At some companies, the annual holiday party is as predictable as paying taxes. Employees know what’s coming: Festive invitations, long buffet tables festooned with garlands and ivy, a jovial Santa bellowing holiday greetings, perhaps an electric menorah set near a Christmas tree. Across Wisconsin business owners and employees will exchange white elephant gifts, clunk mugs of hot toddies, and hack their way through karaoke Christmas carols. They’ll have the chance to socialize with their fellow cubicle dwellers, hobnob with the honchos they normally encounter only in elevators and swap notes with the guys from accounting over how truly mediocre the Brewers were this year.

However you choose to celebrate, creative holiday party planners are putting new twists on the typical bash, meshing unique themes, even some that have absolutely no connection to the season. What’s more, alternative venues are popping up throughout the state that are sure to please the corporate crowd.

It’s in the details

With the company holiday party just around the corner, you may be thinking champagne and caviar. Bad news: Standard wine and basic hors d’oeuvres may be more like it. Unsettled conditions in the stock market and a turbulent economy have made many companies think about austerity a little bit more seriously.

While champagne corks undoubtedly will still pop at holiday parties this year, ‘tis the season to be frugal or at least a bit more creative. Themed food stations are all the rage, particularly interactive stations that include sushi made to order and gourmet pizza stations. Some companies are having “global dinners,” where attendees sample appetizers from South America, such as salsas and chips and plantains. Dinner might be Indian with a selection of curries and chutneys. Dessert may take on an English flair, where traditional bread pudding takes precedence over pecan pie.

“The economy is still weighing heavy on holiday parties,” says Jim Altfillisch director of catering at Madison Marriott West. “The biggest trend is the reduction in numbers of groups that plan themes for their party. They are not spending as much on décor, and are relying more on the basic holiday centerpiece. Some corporate groups have switched from dinner to smaller hors d’oeuvre parties, or downsized the number of guests with a dinner. More and more groups that had host bars in the past have completely switched to cash bars.”

For example, one holiday party at Marriott West enjoyed “Christmas in New Orleans.” This Mardi Gras-style event featured musical components with jazz bands during dinner and a dance band after dinner. With the rooms decorated accordingly, guests also were requested to dress in New Orleans Mardi Gras costumes.

“In general, holiday parties no longer last four to five hours,” says Amy Cottongim, marketing project manager at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. “The trend for holiday corporate business is to host a smaller gathering immediately after work, in a casual atmosphere where guests can socialize, give holiday wishes to their co-workers and head home at a manageable hour.”

That’s only the beginning in a broader trend that has made an impact on holiday parties.

“In years past, many corporate holiday parties were hosted on Saturday nights and employees’ significant others were invited, but we are noticing this isn’t happening as often anymore,” says Cottongim. “Casual food, casual atmosphere and casual attire seem to be the trend.”

Last year, several Harley-Davidson Museum clients brought in Nintendo’s Wii. “We’ve also had clients bring in ComedySportz and live music,” Cottongim says. “The Garage, which is our temporary exhibit space, is a blank canvas. We’ve had clients transform that space into several different looks. One client hung giant colorful ornaments from the ceiling and another client turned the space into a winter wonderland by using a few simple light fixtures that projected holiday shapes on the wall.”

In the Museum’s Experience Gallery guests can sit on several different Harley-Davidson motorcycles, or they can also bring a few motorcycles into their larger party rooms. For the upcoming holiday events they also have a sidecar Santa photo opportunity in the Museum lobby, and the Museum grounds have light fixtures that illuminate snowflake shapes, as well as other colored lights.  

“The key is to keep it simple,” Cottongim says. “This is the one time during the year that many co-workers have an opportunity to socialize. Also be creative, just because ‘it’s what we’ve always done’ doesn’t mean you can’t make changes, even if they are small in scale.”

On the wild side

For special events, such as a holiday party, it is often the venue selection that will make it a memorable evening. With the move toward more casual holiday affairs, a wider variety of venues also become an option.

One way to change things up is to invite a few four-legged guests to the party by hosting it at a nearby zoo.

The Milwaukee County Zoo offers a variety of venues, including the new U. S. Bank Gathering Place, for your employees to nibble on hors d’oeuvres or sip on cocktails. Rentals of individual animal buildings, including the Aquatic and Reptile Center, the Feline Building and the Apes of Africa or Primates of the World facility can be used for corporate parties.

Some of Wisconsin’s other zoos also offer holiday party opportunities. In fact, one of the newest additions to the NEW Zoo in Green Bay is designed for cold-weather festivities.

“We opened our Mayan Taste of the Tropics restaurant last Christmas,” says Maria Lasecki, operations manager for the zoo.

“It’s a gorgeous facility that accommodates up to 100 people, and we specifically designed it to accommodate groups and parties at the zoo. The facility has 28-foot ceilings and is built to resemble a Mayan temple. It’s really a unique space.”
She notes that local businesses that choose the NEW Zoo for their holiday party have the opportunity to add in unique elements, from working with the onsite catering staff to the animal curators.

“We can definitely work with the curators to possibly bring in some special guests for a party,” she notes. “And we’re very willing to come up with a memorable menu for the evening.”

Take to the stage

From small, artsy playhouses to dinner theaters to massive entertainment facilities that accommodate thousands, Wisconsin is home to a number of theaters that welcome groups during the holiday season. The concept of building a holiday party around a performance or event often can boost your attendance numbers andgive employees a fun event to remember.

The greater Madison area offers a host of holiday performances. The Overture Center for the Arts hosts the Madison’s Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Spectacular and the Madison Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker” and offers more than 15 event spaces to throw your holiday soiree. Holiday events can include pre-theatre cocktail receptions and complimentary tours.

Though many theater lovers associate the American Players Theatre in Spring Green with its outdoor season, the APT performs into the winter months. This year’s production of the “Gift of the Magi” in the indoor Touchstone Theatre runs from Thanksgiving weekend through December 18.
 
A family affair

Another trend in corporate holiday celebrations is the interest in giving employees the gift they cherish most: Family time. Many caterers are receiving requests for kid-focused, weekend-afternoon events. Centerpieces are toy-themed, with giant jack-in-the-boxes, hobbyhorses and brightly colored packages. Face painters create holiday motifs. Kid-friendly food stations may offer peanut butter-and-jelly canapés, chicken fingers and a station set up for cookie decorating. Often, family friendly affairs offer a built-in, cost-saving option when host companies forgo the full bar and offer beer and wine — or no alcohol at all — as parents have a tendency to  drink less alcohol when their children are present.

“Family gatherings seem to be far more popular than they ever were 10 years ago,” says Jennifer Myers, assistant general manager at Geneva National Golf Club in Lake Geneva. “We’ve had a couple of companies do a modest brunch on a Saturday morning, or even on a weekday during the school break, where families are invited and there are crafts or some entertainment for the kids, with a visit from Santa and a modest gift.”

Another increasingly popular tactic: Skip the holiday season and hold a party after the new year, when calendars for venues, catering companies and employees aren’t as full and stress levels aren’t as high. Companies may find better availability — and much better negotiating power — during this typically low season for venues. What’s more, a party held after the New Year removes all perceived or real cultural insensitivity attached to traditional holiday parties.

“There are countless foods, themes and locations that can really make a holiday event special,” Johnson says. “You just need to find something that would work best with your organization.”

By Maura Keller

Maura Keller is a freelance writer originally from Wisconsin.

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