For those people that work for companies that have Christmas Parties? How are they?

[Cokie Bear]

I had mine on Friday. The owner paid for a 3 course meal in a decent restaurant then paid for drinks in a bar for everyone all night. Think there was 10 or 11 of us and we all drank a serious amount. Probably the most I've ever drank. Didn't get home until 6am.

Went into work on Monday with "the fear" because I can't remember much, and a big part of what I do remember was telling the CEO that my boss was a useless bastard and that he's holding the company back and needs to be sacked. A good night otherwise.

 

[Ploppee]

full of alcohol and cocaine. is good fun.

 

[Lump]

Our company takes Christmas parties seriously. My branch of about 300-400 people rents out a hotel ballroom, rents a bunch of games and arcade machines, catering by 4Rivers (or in that ballpark), hires caricature artists, hires a tarot/palm reader (always really popular for whatever reason), serves alcohol, raffles away electronics and game systems and a couple TVs. It's a really solid party.

 

[Aegus]

Last year was my first xmas with the company.

I think we could technically attend 3 parties in total.

1st- Team (Meal at lunch time)
2nd - Division (Bar booked after work)
3rd- Entire company at the location. We have to apply for tickets. Super swanky. TVs, holidays are handed out. I didn't get a ticket this year, but it looks super expensive (just for the location).

 

[Deleted member 60582]

My company rents out an event center and has a 3-course meal for everyone, free open bar, raffles and all sorts of shit. I won a 70" Samsung at the last one despite not actually being there at the time. It's usually good fun, a bunch of people just getting hammered for the most part, but just about everyone has worked with or adjacent to everyone else in the oil & gas industry down here, so it's really just like a family reunion with much less drama. I don't drink, so my wife and I pretty much just hang out with the other sober people and watch the hilarity from afar.

 

[CosmicPanda]

Am I the crazy one here 😂? Isn't it still a little bit early to have a Christmas party!

 

[BringBackSonics]

Am I the crazy one here 😂? Isn't it still a little bit early to have a Christmas party!

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Competition might be tough for venues!

 

[Eidan]

I manage our holiday party. It tends to be on the expensive side. I''d say we spend around $150-170k on average. Get a hotel ballroom, full premium bar, a band, prizes, all sorts of stuff. I'm having arcade machines added this year.

 

[RetroMG]

I didn't go to my company's Christmas party last year, because I had just gotten in from out of town and was wiped out. But it was held at a popular and expensive gastropub restaurant which they rented out for the evening, and they held a raffle in which nearly everyone who attended won something. Between a handful of my co-workers, they won an Xbox One, a Switch, and a 55 inch 4K TV. The people who didn't win huge prizes at least went home with gift cards.

I'm told that this year will be about the same, and needless to say, I'm going to be there.

 

[BringBackSonics]

I manage our holiday party. It tends to be on the expensive side. I''d say we spend around $150-170k on average. Get a hotel ballroom, full premium bar, a band, prizes, all sorts of stuff. I'm having arcade machines added this year.

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Hahaha. I envy companies with real holiday party budgets

 

[Chopchop]

Some places I've worked at are pretty okay with them. They basically just treat everyone to a free nice lunch or dinner. I prefer lunch since that way you don't need to stay past normal working hours. I always appreciated the places that did that.

 

[pikachief]

We just meet up for dinner at a nice restaurant and work pays for the meal.

Click to shrink...

same here.

 

[Deleted member 6173]

Typically they're pretty awesome. I'm going to mine this Thursday. We're going to Second City to watch a show. I'm excited.

 

[XShagrath]

Ours have gotten infinitely better the past few years, as we've outgrown our old venue. We used to have the Christmas party on-site with full catering, live bands, etc. The past two years, we've rented out Universal Studios and had the park to ourselves. The first year, we had catering beforehand outside the park, with only a limited selection of rides available once we got in. Last year, we had the entire park, with free food/drink at any location in the park. This year, we're moving over to Islands of Adventure, so it'll be a whole new set of rides and entertainment to check out.

