Has Christmas become a time of event overload?

Carols, parades, end of year performances, community events and spectacular lighting displays. Small businesses are working overtime to compete with online shopping, and sustainability seems to go out the window with endless plastic decorations. Parents are stretched running kids between competing end of year commitments, and event organisers are under the pump getting things locked in before suppliers close for the Christmas break.

Inside council offices, the chaos often feels like a bureaucratic game of ‘Who’s Actually Running Christmas?’. Departments end up batting it back and forth like a round of admin ping-pong; is it Economic Development? Community? Parks and Gardens? No one’s quite sure. At the same time, event organisers are flat out delivering Christmas events while everyone else is easing into party mode.

Despite what often feels a little chaotic, we see some real community magic – people coming together to connect and celebrate, prioritising family over work for a change and, for some, taking time to breathe and escape.

So how do we balance the frenzied commercialism and desire to outdo the previous year with the real meaning of Christmas?

Have we gone overboard and put too much pressure on those delivering Christmas celebrations and events?

Do we need to step back and evaluate purpose; are we after strategic outcomes or community magic, and can there be both?

To make sure we get the balance and look after our people during this busy events season, here are some considerations for those in the events industry:

🎄  Think of your staff and volunteers organising events. They too have families and friends. Try not to create burnout and overwhelm, and don’t ‘cut corners’ in prioritising safety. Christmas events aren’t just something that can be pulled together quickly and as an ‘add-on’ – they too need planning, adequate resourcing and must follow best practice like any other event.

🎄  Coordinate the Christmas calendar. Look at all the different groups competing for local resident buy-in over the festive season. What could be combined to achieve more outcomes with less overwhelm for both organisers and attendees?

🎄  Keep it simple. What activations have become an incredibly complicated tradition? Don’t do things just because ‘they have always been done that way’ – think simpler and smarter. Remove labour-intensive components that don’t achieve outcomes and innovate to add value with simple activations.  

🎄   Don’t blow your yearly events budget in December! Think of the ROI and when your event budget will achieve more for your community.

🎄  Think about the planet. Consider reusable decorations, upcycling displays and using products that can be repurposed or recycled. Consider active transport Christmas trails, and encourage families to walk and talk, rather than drive and road rage!

🎄   Embrace your community. Take the pressure off event organisers and local government staff by encouraging residents to decorate, theme streets and create mini activations within different areas of your town.

Remember to take a breath and ask the bigger question: are your Christmas events still hitting the mark, or are they simply running your team into the ground? A quick review of what you deliver, and most importantly ‘why’, can help you streamline, focus on what truly resonates with your community, and design smarter events that don’t burn out the very people making the magic happen.

Reach out to us if you need help designing and delivering the best-fit events for your community.