Corporate Holiday Party Style Guide: What’s Trending for 2025

Year-end company party planning has changed a lot in recent years. Big, cookie-cutter banquets are out — and for 2025, it’s all about thoughtful design, fun immersive moments, and making a big impact without blowing the budget.

Here’s your guide to the current trends + a practical rental checklist for your event, featuring favourites from Pedersen’s Event Rentals.

What’s Trending in Corporate Holiday Parties for 2025

• Companies are moving away from passive dinners and opting instead for immersive and interactive environments where guests can mingle, move and engage. Think lounge zones, signature bars, photo-activations, and Instagram-worthy set-ups. Our 6ft Plexi Bars are a great choice for a sleek focal point. Our Seattle location also carries a white range of modular Lounge Furniture.
• With tighter budgets, planners are choosing intentional design over excess. Colour palettes are leaning into hunter green, deep velvet, mixed metals, and glass accents — a nod to “quiet luxury” for holiday events. Our Hunter Green Linens are Verde Emma Plates & Glassware are especially popular.
• Expect less formality and more flow with guests mingling through lounge setups, cocktail-hour moments, and photo-ready installations that keep the energy high all night.

Rental Checklist & Sizing Guide

Here’s a handy table designed for your rental planning through Pedersen’s — covering table sizes, chair counts and linen sizing. For more details about planning seating visit our complete Seatting Guide. 

Table & Chair Sizing

Glassware Per Guest

The general rule of thumb is to multiply the number of guests by the length of the party in hours (1 drink/glass per guest per hour). If your reception lasts 3 hours and you have 100 guests, you’ll serve 300 drinks. Plan on the following per guest for a formal cocktail/dinner event:

• 1 wine glass (red or white) like our Era Glasses
• 1 champagne or sparkling glass (if toast) like our Modern Champagne Flute
• 1 rocks/highball or cocktail glass (for signature drinks) like our Emma Old Fashioned Glass or Cut Crystal Old Fashioned Glass.

Thus, for 100 guests: ~100 wine + ~100 champagne + ~100 rocks/cocktail = roughly 300 glasses, plus extras for backup. For more details about planning glassware for an event, visit our complete Glassware Guide. 

Final Checklist for Success

• Book your tables, chairs and linens early (holiday season books fast).
• Confirm glassware counts with your catering mix (wine/champagne/cocktail).
• Allocate budget toward lounge + photo zone — move beyond the “just dinner” format.
• Align design palette with 2025 trends: deep textures, rich greens, glass & metallics.
• Map guest flow: reception → dinner → lounge/after-party so rentals support each phase.

Ready to plan your corporate holiday party? Contact Pedersen’s to book your rentals today.