Meetings + Events

By Laura Bickle

The holidays are great excuse to throw a party, but a Christmas-centric vibe can leave some guests feeling left out.

“We can't really just focus on Christmas anymore,” says Alex Bickers, president and creative director of Reveal Events Group, “We have such a diverse audience profile, that we need to make sure that we're constantly being inclusive of everybody's needs.” And the shift means more creativity, says Bickers: “It's kind of taken the chains off a little bit because it allows us to really play.”

Themes: Consider putting the focus on celebrating winter. “it's that cozy time of year to bring everybody together,” says Bickers.  “It allows us to really work with our design suppliers, to go a little bit deeper into their inventory and use something that traditionally may not have been suitable for Christmas.” Bickers adds that some clients are using the return after the pandemic as licence to “go full glam.”

Colours: “We’re not seeing the traditional red and gold. I love the blues and silvers, and purples and greens, and reflective surfaces.”

Memorable Elements: Interactive food stations and smoked cocktails bars add flair, says Bickers. He also recalls a winter-themed party his company produced last year: “We had foam snowballs as decor and people very quickly figured out it was so that they could have a snowball fight.” He also recommends using tech to reinforce the theme: “There's a lot of toys that we haven't been able to play with during COVID that we can now dust off and bring back— “like cool video, interactive elements and lighting.”