 

[CatAssTrophy]

When I worked in a fancy O&G company years back the holiday party was just a handful of hours in a ballroom a few blocks from our building, with limited food and bar, and they did some speeches etc we had to sit through. It was a standing room with very little seating, and a bit weird. Still pretty fancy, especially considering the building they had it in.

When I was a contractor at Exxon they didn't allow us to attend the holiday party/parties, and our team/group didn't do anything special for us either.

Now I'm at a software company and next week will be the first xmas party I've gone to with them. Apparently everyone talks about how awesome they are, but our company has almost doubled in size since the last one, and they have a tendency to dial things back as we expand, so I'm keeping my expectations in check. We're supposed to be going to a fancy restaurant and that's about all I know.

 

[Deleted member 3010]

It was fun back then, we rented big places like a museum and shit, we had something like a 5 service diner with people waiting with a wine bottle to fill us up the moment the glass was starting to look empty, and after that, they opened the dance floor which I promptly walked away from. It was a nice opportunity to bring out my 'Christmas Party suit'.

Now it's more thematic, like 'This year is Old School Far West theme!' and there are food stations everywhere where you have to wait the line-up to have a tiny plate of General Tao, Mini burger and such.....I stopped going to those as I preferred the older, fancy, style. My friend not going anymore helps not going, too.

 

[The Albatross]

In my old division we'd have our End of year thing the same time as our Christmas party, so basically celebrating end of year (Q4, biggest quarter) and the holidays. THey'd go all out with pretty expensive dinners / parties, open bar, but just for employees. With my current division I think we have a party in the caf where we eat cookies together for 30mins, no lie.

 

[TheGhost]

Usually huge extrvaganza's with shit tons of hired entertainment and usually a different theme from year to year. Always bussed us into NYC

 

[viral]

Usually at a local restaurant with unlimited food/booze, some kind of a show (magician, cocktail show, dancers, etc), but this time we're going bowling with unlimited food/booze. I don't personally like them as much, because we're a 90+ person company, so everybody has their own cliques, and I work at a part of the company where I don't really fit into any of them, so even though I know everyone and I'm in good terms with them, I usually end up pretty lonely at these events. We only had 20 people when I started working here 6 years ago, and I liked the more family-like atmosphere back then.

 

[CortexVortex]

Lots of booze and lots of making out with each other which everyone then regrets the next Monday.

But yeah Christmas parties are always good fun.
Well almost always. This years is gonna suck and I will just go to a pub and watch football instead.

 

[mangopositive]

We're going to Ruth's Chris Steak House this Saturday. No ribeye option, so I'll probably get the salmon. Why on Earth is the filet cut so popular?

 

[ElephantShell]

We typically have three parties a year with a rented out restaurant and all food and drinks paid for by the firm, Christmas party being one of them. It's fun but we're a pretty close knit company, so it's kinda like any other time we go out for drinks after work.

 

[finalflame]

Massive party at an extravagant venue with tons of free top-shelf booze, food, entertainment, etc. Listen closely and you'll hear lines being done in bathroom stalls, usually by sales bros. We also have a summer party and other random, smaller celebrations throughout the year.

 

[Animus Vox]

My company has grown much larger since I first joined to the point where all everyone at the party is doing is looking for people they actually know.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

In the years I've been here we've rented out a museum wing or Fenway Park's luxury suite, with fully catered high-end appetizers, meals, and desserts, open bar, live band w/dance floor, photo booths, coat check, company raffle, discounted area hotel rates, and private shuttles. Everyone dresses up semi-formal and gets a +one. It's like going to a free wedding if you don't pay for a hotel.

 

[Jeronimo]

I'm missing one this Friday. (I'm happy it's on Friday since I work from home.)

Some of the ones I've been to have been ok. After hours, at a nice restaurant/bar with appetizers and a cash bar. This one Friday is during the work day, on campus, in a big conference room, oh and it's a potluck.

 

[Deleted member 10612]

This year it escalated.

