Anonymous wrote:My definition of a good work holiday party is it must be during work time. I don't care how much I like my co-workers, I'm very resentful if it's during my free time.

Give people time off work and sit around having a nice breakfast all morning. We do a waffle station. Photo booth. Holiday music. Everyone is in a good mood and thrilled not to be working.

I don't go to them (I went to two in the 30 years I've been in the workforce) but my current company has it from 3:30-6:30pm and the office officially closes at 3pm that day. So I just leave and go do whatever I want. At least it's not mandatory you attend like at some companies - I used to have to schedule a doctors appointment for that time.

My definition of a good work holiday party is it must be during work time. I don't care how much I like my co-workers, I'm very resentful if it's during my free time.

Give people time off work and sit around having a nice breakfast all morning. We do a waffle station. Photo booth. Holiday music. Everyone is in a good mood and thrilled not to be working.

Last really good Holiday Party I went to was xmas 1999 when my friend invited me to her AOL/Time Wartner Holiday Party in Manhttan.

They had Aerosmith perform at the Holiday Party. I heard they paid Aerosmith one million for the performance. May not sound like a lot of money today. But in 1999 was a good amount of money.

I think xmas 1999 (pre-9/11) and pre 2000 Stock Market Crash and pre the PC police distroying fun was last big fun parties.

A brief comeback in xmas 2003-2007 but Financial Crash of 2008 killed it off.

I went to one when in College. My older brother had a plus one WOW. They had several very famous older people on board. A movie star, her TV star husband, Brother in law current President and they actually line up to shake our hands. Was at Waldorf Astoria. And we invite some really big clients and such. Was real A list.

My Mom's company had a team that their job YEAR ROUND was to plan the holiday party.

They hada 100,000 employees, everyone could bring a guest and so 200,000 people attending. They had offices in multiple cities so was a lot of planning. Was highlight of year for most people. I know my Mom it was the single biggest event she ever attended. Her even was at a very fancy catering hall that held up to 3,000 people. Can you imagine her party was only 1.5 percent of the 200,000 invited.

Anonymous wrote:I like team gatherings as opposed to whole company gatherings - more intimate, we get along, know each other, etc as opposed to having like 1000 in a ballroom.

PP I think this was part of it! Ours was bigger this year (larger chunk of the org in 1 party). I actually like my coworkers too and enjoy talking to them in other settings. This year I think the larger group size plus much larger space (hotel ballroom) and even the lighting, music, etc was off in a way that did not give it that fun festive feel.

We do it Saturday night in a fancy resort spouses invited and hotel rooms for people. We make it an event you put your best suit in and ladies dress like a wedding or New Year’s Eve. And we do big baskets like award show, valet parking, live band, DJ, stuff like casino for prizes, photo booths.

It is super nice. People look forward to it.

Anonymous wrote:My boss hosted at his house. It was fun because my coworkers all like each other.

Where is this?

In 40 years of software development never worked at a shop in which people liked each other. Never

My large office is having our party this Thursday from 10am to noon. It’s being held in a small interior conference room. No one is signing up for any of the contests/games. I have high hopes.

I like team gatherings as opposed to whole company gatherings - more intimate, we get along, know each other, etc as opposed to having like 1000 in a ballroom.

We like each other, are smart, witty And funny. There's always tons of potluck food and donated drinks and no one has high expectations. Often minimal games and no over the top funds or planning.

Boss’s house + coworkers like each other + fun activities but not an endless game show + good food and drink + kid friendly

My boss hosted at his house. It was fun because my coworkers all like each other.

Well first, we all have a good relationship with each other and that makes a big difference. It's also held at our boss's house and it makes it a very laid back event. We eat, drink, talk to each other, play some games. But yeah, it's definitely the fact that we are all close in general that makes the party so fun. There are about 50 of us.

It was during work hours and there was a cooking project to keep things moving.

Ours was a casino and the firm gave each employee money to play with. The dealers were very nice to me and explained how to play each game, and the one took me aside and quietly told me I was counting cards and should stop doing that. Whoops!

What made it so?

Asking because ours was kind of a dud this year despite the basic elements being there and seemed like they spent $$$.