Large Company Christmas Party ideas?

[foodiddiedoo]

Ha, my company just did a "pre-holiday party" last week at Main Event and it was free open bar all afternoon! I can most assuredly confirm to the PP that companies DO in fact still have alcohol at events....we have beer and margaritas just to celebrate the super bowl or Cinco de Mayo!

My holiday parties have all been breakfasts or lunches in a conference room in the office. Never any alcohol (there was a paid Christmas party you could go to at somewhere dreadful like a Elks Lodge for 60 bucks, with a terrible Italian food buffet that everyone was "pressured" into going to for several years). Our work parties are boring, people leave starting at 11 am from the one that was a breakfast party (the literal only benefit), but since I switched roles in the company we've only had a 1 hour lousy buffet style lunch, then BACK TO WORK.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Raffle off the chance to kick the boss in the crotch. Buy booze with the money raised.

 

[dosekies]

I can't wait for our Christmas party. We have an office in downtown Chicago and in the suburbs, so the party is always downtown. Last year a few of us from the suburb office ordered a limo to take us from the office to the party, since it was at 4 on a Thursday after work. They rent out a bar in the city for about 4 hours and have appetizers, desserts, and a full open bar. There's also usually a few fun things to do. I don't remember what they had my first year, but last year there was a big photo booth, someone doing shadow portraits, and a guy dressed as The Grinch!

 

[Lilacs4Me]

My holiday parties have all been breakfasts or lunches in a conference room in the office. Never any alcohol (there was a paid Christmas party you could go to at somewhere dreadful like a Elks Lodge for 60 bucks, with a terrible Italian food buffet that everyone was "pressured" into going to for several years). Our work parties are boring, people leave starting at 11 am from the one that was a breakfast party (the literal only benefit), but since I switched roles in the company we've only had a 1 hour lousy buffet style lunch, then BACK TO WORK.

Awww! That sounds terrible! lol I worked VERY briefly (from like Sept-Dec one year when first rejoining the workforce after being at home for about 5 years when my kids were little) at a company that didn't even let their employees leave their desk for the "holiday week" - they literally had the managers bring around carts with the "treat" of the day on them and hand you one as they passed. I'll never forget the day it was "taco day" and they handed us each one of those little frozen tacos that 15 year old boys heat up in the microwave after school as a snack. They tasted like cat food!

So, yeah...not every company throws a good party! I totally understand!

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Awww! That sounds terrible! lol I worked VERY briefly (from like Sept-Dec one year when first rejoining the workforce after being at home for about 5 years when my kids were little) at a company that didn't even let their employees leave their desk for the "holiday week" - they literally had the managers bring around carts with the "treat" of the day on them and hand you one as they passed. I'll never forget the day it was "taco day" and they handed us each one of those little frozen tacos that 15 year old boys heat up in the microwave after school as a snack. They tasted like cat food!

So, yeah...not every company throws a good party! I totally understand!

I work for one of the major cell phone companies too. We make billions a year, but we can't spend a few thousand on each office party?

 

[longboard55]

My wife use to runs some good ones, I think the most popular was the film festival where different departments would submit 3-5 minute films to show. No one leaving early at that one

 

[soccerdad72]

Yeah, I don't know about that. Between my DH and I, I've been to dozens of parties across several different companies -- they've all had the alcohol flowing. It's already hard enough to get people to go to those things; I can't imagine how much harder it would be if it was a dry event.

The OP mentions that this is during the day, so I would assume that means during the work day. That would mean no alcohol. Any after-hours holiday party that I've been to have included alcohol, but this doesn't sound like something like that.

 

[disneychrista]

most companies have a zero alcohol policy.

Unless you work for a brewery like me I am in charge of our holiday party (as I am the manager of our Ale House, open bar is the only given.

What I am unsure about is the food aspect. If I have to prepare it, it is going to be spaghetti, salad & bread. We don't have a kitchen onsite, so that means prep at home. I am not sure full on catering is in the budget but it would be so much easier.

 

[ronandannette]

Our corporate HQ hosts an elegant cocktails/dinner/dance type of thing for all the business units - about 400 employees and our plus-ones. It's fairly well attended but not very well liked.

Our business unit (about 85 people) also does a daytime party at a sports bar with lunch and plenty of booze. Every year our vendors donate some pretty substantial prizes and we all buy raffle tickets with the proceeds going to charity. We also split everyone into teams and do a big trivia contest. The company sponsors a $500/pp cash prize for each member of the winning team.

Each of the departments in our business unit do their own Christmas lunch event as well. For my staff of 8 we will be going to do an escape room and then out for pizza. (They voted and that narrowly edged out Red Lobster, thank goodness.)

Between now and the New Year we will also likely get 4 or 5 invitations to large events held by our trades and suppliers - everything from lunches to full blown evening events. We're pretty partied-out over the holiday season.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

A skit the department heads put on. A game only involving the department heads that everyone gets to watch. Think family feud style.

 

[powellrj]

I worked in outside sales and we would all come back to the office for a catered lunch and have a white elephant gift exchange. I enjoyed them because it was nice to see everyone.

My brother and dh worked for the same company. My brother gave his employees great parties with good food and great prizes. DHs bosses gave them deli trays and cases of returned product.