Secret Santa parties - the confidential Christmas bash

Sshh, we’re having fun: Christmas parties are supposed to be off the menu in these days of austerity — but that doesn’t mean they’re not happening
10 April 2012

A bit of secrecy is essential for a good Christmas.

There's nothing worse than knowing exactly what all those beautifully wrapped gifts contain before you even begin battling with the ribbon.

And once the truth is out about Mr Claus, Christmas really is never the same for the children. In the office, the words "secret Santa" have traditionally been synonymous with "cheap box of chocolates" or "naff joke-shop gift" – the result of a last-minute panic over what £5 item to buy for someone whose name you've only just learned. This year, however, they have a whole new meaning. "Secret Santa" is now desk-side code for the office Christmas party — the one that no company wants to admit it's throwing.

"The bankers especially would be absolutely devastated if they thought anyone would find out that they're having a party. They don't want anyone to know that they are spending money," says Anna Venturi, owner of Venturi's Table, a corporate cookery centre that hosts "kitchen party" Christmas dos in which groups learn to cook a three-course meal together — which they then eat and wash down with plenty of wine.

It has been business as usual at Venturi's this season, except for one thing — this year they've had to promise to keep quiet about who has been through their doors.

"Hi, just a quick note to say that we would like to keep our Christmas party booking confidential," wrote one of Venturi's clients in an email. "Sure you understand that spending on events is still a sensitive issue and so we would prefer to keep this under wraps." Another with a similar email request for confidentiality confessed: "It is very important as stakeholders have been told we have stopped internal hospitality for a while but we felt it was important for our staff."

Some companies have taken extra precautions, drawing up official confidentiality agreements to be signed, while others have insisted on having a confidentiality clause added to the contract. It's not the first time these requests have been made but while last year just 10 per cent of Venturi's clients asked for confidentiality, this Christmas more than a third insisted on written confirmation of the utmost secrecy over their £133-a-head events.

"People drink a lot at these parties and they really let their hair down, especially the girls, who always get quite drunk and often start singing. It's about having fun, but of course companies don't want anyone to know they're having fun because it's not politically correct at the moment to have fun," says Venturi.

For Mike Kershaw, chairman of The Concerto Group, a leading events business and one of the biggest organisers of Christmas parties in London, this secret Santa culture is a great shame. "I actually wish some of these companies would stand up and say openly we are having a Christmas party this year and we're proud to be doing it'," he says. "This year, of all years, it's really important to show appreciation to staff."

For The Concerto Group, confidentiality agreements are not necessary, as discretion is company policy and client names are not passed on. "The reality is some companies are nervous about being seen to have any fun in the recession. There are loads of Christmas parties going on but events have been picked on and it has been made out that having a party is like squandering cash. In fact, the events industry is valuable to the economy and when people have had a hard time and there have been so many redundancies, it's no good making people feel more miserable by cancelling the Christmas party."

It may be Christmas, folks, but this year your company's policy is likely to be: keep shtoom or there will be no fun.

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