A Company Holiday Party

As my Virgin Airlines flight touched down at 9:00PM in one of my all-time FAVORITE cities, Washington, DC, I jumped in a cab excited to get downtown and see the VIBRANT city decked out in twinkle lights!! It was a MAGICAL sight with the WHITE HOUSE and CAPITOL glowing in the background, and it reminded me of what this country stands for: a chance to pursue the AMERICAN DREAM!

…and on this evening in DC my dream was to plan a beautiful HOLIDAY PARTY for Gibraltar Associates, a boutique public relations and strategic marketing firm based in Washington, that has quickly risen to be among the top firms in the nation, www.gibraltar-llc.com. Like many others, despite tremendous success, the company has not been unfazed by the current economic crisis, and its founders wished to throw a party for their hard working staff that reflected the values of what this last year has meant to them: QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.

Now it was up to me to pull off a FUN, FESTIVE and MEANINGFUL party that echoed Gibraltar’s THEME while keeping to the budget, addressing schedule constraints and most importantly making the team FEEL VALUED.

Here’s how I did it:

1. I spoke with the Chairman and CEO about their company’s VISION for the next year and came up with a theme for the party: “THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!” to express the hope and optimism of the thriving company.

2. Next I chose a location, the private cellar room at the stunning JEFFERSON HOTEL, Washington DC, www.jeffersondc.com – a small boutique hotel that prides itself on EXCELLENCE. It wasn’t just philosophically the perfect fit for this intimate gathering – the room seats up to 20 guests. We had 19 confirmed!

DC's jewel - The Jefferson Hotel!

...And their outstanding staff

Before - Cellar Room

After - Cellar Room

3. I planned the party as a LUNCHEON vs. a dinner for three reasons 1) it serves as a GIFT to the staff giving them a day off to CELEBRATE TOGETHER and go home early; 2) evening schedules around the holidays can be hectic with parties, shopping and family; and 3) you can get more BANG for your BUCK!!…I wanted to give this team more bang!

4. I worked with the catering department and chef to come up with a plated menu that was customized and infused with QUALITY INGREDIENTS. I chose to offer three DELICIOUS courses so the lunch would feel RELAXED and ABUNDANT giving everyone a chance SAVOR THE DAY.

5. Then I headed to the Jefferson’s bar to meet Michael the SOMMELIER to taste the wines I wanted to pair with the menu….I chose boutique wines that were EXQUISITE and UNIQUE, and well known for their quality.

6. I created a design for the room that focused on SIMPLICITY and ELEGANCE. My goal was to transform the stark cellar room into a magical scene – inspired by my drive through the city at night seeing the flurries of twinkle lights and the glowing monuments – I hoped to instill the feelings of HOPE and OPTIMISM.

7. The materials I used were all REAL & ORGANIC as opposed to faux garland, wreaths, pine cones, fruit, (popular in the corporate event world) to reinforce the value of INTEGRITY in the design and in the company.

8. MUSIC – holiday classical. NO VOCALS preferred as to not compete with the inspirational speeches and lively conversation during the intimate party.

9. LIGHTING is always a key element in setting the stage, and in this case I wanted the room lights low enough that the AMBIENT light from the twinkle lights and candles would cast a GLOW on the guests and SOFTEN the room. This also allowed for the theme, “The Future is Bright” to LIVE through the design elements.

10. To keep the ENERGY flowing after the meal I transitioned the party to the cozy book room for cheese plates, dessert of homemade CHOCOLATES, TRUFFLES and a CHAMPAGNE TOAST given by the president of the company.

11. The party ended with a very entertaining game of SECRET SANTA and roars of contagious LAUGHTER!!

To some, this may have been just another holiday party – but for me each time I plan an event – no matter how big or small, I search for the DEEPER MEANINGS in the occasion and the chance to weave those messages throughout. Finding the deeper meanings like HOPE, OPTIMISM, INTEGRITY, EXCELLENCE allows one to stay in tune with the HEART and SOUL of the affair and creates a more MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE for the guests….and yet another opportunity to “Celebrate Every Day!”