Had to do it last Friday since a lot of people have to get rid of overtime ... Started with dinner at 17:00 and ended walking out of a stripclub 6:30 in the morning. My boss went straight to work, I did homeoffice. Got to see them bazongas of one of our team members since she started to strip on the pole and make out with one of the ladies there, and saw how a
nother one (also a women) was motorboating left and right. Nearly puked while in a Skype call, while my boss dozed off in it (was also in the meeting).

 

[EscoBlades]

Ours are usually fun. The individual studios run their own parties, but usually go all out for a fun experience for their employees

 

[Rhodo]

Went to 4 xmas parties at my old 15ish ppl company, the last one was so depressing and party pals of coworkers would show up just to slurp down my old bosses drink budget. We left early but I still hear stories about how they got banned from the venue for throwing up everywhere. I'm glad i'm at a different company now and I'm going to their xmas party but I doubt the stories will be as weird or embarrassing.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

I've only been to one but mine was fun. Shared secret Santa gifts, got buzzed on free drinks, had some food and talked shit with my coworkers and introduced them to my gf at the time.

 

[____]

Pretty fucking fantastic but I don't like company events so I stopped attending.

 

[Strat]

I held a work Christmas party last Friday at a steakhouse. I drank so much that I don't remember getting home. I somehow paid the ($2,300) bill on the way out, so I guess I did ok.

I'm going to have some stern words with the one fucko who decided to buy a COUPLE $50 plates and a rather expensive bottle of booze, but I won't be too stern, it's Christmas afterall.

 

[Deleted member 13328]

All employees get to go, we're roughly 900 working where I work so they split us up so we're around a 100 at different dates.

We get dinner, a "julbord" like a buffe of classic Swedish Christmas food. No alcoholic beverages on the company dime since we Swedes can't handle it, we drink to much.

Usually we end up drunk either way since we drink before it and there is most often a bar where you can buy beer, wine and so on.

I usually have a lot of fun at them.

 

[HellforLeather]

Pretty good. Open bar for a few hours, usually a really good dinner (Filet Mignon this year) and its good to see everybody. Plus they give away stuff and I got a GoPro8 and $100

 

[Antagon]

My first job was pretty good. Employees and partners were invited, they rentes out the local theater and had dinner and a party afterwards. Unlimited booze, live bands and a filled dance floor made for some good times.

My current job had no Christmas party, but we did visit Majorca for a weekend so I'm not complaining.

 

[Lumination]

Love our summer and winter parties. Unlimited drinks, dancing, photo booths, and wholesome fun. Everyone knows not to get frisky and it works out well. Great opportunity to drink with friends and catch up with people I only talk to at these parties and in hallways lol.

Our winter parties are usually indoors and classier. Sometimes a rooftop gig, sometimes a venue with a winter cabin feel to it.

 

[djplaeskool]

Open bar and free buffet at TopGolf.
What's not to like?

 

[Canucked]

We have two. An office one with booze and food. The day ends early, and everyone can unwind. Free taxis home.

We have another for kids, where families can bring their kids to meet Santa.

All in all people seem to like them.

 

[stersauce]

i've never attended a company party, but our department does our own christmas party

it's always a great time

 

[Burrman]

Shit gets crazy at my work parties. Such a good time. Free booze and lots of awesome prizes. Seems like I win something every other year. My place is known for organizing killer Christmas parties. I met a fellow Canadian when I was in Cuba, and when I told him where I worked he said " I heard you have crazy Christmas parties". Like it was so random yet so true.

 

[Rhaknar]

I have a xmas "dinner" and its socially awkward as you would expect but there's always a ton of cake and pies and shit so thats good :p

 

[Pyke Presco]

Typically we'll rent out a banquet hall or a hotel conference area and cater the meal. Usually have a cash bar, do some year-end awards ceremonies and thank yous to key members of the team for the year, get a speech from the top brass about what a great year it was and how good the outlook is moving forward, and then get the heck out of there by like 2 in the afternoon. I have mine next Monday and it starts at 11:00 elsewhere in town, so it's a great excuse to put in 2-2.5 hours of work and then leave to get to the venue, then head home early.

