Monday 4 September 2023

A Recent Interview with our Sales Director

We recently sat down with our Sales Director, Alex Ryan, for an article in the Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce. He revealed all about the benefits of celebrating at a shared Christmas party, and how our extraordinary ideas are brought to life.

With the festive season quickly sneaking up on us, Smart Christmas Parties are gearing up for another lively run of spectacular exclusive and shared parties. Smart holds the keys to nine of London’s most popular Christmas party venues. Director of Ticketed Sales, Alex Ryan, reveals all about the benefits of celebrating at a shared Christmas party, and how they bring their extraordinary ideas to life.

Tell us a little bit about how you got into the Christmas Party business...

“Our CEO boasts nearly 35 years of experience in the Christmas party industry. Fuelled by his passion for catering and events, he founded the idea of providing everything for the perfect Christmas party under one roof, leading to the birth of ‘The Christmas Company’ in 1991. From then, his idea continued to flourish, resulting in the emergence of Smart Christmas Parties in 2001. The company vision has withstood the test of time, and his enthusiasm for Christmas burns as brightly today as it did back then! “

Why do you offer shared parties? What are the benefits to shared?

“We believe that shared Christmas parties are a fantastic way to get your employees into the festive spirit! Particularly for small businesses dealing with tight budgets, it can be difficult to host something incredible for a small group. With shared parties, you can experience the essence of a bigger event and enjoy the perks of fine dining and high-quality entertainment, without blowing the budget. They are also a great opportunity to connect and network with other, like-minded companies, and create useful connections that you can bring back to the workplace.”

Skeleton at Carnivale - Evolution London Christmas party

Your parties always have a theme, how do you decide on the theme?

“It’s very much a joint effort between both the ticketed and venue sales team, our CEO, and the marketing team. Using previous client feedback, emerging trends, and our own wacky ideas, we come up with a selection of potential contenders and present them to our CEO who ultimately has the final say on the matter!”

Carnivale sounds incredible! How long does it take to install?

“The process of installing the venue theming surprisingly only takes three days, but the groundwork for developing the ideas begins as early as the Christmas before! The initial phases involve developing the branding, and building mood boards, before heading to our external set designers and production companies who help bring our ideas to fruition. Our event management arm of the business, Smart Live, then coordinates all the entertainment aspects of the night, whilst our in-house caterers Moving Venue carefully curate a three-course menu to compliment the chosen theme. It really is a team effort!”

You mentioned Electric Xmas, what was the initial thinking behind it?

“The initial concept came from our vision to create something different from many of the Christmas parties in today’s market. We wanted to lean away from the traditional Christmas parties that we have offered in the past and provide a fresh and captivating way for people to celebrate the holiday season. We also wanted to create a more inclusive experience that everyone can enjoy. This is where the idea of Electric Xmas came from, and we hope to create a visually stunning and immersive experience that goes beyond your conventional party.”

They both sound like so much fun! Can anyone attend?

“Yes, it’s not just companies, we offer tables from 8 guests upwards for Carnivale and Electric Xmas, so if you have a group of friends willing to get together then of course! We also run a shared Carnivale NYE party with no minimum numbers, so if you’re in need of some plans, look no further.”

And lastly, how do you guys celebrate your Christmas party? It must be pretty epic…

“One thing Smart knows how to do is party! As the Christmas season is our busiest, we wait until after the New Year to let our hair down, and to do so, we host the ultimate Christmas party for all those in the hospitality industry! At Smart, we only put on Christmas parties that we would want to attend ourselves, and that’s why we have hosted Hospitality Rocks at our venue Evolution London for the last 7 years. It truly is the most spectacular night of our calendar, and with this year’s party also being Carnivale-themed, I have a feeling this is going to be the best one yet!”

Prices start at: £100 per person

Dates:

Carnivale – 1st, 7th, 9th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st December

Electric Xmas – 14th & 15th December

For More Information...

Fancy an epic party? Get in touch with an experienced member of our Christmas party team on 020 7836 1033, or visit our website below!

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