Gala honored API talent in the entertainment industry—and featured a long list of API-led vendors behind the scenes.

Event producer Tina Li sees an event like the Unforgettable Gala as a chance to spotlight and boost API-owned vendors and enterprises. “Events like this let us promote and support our community not just on camera or onstage, but also behind the scenes,” she said. “It’s truly an event uplifting APIs—where the actual heavy lifting is also done by APIs.”

Event Design & Decor

Ice Ice Baby: Lean Into the Season with These Sleek Winter Decor Ideas

Whether you're planning a New Year's party, a January holiday party, or just a wintry bash, consider leaning into the season with these stunning ideas for icy-white decor.

Engage!18's Great White North Gala

Event Design & Decor

Peachy Keen Event Design Ideas Inspired by Pantone’s Color of the Year 2024

Here’s how to incorporate Peach Fuzz into your events in the new year.

'We love peach for the pop of color it adds to a tabletop. When a Pantone color comes out for the new year, we love to use varying shades of the color. For example, shades of peach and coral pair so well together or serve as a beautiful complement to pinks and blues. Peach is also a great color to work with when there is a neutral color palette involving nudes, beige, and metallic,” said Heather Rouffe, managing partner and director of sales at Atlas Event Rental. (Pictured: Classic Peach linen napkins)

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