The most wonderful time of the year: What agencies do in December

The build-up to Christmas starts in August when signs of festive treats start appearing on the supermarket shelves. While it might have been easy for those with Scrooge-like tendencies to swerve the prospect of ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ (and the tubs of Quality Street) when the the sun was still shining, it’s now impossible to avoid the fact that holiday season is upon us.

But before we down tools for some Yuletide cheer, note that we still have over a month's worth of working days to fill before 2025 is complete. December, as Lucy Francis, director at Lemon Lane puts it, can be a 'juggling act' as festivities are added to the usual workload. Secret Santas and Christmas drinks can be an unwelcome distraction for those wishing to remain productive.

“We’ve often joked about having our Christmas party in February, when everyone’s rested and can really enjoy it, but then who has time in February?” laughs Francis.

So is December a time for partying or productivity for the meetings and events industry?

“The main thing is that we try and make space for some proper rest. Events are hard work, and our people give a lot of themselves throughout the year, so when there’s downtime, we really encourage the team to use it,” adds Francis.

“We’re wired to stay switched on, but this breathing space matters,” agrees Graham Alderman, owner and MD at Ulterior Events where the team will remain focused but will take the pace a lot slower after an intense year. “Stepping off the treadmill now and then is what makes you want to get back on.”

The pace will be kept high at Top Banana where they will be preparing for a busy events season in January, but the agency will be sticking with its December tradition of celebrating the achievements of its team members.

“The festive season can bring a lot of extra pressure and stress, so we work hard to ensure the month is enjoyable, supportive and positive,” says managing director Jemma Peers. “We take the time to celebrate achievements, reflect on the year and have some fun, as the team deserve it.”

What agencies do in December:

Lucy Francis, director, Lemon Lane

END THE YEAR RESPONSIBLY
December is a real mixed bag for us. Some years it’s quieter, with festive parties and wrap-ups, but other years it’s still busy, especially when we’re working with clients who have January or February SKOs or large-scale internal events.

That shift in the corporate calendar - with big strategy events moving earlier in the year - means December often becomes a key planning window rather than downtime. You never really know what you’re going to get, and you can’t ever rule out that last minute RFP hitting your desk on 23December with a due date of early January!

For us, it’s about closing things off properly so we can start the new year with a clear head. We use December to complete project reconciliations, finalise wrap-ups, and make sure everything that needs to be signed off, is. It’s not about working flat out - it’s about finishing responsibly.

Lucy Francis, director, Lemon Lane

Graham Alderman, owner and MD, Ulterior Events

Graham Alderman, co-owner and MD, Ulterior Events

RESET MONTH
December is our reset month, a chance to take stock and gear up to hit January with a bang. Our biggest event ever took place just seven days into the new autumn school term, so even the summer holidays offered no breather this year either. We’ve had our eyes on an end-of-November finish line for months… and we’re almost there.

This December will be a blend of reflection and forward planning as we review the past year, map out our goals for next year and give our website a complete refresh to set ourselves up for new event wins.

There’s also a healthy amount of festive socialising on the agenda - both within the team and with our clients. And, of course, we’ll be squeezing in a few last-minute site inspections to Bologna, Monte Carlo, and Milan to round off the year.

Jemma Peers, managing director, Top Banana

GEARING UP, NOT WINDING DOWN
At Top Banana, December remains a busy month. While we tend to have fewer physical events compared to peak season, it’s an incredibly busy period behind the scenes. January is one of our largest operational months, and with teams flying out internationally as early as January 1st, December becomes a critical time for project management, pre-preparations and planning.

From a business perspective, December is about ensuring we’re set up for success in the year ahead. It’s where we refine strategies, plan initiatives and ensure everything is ready to go, so we hit the ground running. In short, instead of winding down, we’re gearing up.

Personally, December is one of my most productive months. I am motivated to set the team up for success, as the earlier we can get momentum for the year ahead, the stronger our start is in January. It gives me real energy knowing we’re laying the groundwork for exciting plans and opportunities, spending time with the team, celebrating and pushing team motivation to the fullest. I find mindset plays a huge part, so rather than seeing December as a month to coast to the end of the year, I view it as one of the most important months to prepare.

Jemma Peers, managing director, Top Banana

Nicola Holmes, account director, emc3

Nicola Holmes, account director, emc3

REFLECTIVE AND PLANNING-FOCUSED
We’ve just come out of an intense period of being onsite with client events. December is usually quieter and naturally shifts into a more reflective and planning-focused phase, with attention moving to next year’s events, proposals, and site visits. And it also gives me the space to fully enjoy the holidays, which is my favourite time of year!

I like to use this time to focus on upcoming events while both we and the client have the headspace to really consider what they want and need. It also gives me the chance to catch up on admin, like updating account plans, and setting clear goals before heading into the new year.

Claire Conboy, director of Groups, Meetings & Events at Brighter

A PRETTY BUSY TIME!
December is always a pretty busy time for me. I lead on a university winter graduation ceremonies project that takes place every year the week before Christmas. We have a team of 10 to 12 on site and manage the production, streaming, accessibility, additional infrastructure, health and safety, decoration and general support of the university delivery team throughout the week.

When I am not planning and finalising details, or documents and suppliers, we always have a year-end team meeting to reflect on the year that’s passed, celebrating our achievements, reflecting on what we would like to do differently and formulating plans to make the coming year our most successful yet.

Apart from ongoing events it is also year end from a target and business performance point of view, so I am also focused on ensuring all invoicing is complete, events are reconciled and then released in time to hit the P&L before it closes for the year. I am very target driven so this encourages me to dig in and keep pushing through to make sure we achieve our targets and objectives.

Once the graduations are complete, I always have a few days off over Christmas as my youngest son is a Christmas baby, so we always do something special to make up for this along with missing nativities and carol concerts due to work commitments before returning in time for the new year raring to go.

Claire Conboy, director of Groups, Meetings & Events at Brighter