Perth fills its December calendar earlier than most people expect. Companies commit to end of year functions in September and October, the Friday and Saturday nights in early December go first, and anyone still looking in mid November is choosing from what is left.
If the work Christmas party has landed on your desk, the venue is the decision everything else hangs off. This guide walks through how a beachfront function actually works, using Dunes Beach Resort at Mindarie as the example. It sits on the coast at 2 Quinns Road, roughly 30 minutes north of the Perth CBD via the Mitchell Freeway, and it was built for summer events: indoor and outdoor spaces on one site, food and drinks from an on site restaurant and bar, and accommodation on site.
Why a Beachfront Venue Beats a City Function Room in December
A hotel function room in the CBD does the job, but it does not do anything else. It could be in any city in Australia, and by 8pm nobody remembers which one they were in.
A beachfront venue does half the work for you. In December the coast north of Perth is at its best, the afternoon sea breeze takes the edge off the heat, and the sun sets straight out over the Indian Ocean. You are also away from CBD parking and CBD prices, and because the site has open air spaces as well as an indoor room, a hot day does not put your event at risk.
People work better, connect more openly and remember an event longer when it happens somewhere that feels like an experience rather than a booking.
Dunes Beach Resort, Mindarie
The Three Spaces at Dunes Beach Resort
There are three event spaces on site, and most Christmas parties use more than one across the night. Together they can host 250 or more guests for a day event.
The Indoor Function Room
The function room is the anchor space. It can be set up in theatre, boardroom, U-shape, classroom or banquet configuration. Banquet suits a sit down Christmas lunch or dinner, theatre suits awards or a few words from the leadership team, and either way the room keeps your event on track regardless of the weather.
The Alfresco Deck
Most December events start here. Open air seating, shaded zones and ocean views make the deck the natural spot for arrival drinks and something to eat while people find each other. Mingling is easier standing up outdoors than seated indoors, so an hour on the deck early does a lot for the rest of the night.
The Lawn
The lawn is the most flexible of the three. It gives you room to spread out for a stand up function, run something more active during the afternoon, or give a larger group somewhere to move between the deck and the room. It is what makes a big head count feel comfortable rather than crowded.
How a December Event Runs Across an Afternoon and Evening
The best work Christmas parties are not a three hour block in a room. They have a shape to them.
The Afternoon
Guests arrive mid to late afternoon and start outdoors on the deck with drinks and something to eat. The heat of the day has passed, the sea breeze is in, and no seating plan is holding anyone in place. This is the part of the night people actually talk to each other, so give it real time.
Sunset and Dinner
Sunset is worth planning around, because on this stretch of coast the sun drops over the water. Bring people together for dinner or the formal part of the evening around that time. If you have speeches, awards or thank yous, this is where they belong. People are fed, still fresh, and looking at the ocean.
The Evening
After the formalities the night loosens off again and moves between the function room and the outdoor spaces. Decide in advance what time you want to finish and how people are getting home.
Catering and Drinks Through Sandara
Food and drinks come from Sandara, the restaurant, cafe and bar on site. Because it is part of the resort rather than an external caterer brought in for the night, your menu, drinks and service all run through one team who know the spaces.
Menus are put together to suit the size of your group and the format of your event, so a stand up function on the deck and a seated dinner indoors are handled differently. Raise dietary requirements early and the team will walk you through the current options. The same venue also handles corporate events and conferences, so a Christmas party is often the first time a business sees a site it later books for work.
Let Guests Stay the Night Instead of Arranging Transport
Transport is the least fun part of organising a Christmas party. Rideshare surge pricing in December, or a bus that has everyone watching the clock from 10pm.
A resort venue removes most of that. Dunes has 38 luxury glamping tents on site and can accommodate up to 86 overnight guests. Every tent has a queen bed with premium linen, an ensuite, a private timber deck with ocean views, a mini fridge, and tea and coffee facilities, across Ocean Front, Deluxe, Family, Hill Top and UAT categories.
Some companies cover a block of tents, others let staff book their own. Either way it is worth flagging on the invitation, because beachfront accommodation turns a Friday night function into a night away. Guests heading home still need a plan, so keep transport on the checklist for everyone else.
What to Lock In Before You Book
Have these six things roughly settled before you call.
- Your date and day of the week. December Fridays go first, then Saturdays. A Thursday or a weekday lunch opens up more choice.
- Head count and format. A seated dinner and a stand up function need different setups. Use a realistic number, including partners.
- Indoor, outdoor or both. Most December events use the deck and lawn early and the function room later.
- Catering and drinks. Decide between a seated meal and something more relaxed, and collect dietary requirements early.
- Accommodation. Work out whether the business is covering rooms or leaving staff to book their own, then say so on the invite.
- Start and finish times. An afternoon start makes the most of the outdoor spaces and the sunset.
When to Book a Perth Work Christmas Party
September and October, which is probably why you are reading this now. Booking early is not only about availability. It gets the date into everyone’s calendar before the December diary clash, leaves time to sort the menu properly, and gives staff a chance to arrange accommodation. If your event is a large one, earlier again is better.
Talk to the Dunes Team About Your End of Year Function
Whether you are planning a team lunch for 20 or a function for a few hundred, the fastest way forward is a conversation about your date, your numbers and how you want the night to run.
Call 0407 515 489 or email hello@dunesbeachresort.com.au to check December availability at Dunes Beach Resort, 2 Quinns Road, Mindarie WA 6030.
