New Year parties do not concentrate on one date the way year-end ones do, but they lean towards Fridays from mid to late January. That is a hard period for an organiser to read.
The numbers will not settle, the budget will not either, and people appear and disappear on the day. Here is the order to decide in, given what is peculiar to a New Year after-party.
Hold your candidate dates during December
Many organisers only start on January parties once the year-end season is over. Ask during December and the choice is still there.
Once the New Year closing period starts, venues are slower to reply. Even without a fixed date, holding two candidates and asking about a provisional booking puts you ahead.
- Have two candidate dates during December
- Mid to late January Fridays concentrate
- Check the date cancellation charges start
Estimate the numbers at seventy per cent of the dinner
Not everyone at the dinner comes on to the after-party. It usually settles around seventy per cent, and holding too much space raises what each person pays.
Give the venue a minimum and a maximum, and check how far it can absorb changes on the night.
January travel assumes the cold
January nights in Kyoto drop into single figures, and it sometimes snows. Beyond ten minutes' walk from the dinner, people start dropping out on the spot.
If the dinner venue is fixed, look for the after-party within five minutes' walk. Around Gion-Shijo and Kawaramachi stations you stay in reach of restaurants in both areas.
Make the contribution flat, with free-flow drinks
When the bill splits, the organiser's work multiplies. A free-flow plan with one flat contribution reduces the desk on the night to collecting money.
Set an amount that needs no change given, announce it in advance, and nobody has to go looking for change.
- A flat contribution with free-flow drinks
- An amount that needs no change given
- Check in advance whether receipts are needed
A New Year party tends to end as talking alone
At a New Year party the catching-up finishes at dinner, and the conversation stalls at the after-party. That is especially true where people gather across departments and intakes.
A nearest-the-pin contest on the golf simulator, darts, karaoke: things people take in turns bring the conversation out on its own. Add a prize and the presentation happens on the spot.
A New Year after-party at Gion Country Club
Gion Country Club is an indoor golf and bar lounge three minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station, open from 5pm until 5am. Choose from three types: open, semi-private, and a fully private room with karaoke.
Simulation golf, darts and karaoke share the space, so there is no entertainment to prepare. Plans with free-flow drinks start at ¥6,800 per person.
Frequently asked questions
When should we book a New Year after-party in Kyoto?
Mid to late January Fridays concentrate, so ask during December with candidate dates in hand.
Can you take more people if the numbers grow on the day?
It differs by venue. Ask when booking how many can be added on the night.
What should the contribution be?
A flat amount with free-flow drinks included is the practical answer. Our free-flow plans start at ¥6,800 per person.
