For any business, planning for the holiday party is one of the most involved events of the year. Getting every department on the same page can feel nearly impossible. How much should you budget per employee for company gifts? What are the most popular corporate holiday gifts that have wide enough appeal to minimize complaints? Should you hand out cash, logo hats, or something more meaningful? When should you order to avoid delays in production or inventory shortages?

Planning your company party should begin at the start of the year so you have time to prioritize these complex decisions. Many businesses that go completely custom with corporate gifts place orders by March or April, ensuring they’re prioritized and off the list early. If you wait until the last minute, Be Branded can still perform miracles. For example, in 2024 we delivered 500 custom dye-sublimated ¼ zips for a division of a well-known national grocery chain with only 10 days of notice—just two weeks before Christmas. Because we know trusted suppliers and their expertise, we can help you find the most success for rush holiday projects too.

Top Promotional Gifts to Make Your Company Holiday Party Unforgettable

The top promotional gifts that are safe holiday gifts for employees will always include high-quality apparel, blankets, tech gifts, food gifts, branded drinkware, and accessories. Custom embroidered hats, logo hats, and corporate hats are especially popular company gifts because they’re stylish, useful, and don’t require tricky size collection like shirts do. If you want to avoid complaints about fit, you can skip apparel altogether or set up a pop-up company store. That way, employees choose their own holiday gift within a curated selection of branded gifts and promotional products.

Branded Giveaways That Bring Extra Cheer to Your Holiday Party

To bring the most cheer to your company holiday party, give employees something useful as their holiday gift. If you want your company party to be the most talked-about event of the year, choose a corporate holiday gift that feels expensive, practical, and memorable. A strong option is something with a high perceived value that employees wouldn’t normally purchase for themselves—like tech gear, luxury drinkware, or corporate hats.

Another important part of company parties is recognition. Awards and corporate gifts tied to achievements matter. Employees expect and appreciate recognition in front of peers, and the holiday party is a perfect stage. Just make sure the award matches the achievement, because the wrong recognition strategy can backfire. Done thoughtfully, branded awards and company gifts at your holiday event build loyalty and long-lasting goodwill.

Corporate Holiday Gifts Employees Actually Want at the Company Party

Beyond the standard company gift handout, you can also include raffle-style giveaways or performance-based prizes. These types of holiday gifts for employees are best when purchased in smaller quantities—like premium tech gifts, branded jackets, or custom logo hats. At Be Branded, we offer many corporate gift solutions that work for both mass giveaways and one-off special awards.  When holiday gifts are approached as a retention tool, the entire conversation within your company will switch.  If you need a justification for the budget related to your holiday party just put the cost of acquiring and training employees in front of the decision-makers and let them know that they won’t need to spend so much of their budget if they approach the holiday party in the right way.

How Promotional Products Can Elevate Your Holiday Party Experience

The key thing to remember: choosing the wrong corporate holiday gift can do more harm than good. Don’t just repeat what’s been done in past company parties—ask trusted employees for input. They know what will resonate. Employees remember when a company cheapens out on holiday gifts or doesn’t put effort into the company party.

Holiday gifts are only part of the experience. Branded signage and décor help elevate your corporate holiday party. A themed backdrop for photos encourages employees to post on social media, extending your company’s brand reach. Directional floor signage can highlight messaging, giveaways, or lead guests to different party sections. With a well-planned theme tied to branded signage and thoughtful holiday gifts, your company party feels more professional, cohesive, and memorable.

And don’t forget the fun touches—like a giant novelty check for your employee-of-the-year award. Those details make corporate holiday parties unforgettable.

From Custom Swag to Party Favors: Holiday Giveaway Ideas for Your Team

If your business has a large number of employees, ordering holiday gifts earlier in the year helps stretch your budget. Early orders allow us to take advantage of custom manufacturing and ocean shipping, saving money while expanding your company gift options. That way, you’re not stuck relying only on in-stock promotional products that may run out during the holiday rush.

For companies with remote employees, we can also drop-ship branded gifts directly to their homes. This ensures every employee—whether local or remote—feels included in the holiday party celebration. Custom embroidered hats, logo hats, and corporate hats are especially easy to ship and create a sense of team unity.

With the right mix of promotional gifts, branded giveaways, and thoughtful corporate holiday gifts, your company party can truly deliver holiday cheer employees will remember all year.