The holiday season is supposed to be about giving, right? So it's no surprise that the company party is an annual tradition: It's a chance for firms to give back to their employees. But more than a few companies also use the occasion to say "thanks" by throwing a bash not just for staff, but for customers and clients, too. And it's not only about giving: Some holiday parties even attract future business. Here, Successful Meetings offers a sneak peak of this season's best holiday parties for clients and potential clients.
Don't Cry For Them
How many planners can boast that the show-stopper at their event was their client dressed in drag as Evita, singing a parody of "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"? Riki Lobel can. Lobel, a senior vice president at Paint the Town Red, a New York City event-planning company, plans an annual black-tie holiday bash for an unemployment tax and claims management firm she'd rather not name, whose co-owner isn't averse to donning the occasional gown.
The party is a thank-you to the firm's best clients, which include 30 of the top Fortune 100 companies, and changes themes yearly. "One year it was the Civil War and my client dressed as Lincoln; last year, when he dressed as Evita, it was Broadway," recalls Lobel. Employees, who also wear costumes, relax at their own, separate party. "At this event, they're working," she notes.
Because the company always tries to outdo itself, Lobel's biggest challenge is site selection. She never uses the same place twice, and with space in New York at a premium, she books it by March. This year's locale? Ellis Island: "They want to go back in time, when people were coming over [from Europe]." But whatever the theme, one thing's a constant—her client's face is everywhere: "We put his picture on centerpieces, on blow-up posters . . . One year we did bobblehead dolls of him," says Lobel.
Another constant: some sort of explicit thank-you. Usually, Lobel's client weaves his own customers' names into a speech, but occasionally tries something more creative. "When he dressed as Evita, he sang 'Don't Cry For Me . . .' but with lyrics he made up, using clients' names," she says. "He's just a funny guy, who loves to 'wow' and be silly."
Green Grows the Holly
Texas oil magnates on a vast ranch, shady business dealings, and dysfunctional family dynamics . . . The Bushes at Crawford? Nope: the Ewings at Southfork, setting of the nighttime soap opera Dallas—and, for the past decade, of a holiday party for clients and employees of GroGreen, a local landscaping company.
The ranch is such a big draw, says GroGreen president Gary LaScalea, that his event's become "the party to go to" for locals: "If people don't get invited, they call and ask why." Since the 300 or so who attend don't necessarily know one another, LaScalea relies on icebreakers—caricature artists, a table-hopping magician, and a live band. "You want to keep [people] there so they don't eat and leave." He also asks guests to bring toys, which are donated to needy children via local churches.
"We go all out for this party," says LaScalea, but in the end, he admits, it's all about the venue. "If you held this at a hotel, you wouldn't get the same attendance and excitement you get at Southfork," he notes. "They have lights lining the driveway, horses, and they do a marvelous job with decorations. You walk in and you feel like it's Christmas."
It's Gettin' Hot in Here
What better way for a special-events company to showcase itself than by inviting potential customers to its holiday soiree? That's what Keith Alper of Creative Producers Group is doing this month. "For years we did a holiday party for clients, but after 9/11 we stopped," says the St. Louis-based CEO. "This year is our first big holiday party since then, and it's tied to our 20th anniversary."
This month, CPG has invited about 200 clients, prospective clients, and partner vendors to Pin-Up Bowl, an eight-lane bowling alley/cocktail lounge in an up-and-coming St. Louis loft district. Staffers in custom bowling shirts will be there to host, and Farshid Etnico, a Middle Eastern/ Asian fusion band, will be there to amuse the crowd. Party-goers will get fun nametags in the guise of those all-access badges used at rock concerts.
"We always try to entertain, but we also want guests to feel like they're cool," is how Alper explains his party philosophy. "If you're a 60-year-old meeting planner, you wouldn't necessarily be hanging out in this part of town." Probably not: Pin-Up Bowl is local rapper Nelly's favorite spot when he's around—in fact, his 257-point game was, until recently, the house record.
Alper can't guarantee that Cornell Haynes, Jr. himself will show up, but he promises other celebrities will, including the mayor as well as local TV and sports celebrities. "We try to add all the factors of schmooze: food, music, and cool people," he says. "We want people to leave this party saying, 'These people are so creative!' Because it's not only a thank-you, it's a showcase for us."
And, unlike some holiday parties, this event is decidedly ecumenical. "My partner and I are Jewish so it's not Christmas, it's the holidays," explains Alper. "We have Muslim, Christian, and Jewish employees. We don't do any Christmas decor." He does, however, milk the shindig for all the PR he can get: "The day after, we'll drop a release to the local gossip columnist, [saying], 'If you weren't invited to the hot Creative Producers Group party last night, here's who was there,' with a list of guests' names," he says. "It's a thank-you, it gets press, and it shows our clients what we do."