Most work Christmas parties are a good night and nothing more. When one goes wrong, in our view it is usually at the door, at the bar or in the car park at close. Christmas party security is about covering those three points with licensed people who know what they are allowed to do.
This guide is for office managers, HR teams and business owners booking event security in Brisbane or across South East Queensland for an end-of-year function: when you need it, which Queensland licence fits which job, and what to sort out before you book.
Do you need security at a work Christmas party?
Not every party does. A long lunch for twelve is a different job from a 300-person function with a free bar until midnight. In our view, these are the things that move a party towards booking security:
- Numbers. More people at the door, the bar and leaving at once.
- Alcohol. A free or tab bar, a long session, or a late finish.
- The venue. A hired space, a park or your own office, where nobody else runs the door.
- Guests. Partners, contractors or clients you don't know by sight.
- The finish. Rideshare and the car park at 11pm.
- The property. Equipment or stock in the building you are celebrating in.
If two or three of those apply, it's worth getting a quote.
Crowd controller or security officer: what Queensland law says
Security work in Queensland is licensed under the Security Providers Act 1993, and the licence has to match the job. A crowd controller is someone paid to be at a public place mainly to keep order: screening who comes in, monitoring or controlling behaviour, and removing people. Under the Act, a "public place" includes licensed premises and entertainment venues open to the public. The Queensland Government lists hotels, clubs and restaurants among the places where security work needs a crowd controller licence.
A security officer is someone paid to guard, patrol or watch another person's property, such as an office floor or car park while the party runs.
Two points matter for organisers:
- Someone who only checks invitations or passes is not a crowd controller under the Act. At a licensed or public venue, deciding who gets in, handling a guest who has had too many, or walking someone out is crowd control.
- The Act makes it an offence to engage someone, directly or indirectly, to do security work for reward unless they hold the right licence. Paying a staff member's mate cash to "do the door" puts that risk on your business.
You can check any individual or firm on the Queensland Government's free online security licence register.
If the party is at a licensed venue
Hotels, clubs and function centres trade under their own liquor licence. Business Queensland notes that outside the Brisbane City Council area, venues follow the security conditions in their individual licences. Inside the BCC area, venues trading after 1am must meet crowd controller to patron ratios, starting at one crowd controller for up to 100 patrons.
Ask the venue whether its security covers your room or only the front door, and whether you can bring in your own licensed crowd controllers for your area.
Staff serving alcohol in licensed premises need a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate, so the bar is the venue's call. The gaps are usually at the edges: the door to your room, the smoking area, the lifts and the street at close.
If the party is at your office, a park or a hired space
Without a licensee on site, the door is yours. According to the Queensland Police Service, a private party does not need a liquor permit if the alcohol is free, there is no cover charge, and nobody is making money or gaining a commercial advantage from supplying it. If you plan to sell drinks or charge entry, check the permit rules with the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation first. For a park or other public place, Business Queensland says to check with your local council first.
For these parties, security usually means a guest list and someone authorised to decline entry, keeping closed floors closed, a presence near the bar if your own staff are pouring, and the car park at close.
Christmas party security checklist
Before you ask for a quote, have these ready:
- Date, start and finish time, and when you need the room cleared.
- Venue address, and whether it holds a liquor licence.
- Expected numbers, and whether partners or clients are invited.
- How drinks are supplied: venue bar, free bar, tab or BYO.
- Entry: guest list, wristbands or open door.
- Floors, rooms and equipment that need to stay closed off.
- How people get home: car park, rideshare pick-up, buses.
- Who on your team is the contact on the night, and their mobile.
- Any known issues, such as a former staff member or a VIP guest.
Booking event security in Brisbane for November and December
In our view, most end-of-year functions land on a handful of Thursday to Saturday nights from late November to mid-December, and licensed officers get booked against all of them. Confirming early gives you time to sort the brief with the venue.
ANSIC supplies event security and crowd control in Brisbane and across South East Queensland using our own licensed officers. They hold the security licence the job requires, including the crowd controller function where the brief needs it, plus RSA where alcohol is served, and advanced first aid and CPR. Shifts are logged in Guardhouse with GPS clock-in and an occurrence log, and at licensed hotel, club and function-room doors officers sign on through Security Registers, which checks their crowd controller licence.
If something does happen, our article on what to do when your employees don't feel safe at work covers the next steps.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a crowd controller or a security guard for a work Christmas party?
It depends on the job. Keeping order at a licensed or entertainment venue (screening entry, handling behaviour, removals) is crowd controller work. Watching property is security officer work. Your provider should match the licence to the brief.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as the date and venue are confirmed.
Lock in your Christmas party date
Send us the date, venue, numbers and bar arrangements, and we will build the roster around them. See our event security page, or crowd control if your function is at a hotel, club or function room. Then use Contact Us or call 1300 240 829. ANSIC has provided licensed security in South East Queensland since 2010.
