Inception Group is a fun, creative and dynamic company founded in 2009 by entrepreneurs Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling. With seventeen unique bar, restaurant and club concepts across Central and South West London as well as the City, we have something to suit every occasion.

At Inception Group, we aim to take your parties to the next level with our individual and quirky offerings, tailored-to-you entertainment, exquisite food & beverages and top quality hospitality. From 10 guests, to a drinks and canapés party for 450 guests, and everything in-between! We take great pride in our hands-on approach to everything from inception to execution, and making sure our clients, and their guests, have the time of their lives.

We love cocktail parties, dinner parties, office parties, birthday parties, dancing parties, tea parties and especially Christmas parties!

We want every Christmas party to be immersive, and effortless, without ever feeling generic, forced, or too corporate.
With bold Christmas entrances and decor throughout, which grabs every guests' attention.

Our mission: Create unique and memorable experiences

Our approach to Christmas creativity is based on enhancement, not reinvention. Each of our bars already has a strong, distinctive identity, so rather than adding a temporary festive theme, we focused on elevating what already exists, ensuring that every venue felt unmistakably Christmassy while remaining true to its core character.

Creativity is considered, eloquent décor rather than novelty. Across the group, Christmas was expressed through rich textures, seasonal florals, and design-led festive details that complemented each space.

Consistency was achieved through a shared visual language and guiding principles rather than identical execution, lead by our Head of Design, Alex Wilder and his team. A central creative framework set the tone for colour palettes, materials, and key festive touchpoints, allowing each venue to interpret Christmas in a way that suited its architecture and energy. This ensured cohesion across the group while celebrating individuality at site level.

By respecting the integrity of each venue while applying a refined festive lens, we created Christmas environments that were instantly recognisable, highly photogenic, and memorable.

Rather than offering rigid, pre-packaged Christmas parties, our approach puts the guest experience first, allowing each event to feel perfectly matched to the client’s vision.

The foundation of every Christmas party begins with the venue itself. Our bars are already rich in character, and festive décor is layered in with elegance and restraint. Lighting is LED and all controlled by an Ipad, meaning the the event evolves throughout the evening. Starting softer, then ending with excitement and a party atmosphere on the dance floor.

Music plays a central role in shaping the mood of the party. With internal venue speakers and microphones for speeches included in all venues, clients with smaller budgets can still have an amazing party without needing to bring in additional entertainment.

Our event structure is intentionally flexible. Food & Beverage minimum spends forms the core of each booking, ensuring exceptional hospitality and flow from the moment guests arrive. Entertainment is then offered as an optional, allowing clients to tailor their event precisely, from DJs and live musicians to performers and bespoke moments. Without paying for additions that they don’t want. We have built up an amazing list of suppliers and entertainers which we've worked with for years, to ensure the quality and professionalism is there everytime.

This modular approach ensures no two parties feel the same. Whether clients want a relaxed, social celebration or a full-scale festive takeover, we create environments that are joyful and distinctly memorable.

The result is a lively Christmas party defined not by excess, but by atmosphere, enjoyment and genuine hospitality.

Our cocktails are one of the things we are most well known for across the Inception Group Estate, with continual development and improvement, there's an impressive list of tastes and flavours.
Our Food & Beverage offering is designed to elevate the Christmas party experience without ever slowing it down. Our menus focus on beautifully executed canapés, generous bowl food, and expertly crafted cocktails, food and drink that encourages movement, conversation, and celebration.

Our canapé menus balance indulgence with freshness, pairing festive comfort flavours with modern presentation and bold seasoning. Bowls which are designed to feel substantial yet social, dishes that could be enjoyed standing, and delivered quickly without compromising quality.

With a minimum spend format on food and beverages for all events, instead of set per person packages, we create bespoke offerings for our clients. Meaning they get exactly what they want instead of being locked into something. This is a cost effective pricing solution, where clients don't waste budget with confirmed numbers, when guests then don't turn up on the day.

Exceptional events rely on exceptional people. Across the group, we ensure super smooth event delivery and consistently high hospitality standards through a layered operational structure, robust training programmes, and a genuine commitment to staff development.

At a strategic level, quality is overseen by multiple teams. Our Head of Learning & Development, Lee Faulkner, leads group-wide training and service standards, ensuring every team member understands not just how we operate, but why we do things a certain way. This is supported by experienced operations teams who work closely with all venues. Our Groups Bar Manager, Simone Spagnoli maintains consistency, quality, and innovation across the drink serves.

In the venues, professionalism is driven by people who truly know the business. Many of our senior managers began their careers in entry-level roles and have progressed through our internal development courses, moving across sites and departments as their skills evolved. This progression creates leaders who are deeply invested, highly knowledgeable, and confident managing high-pressure festive events.

Clear pre-event communication, detailed function sheets created by our Event Managers, ensure every booking is carefully planned and flawlessly delivered. On the day, teams are trusted to adapt in real time, responding quickly to client needs and any requests while maintaining the flow, energy, and atmosphere of the event.

Our teams are trained to deliver hospitality that is warm and intuitive . At Inception Group, we say it's hospitality not service. Anyone can serve a G&T or bring out the bill, but it's how our staff make you feel, the welcome you recieve and ultimately the lasting impression you have, when you've left the party.

By combining strong leadership, internal progression, and a culture that values excellence, we consistently deliver Christmas events that run smoothly behind the scenes and feel effortless to the client.

Inception Group integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles directly into its night-time hospitality operations, demonstrating leadership in a high-energy, high-footfall sector.
Environmental (E):
The Group has transitioned 100% of its electricity supply to renewable sources, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. To complement this, the majority of venue lighting has been upgraded to energy-efficient LEDs, and timers have been installed on key equipment, including lighting, extraction, and back-of-house systems, to prevent unnecessary energy use outside trading hours. Standardised start-up and shutdown protocols further optimise energy consumption, delivering measurable environmental impact.
Social (S):
The teams are trained in net zero and sustainability awareness, empowering them to embed responsible behaviours into everyday operations. We prioritise responsible late-night hospitality, customer safety, and staff wellbeing, ensuring venues operate inclusively and professionally during peak trading periods.
Governance (G):
ESG initiatives are embedded in operational governance, with site managers accountable for maintaining energy controls, compliance, and ongoing performance monitoring. Environmental impact and energy use are managed as business risks, supporting long-term resilience, regulatory adherence, and operational excellence.
Through practical environmental action, staff engagement, and structured governance, Inception Group demonstrates credible ESG leadership within the night-time economy, proving that exceptional guest experiences and sustainability can be delivered hand-in-hand.

Through the 2024 Christmas season, we raised £42,721 for the StreetSmart Charity. The amount for 2025 are still be finalised.

Our venues are inherently unique, each one designed with its own personality, atmosphere, and energy. We enhance these spaces with considered festive touches that elevate their character while preserving what makes them special.

Through the 2025 festive period, we held over 190 hugely successful Christmas parties for our clients. With over 15,000 guests enjoying Inception Group venues, our biggest and best Christmas season to date.

Ultimately, we don’t just host Christmas parties, we create memorable festive moments tailored to what clients want, not templates. Our combination of standout venues, operational excellence, and flexible thinking makes us a leader in London’s Christmas events.