End-of-year company party in Paris: formats, budget and organisation

In short: for an end-of-year company party in Paris and Île-de-France, the dinner reception is the most common format. It costs from €29.90 to €51.90 per person excl. VAT depending on the formula, plus €29 excl. VAT for delivery in Paris and nearby towns.

• End-of-year get-together: L'Invitation formula, 8 canapés per person, €29.90 per person excl. VAT.
• Cocktail reception that replaces the meal: La Réception (12 canapés) at €40.90 excl. VAT or La Célébration (16 canapés) at €51.90 per person excl. VAT.
• Quantity benchmarks: 6 to 8 canapés per person for an aperitif, 12 to 14 for a lunch reception, 16 to 18 for a dinner reception, with a 10% margin.
• Example for 40 people with La Réception: €1,636 excl. VAT plus €29 excl. VAT for delivery, i.e. €1,665 excl. VAT, drinks not included.
• Order until 2 pm the day before; 48 hours' notice recommended from 50 people or for several sites. Quote within 24 hours.

The end-of-year party, the only time the whole company is together

It is often the only time in the year when all the teams meet in the same place, at the same time. A successful end-of-year party does not depend on the budget spent but on three decisions made early: the format, the time, and the quantity served per person. Here is how to make them, in Paris and Île-de-France.

We have been delivering these parties since we started, and the feedback is always the same: what goes wrong is rarely the menu. It is the planning. Too few canapés, a delivery too early that goes cold, a buffet set up in a corridor where people pass through.

Three formats, three different atmospheres

The end-of-year get-together, 1 hour to 1 hour 30

The lightest format. People raise a glass, say thank you, and everyone heads off. Allow 8 canapés per person, savoury and sweet. This is our L'Invitation formula, at €29.90 per person excl. VAT. It suits teams of 15 to 40 people who want to mark the occasion without spending the whole evening on it.

The dinner reception, 2 to 3 hours

The most common format for a real end-of-year party. It replaces dinner, so quantities have to go up: 16 to 18 canapés per person for a full dinner reception. La Réception (12 canapés, €40.90 excl. VAT) is enough if the party starts at 7 pm and people sometimes have dinner afterwards. La Célébration (16 canapés, €51.90 excl. VAT) is the right choice if nobody will be eating elsewhere.

The seated meal

More formal, more demanding in terms of logistics and space. Keep it for small headcounts or for parties with awards, speeches, or where you want everyone seated facing a stage. Our lunch trays range from €28.90 to €30.90 per person excl. VAT depending on the menu.

Which format for which headcount?

• 10 to 25 people: end-of-year get-together or cocktail reception, on your premises. No heavy logistics; a buffet set out on two tables is enough.
• 25 to 60 people: dinner reception. This is the format to favour. Plan two buffet points rather than one, otherwise a queue forms.
• 60 to 150 people: dinner reception with a dedicated space, and ideally a live culinary entertainment to create a gathering point.
• Beyond 150: you need an external venue, and the caterer must be booked several weeks in advance.

The most common mistake: underestimating quantities

At an end-of-year party, people eat more than at a classic after-work event. The time has a lot to do with it: at 7:30 pm, after a working day, the first savoury canapés go very quickly. Our benchmark: savoury canapés disappear about twice as fast as sweet ones in the first hour.

If you are hesitating between two formulas, take the higher one. An empty buffet at 8:30 pm at a party meant to last until 10 pm is the only incident teams remember the following year. We detail the calculation in our guide how many canapés per person.

Drinks, often forgotten in the budget

We deliver Alain Milliat juices, waters and cups with the platters, in the same order. Everything is alcohol-free: for the toast, a 0% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs replaces the bubbles, and everyone shares the same glass. Plan for ice; it is the great forgotten item of December parties held in heated offices.

Also think about a real alcohol-free offer, not just bottles of water. At a company party, a significant share of the teams does not drink alcohol, and offering something other than a glass of water changes their evening.

When to book your end-of-year party?

You can order until 2 pm the day before. For 50 people or more, or several sites, let us know at least 48 hours ahead. For a party with culinary entertainment or a seasonal menu, send your quote request a few weeks ahead: the reply comes within 24 hours and you have time to settle the format, the quantities and access to the venue.

The whole menu halal and pork-free

It is our standard, not an option to ask for. At a party that brings the whole company together, it saves you from managing a separate order or making a list of people who cannot eat. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are specified when ordering, with the numbers concerned.

Organising your end-of-year party

Order until 2 pm the day before; 48 hours' notice recommended from 50 people or for several sites. For a party, request the quote a few weeks ahead to settle the format and quantities. Delivery €29 excl. VAT in Paris and nearby towns, company invoicing with VAT. See also our corporate Christmas catering page and our cocktail reception formulas. Request your quote, reply within 24 hours.

For the preparation calendar, see the countdown plan for an end-of-year party. The costed guide to corporate end-of-year celebrations compares the formats and their prices.

L'Écrin Traiteur prices, October 2026.

Frequently asked questions about the end-of-year company party