office parties

pumpkinpumpkin

What does your workplace do for Xmas parties? I'm trying to get ideas. I can't believe it's that time of year already.

mandysmear

Amysmomma just asked this the other day.  The thread didn't go so well though.  SO here's hoping yours does.

We do a luncheon with games and wii tournaments, music, booze, food. 
We do an actual party.  Last year was a cocktail party.  Totes awesome.

H's work took us to a BBQ and Crab restaurant last  year.  That was awesome.  Live music.  Good times.

Beachy730

I'm actually very jealous of people who get fun Christmas parties.  I'm a teacher, and our "Christmas party" was always just a happy hour on the last day of school and we would get food.  Not that I don't love a good happy hour though.

DodgersBride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_office-parties?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6fcb3a6a-7b77-403a-a302-e1dec7ab2bd6Post:5f94ee6b-afc3-4c59-adac-58cb48894386">office parties</a>:
[QUOTE]What does your workplace do for Xmas parties? I'm trying to get ideas. I can't believe it's that time of year already.
Posted by pumpkinpumpkin[/QUOTE]

The owner of my company is Jewish so we have company wide Holiday Lunch at our facility. We have a huge plant so it's easier. We do one on each shift.

As far as certain departments: Each ones does a potluck on whatever given day. When I first started they did a gift exchange but since times are hard on most ppl here and since the pay cuts they haven't done that.

pumpkinpumpkin

That's why I thought I'd try again Mandy. I think I posted this a few years ago and had a lot of responses, but I can't remember now.

I also couldn't remember what amysmomma posted - I knew it was something Xmas party related.

We usually do a nice dinner at a lounge and open the pool table and dart boards for the night. Small town - so options are limited. But we did that two years in a row, so want to try something different.

One idea I had was to have a Wii tournament of some sort - another business in town did this last year, and had bowlong tournaments, etc. handed out prizes, and at the end of the night, one of the staff members won the Wii.

georgia_bride09

Well, my company party is usually a lunch provided by the President (of the company). We're a small company.

For the govt (my "customer"), the department that is in charge of the party does fundraisers all year (I think the depts rotate) and then they STILL charge to get in and have a cash bar. I've only been to one, and we didn't stay long. $8 domestic =/= good time.

akhensley81

The company was founded by my boss's mother (my boss = current owner). She hosts a party at her house every year.

Plus sides = tons of food, tons of booze, and we do a white elephant gift exchange that is usually hilarious.

Down side = for some reason they don't want us to bring our spouses/SO's (apparently this has been the "rule" forever). And the where house they host the party is a good 2 hour drive from where I live. And the party is done on a Friday after business hours without letting any of the offices close early.

AliGirl11

I think ours is just a lame potluck.  And judging by the food at the potlucks we've had so far, I am not excited.

salt78

Our main office party is always at a really nice Italian restaurant across the street. But since we own so many buildings, I end up going to like 3 Christmas parties a week during December and get absolutely no actual work done. 

smore154

We're pretty standard. The group usually rents out a bar and gets happy hour specials and some catered finger foods and everyone just shows up after work. You are also encouraged to wear super fugly christmas sweaters.

georgia_bride09

[QUOTE]We do a luncheon with everyone in our building.  Which is a lot of goddamn people, I kinda hate it.  I wish our little office would just do a happy hour or something.
Posted by kikibaby[/QUOTE]

This is how we do Thanksgiving. And it's usually a CF. But that's the only time we something indoors as a group; normally we meet at a park for 4th of July, Fall Festival, etc.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Ours was canceled last year, since they laid half the employees off the day before.

The year before that we had a party on a cruise ship at the marina, which was fun. But it was one of those things where you had to be on time or the boat would leave without you. They hired a shuttle to and from the office/marina for anyone who wanted it.

The year before that the company had some financial issues and we just had it in the party room at the HR director's building.

The three years before that it was at a nice private restaurant.

Birdie1483

The last few years we've rented out an event room somewhere and had open bar, hor dourves, and a band. They also did a raffle for some prizes.

The first year was at a place called Glassworks that makes hand-blown glasswares. We were able to be in the room where we could see them blowing the glass in their factory area. This past year they rented out a room in a museum and did the same as the year before with the drinks, food and band. We're an ad agency in Kentucky, so we have (had) a few different type of liquor clients. We were able to have them sponsor the bar in some fashion so all of the guests were able to try some premium Bourbons.

These have been sooooo much better than the parties at my last job. I worked for a newspaper where they combined the xmas party, santa, and year end awards into the same party. It was always during the day, everyone brought their gaggle of kids to see Santa, I barely drank because it was a cash bar during the daytime and I was sitting next to my coworkers kids, and I had to sit through boring awards and speeches. FI lived out of town, so I was always alone for these.

DodgersBride

At my old job they rented out a car museum in OC and did a big event. It was from l1-5 on Friday. Some ppl had to say at work and cover shifts Those who went to the party got paid their hourly for those 4hrs. Those that stood at work got to leave 4 hrs early another day. They also had olive garden brought in for them.

xyrius

I skipped ahead without reading the other responses but these are the choices we're going to vote on at my company:

1.  Dinner and skating on the rideau canal (obviously if you're not in ottawa this doesn't work, but insert winter-ish activity here)
2. Dinner at sugarbush and sleigh-ride (accommodates 20 people)
3. Dinner at a pub that features hundreds of international beers.
4.  Suite at a hockey game.
5.  Murder mystery and dinner.

AGriffin620

We do a holiday potluck at our boss's house after work (usually the Friday before our week off), that involves a ton of food and a white elephant gift exchange.  It is usually a lot of fun, and everyone shows up in good spirits (which is great).

opalsky007

The department hosts awkward mingling, hors d'oeuvres, and a drink ticket per person at the faculty club. A single drink ticket isn't enough to make it un-awkward.