Office Holiday Party Entertainment Ideas That Get Your Team Out of Their Chairs

Got handed the office holiday party this year? The venue, the food and the date usually come together fast. The entertainment is the part that decides whether people stay an hour or stay all night. Here are the ideas that work best for company parties, and how to make the music the easy part.

1. Let the Team Pick the Music

Every office has a mix of tastes. The sales team wants Top 40, the warehouse crew wants classic rock, and someone always asks for Motown. A phone playlist can't keep everyone happy, and nobody wants to stand next to a laptop taking requests all night.

A digital jukebox rental hands the music to your guests. Anyone can walk up to the touchscreen and search more than 50,000 songs, from holiday classics to this week's charts. The library is updated weekly, so the newest hits are there too. When nobody is picking songs, it keeps playing from the decade, genre or playlist you choose, so there's never dead air.

2. Add Karaoke (It Breaks the Ice Every Time)

Karaoke is the single best way to get coworkers who barely talk at the coffee machine laughing together. The first song is always the hardest. After that, there's a line.

Our karaoke packages include over 25,000 karaoke tracks with on-screen lyrics and wired microphones, so a manager and a new hire can take on a duet together. Music keeps playing between singers, so karaoke can be the main event or just one part of the night.

Tip: For bigger groups, add the Extra TV. One person can search for the next song while someone else is singing, which keeps the line moving.

3. Plan the Night in Stages

The best company parties have a rhythm. Try building the music around it:

• Arrival and cocktails: easy background music, holiday standards or smooth jazz
• Dinner: keep it low enough for conversation
• After dinner: turn it up and open the jukebox to requests
• Late night: karaoke, a dance set, and the songs everyone knows the words to

With our online playlist builder you can set up to five playlists ahead of time (cocktails, dinner, dancing and so on) and switch between them during the party. Guests can still request anything in the library.

4. Keep It Office-Appropriate

A company party has a mixed audience, from the CEO to the summer intern. A professional setup with a table and black linen looks right in an office, a restaurant back room or a banquet hall. You choose the playlists, and there's no DJ mic commentary to worry about.

5. Don't Make Anyone Haul Equipment

The person planning the party shouldn't also be the person carrying speakers. Every Shoemaker Jukebox rental includes delivery, setup and pickup within our service area. We guarantee the music is playing by your start time or your rental is free. Pickup is the next day, so nobody has to break anything down at the end of the night.

6. Book Early for December Fridays and Saturdays

Most companies lock in their holiday party by mid-November, and they all want the same dates: the Fridays and Saturdays in the first three weeks of December. Weeknight parties are a great option if your preferred weekend is gone, and they're often easier for the team to attend.

How Much Does It Cost?

Packages run from $275 to $400, depending on whether you want music only, music plus karaoke, or the Extra TV. See every option on our packages page, and check your date online for an exact quote.

Ready to Book Your Office Party?

We serve New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, including Philadelphia, Delaware County, South Jersey and Monmouth County. Check availability for your date or call 1-888-99-JUKEBOX (1-888-995-8532).