 

[bastardly]

The best I've ever been to was they had a casino night with a bunch of proper table games and were giving away a ton of tvs and iPods, then the housing market crashed and our parties turned into a shitty company potluck. I don't think I've been to one since then.

Also my old boss used to tell me before every company outing that I needed to go just to show my face too, so I made it an effort to never go again.

 

[Septimus Prime]

My current company does them, and they're nice. They usually rent out a large venue and give it a theme, and then they add food, activities, and open bars.

What's cool is that they also throw a second party for the kids.

My last company didn't do them at all, so I extra enjoy them now.

And then two companies ago, the parties would very wildly in quality, depending on how our games did. The best was them renting out Sony Picture Studios and having a party there, with open bar, a casino night, and prizes. They even flew out their superstar producer, who is very well known in our industry, and he came and signed autographs. A few years later, when we did a lot less hot, the party was just bowling during a work day--employees only.

 

[Staab]

I organize it yearly for my company, about 300 people show up.
We usually do a thematic evening, apéro for an hour, followed by appetizer buffet, seated main dish, dessert buffet then from 11 onward open bar and dance floor.
Locations are usually very chic, 4 or 5* hotels, we have shows in between and some games here and there.
Always get around 50-60 on the dancefloor so it's always a blast!

 

[Doober]

My company had it at a Landry's last year and it wasn't bad. It wasn't the full menu, they just cooked up a bunch of fish and (admittedly awesome) etouffee and had a cash bar, but we had the upstairs party room to ourselves.

Only lame part is having to socialize with our bosses, who instead of just letting us eat and relax had us doing some stupid scavenger hunt game.

They also do it in January to save money since booking during the holidays are more expensive.

 

[Primal Sage]

Our christmas party is ususlly pretty good. Around 60 participants each year.

It's always on a Friday and begins with everyone stopping working at 3pm. Then we have mulled wine and æbleskiver. It's basically golfball sized pancakes with a crusty exterior. Served with jam and powdered sugar. Taste excellent:

Then we are divided into teams for some sort of competition. Here are some examples from different years:

Racing on toiletshaped scooters.
Shooting range where we shot .45 caliber revolver and a Glock.
Making a music video in a professional studio with green screen.
Doing voice overs for a cartoon.
Gospel choir coach taught us to sing.

Two of the most elaborate ones were these:

We were presented with a murder mystery. One of our prior coworkers had been murdered and one of us had done it. Every team went around the building (big place) where 12 different crime scenes/clue scenes had been constructed. We had to gather clues, solve riddles, perform tasks (a real chemical test whether a substance was drugs) and make deductions based on witness testimony etc. At the end (or earlier) each team could make one accusation regarding the murderer's identity. The first one to guess correctly won.

Another year we drove to an external location. Sat down before a stage with curtains drawn. Lights turned off. Suddenly the theme music from Wheel of Fortune started playing and out on stage to welcome us walked Bengt Burg, the most popular and longest performing Danish host of the show. And then we all played Wheel of Fortune. Great fun.

Each year after "the entertainment" we have a big dinner with loads of different Danish christmas food items and a free bar. The company pays for everything:

Usually the entertainment is a secret until the day of the party but this year we know in advance because there is a choice of activity and the planning group needs to know participant numbers. We are going to a big powerplant where the roof has been converted into an artificial skiing slope. People can either ski or get a tour of the plant:

 

[Deleted member 36054]

My company goes all out with close to 1K people. I usually go as I really like my coworkers.

 

[OneThirtyEight]

Boring maybe, i dont know...they always have them on thursday nights. Thursday nights is hockey night so i never attend since i'd rather watch sports and have a few beers with my friends.

 

[BringBackSonics]

I'm missing one this Friday. (I'm happy it's on Friday since I work from home.)

Some of the ones I've been to have been ok. After hours, at a nice restaurant/bar with appetizers and a cash bar. This one Friday is during the work day, on campus, in a big conference room, oh and it's a potluck.

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Those in office potlucks are the best ones! /s