The annual workplace Christmas celebration is generally a time of decadence, the place colleagues get higher acquainted with each other with the assistance of music, meals, and, crucially, lots of alcohol.
This yr’s workplace Christmas events, nevertheless, are set to eliminate the booze and as a substitute grow to be afloat with mocktails and artisanal sodas, as bosses react to their Gen Z staffers’ new urge for temperance.
Analysis from occasions administration firm Togather suggests greater than a fifth of the Christmas occasions they are going to be working this yr are more likely to be alcohol-free. The 21% of events set to go booze-free this Christmas is a rise on the 19% determine from final yr.
Togather says 74% of Gen Zers are aware of the well being impacts of alcohol, driving their bosses to accommodate them with booze-free celebrations. It will likely be one other boon for beer suppliers, who’ve recognized alcohol-free drinks as a profitable progress market.
“As we look toward 2024 Christmas, it’s clear that Christmas parties are evolving in ways that align with Gen Z’s values. From larger, more inclusive events to creative, Instagrammable venues, this festive season is all about creating memorable experiences that reflect the unique, forward-thinking culture of today’s workforce,” mentioned Abigail Gliksman, occasions gross sales government at Togather.
“For them, it’s not just about celebrating the end of the year—it’s about doing so in style. Whether it’s through alcohol-free options, modern themes, or big-budget entertainment, Christmas parties in 2024 are set to leave a lasting impression on this vibrant generation.”
The Gen Z-driven craze for temperance has been properly documented lately, with younger employees diverging from the tastes of millennials and above.
Certainly, many youthful individuals are reducing their consuming amid heightened consciousness of alcohol’s opposed results on bodily and psychological well being.
Nonetheless, there may be some disagreement about whether or not Gen Z is shunning booze due to the related well being advantages or as a result of it’s simply grow to be too costly. Many drinkers are turning to cheaper options or going fully sober as a mix of excessive inflation and rates of interest left them with much less disposable earnings every month.
A survey of European adults aged 18-34 discovered two-thirds had reduce on their alcohol spending in bars and eating places in 2023, with value of residing pressures cited as the primary cause for his or her frugality.
“There appears to be a generational shift in attitudes towards alcohol consumption that inflationary increases have simply accelerated, rather than created,” Nikki Lavoie, EVP of promoting, model, and innovation at Savanta, beforehand informed Fortune.
Not everybody has been in a position to sustain with the altering traits of an more and more highly effective Gen Z buyer base.
In February, Peter Marks, the CEO of U.Ok. nightclub proprietor Rekom, mentioned the price of residing disaster was driving extra of his clients to “pre-drink” at residence as a way to spend much less in his golf equipment, which means they arrive later and spend much less once they’re there.
At first of the yr, three out of 5 Gen Zers mentioned they needed to reduce on their alcohol consumption in 2024.
Whereas an financial slowdown could also be the actual cause for Gen Z breaking with the older generations and embracing temperance, their employers aren’t pinching the pennies this festive season.
Collectively’s analysis finds huge celebrations are on the rise, with 44% of its occasions catering to greater than 100 friends. And whereas extra occasions received’t include alcohol, 40% of firms are growing their total drinks budgets in contrast with final yr.
