Planning the New Year's Apéro 2027: Format, Lead Time, Venues

Most companies make enquiries for their New Year event between September and November. Where a specific date is set, there are usually around three months between the enquiry and the event. Larger organisations often book almost a year in advance. Those who only start looking in December are late starters and will need to be flexible about the date or venue.

The most in-demand are Fridays in the second and third week of January. The first week after the holidays is less popular. Most events start in the evening, after work. Those willing to opt for a Thursday or late January often have more choice.

Companies understand very different things by "New Year apéro". Three formats come up again and again:

• Standing apéro with canapés: Short, uncomplicated and the best solution for large groups. For events with several hundred guests, this is almost always the format of choice. A speech from management fits in well.
• Apéro riche or flying dinner: The canapés become so substantial that no one needs to go out for dinner afterwards. Guests stay on their feet and get to chat with many colleagues.
• Welcome apéro plus dinner: In practice, the most common variant. The apéro is followed by a sit-down meal, often with a supporting programme such as team cooking, curling, a dinner quiz or live music.

The range is wide, from a small team dinner with fewer than 20 people to a reception for the entire workforce. The event is almost always aimed at the company's own employees or association members. Client apéros at the start of the year are the exception.

A standing apéro needs considerably less space than a sit-down meal. As a guideline, allow around 1.2 m² per person for a standing event and around 1.7 m² per person for a banquet at round tables. In a room of 100 m², around 80 people have space standing, but only around 60 for a meal.

If the apéro and meal take place in the same room, the banquet capacity is the decisive figure. Many venues therefore have a separate area for the reception. You'll find all the guideline figures per seating arrangement in the article Seating arrangements compared.

You'll find more venues for company events with capacities per seating arrangement here: Event venues in Switzerland.

If your venue doesn't have its own kitchen or the apéro is taking place in your own office, a caterer will bring the canapés. These providers deliver apéro, apéro riche and flying dinner:

You can find more caterers for apéro, flying dinner and buffet here: Catering in Switzerland.

The New Year apéro is a sociable event. If the team should also work on goals and strategy on the same day, a kick-off with an apéro to round things off is the better format. You'll find out how to plan this in the article Planning a kick-off 2027. If you'd rather celebrate the new year privately, you'll find ideas in the article New Year's Eve in Switzerland.