It’s time to put the glad rags on and party

After more than five years of Dickensian-like doom and gloom, companies want to celebrate the end of the business year. It is no longer enough to stage an event or party, says James Gavin, chief executive of Grooveyard, an events company that runs themed occasions for clients that include EA Games, Poker Stars, RBS 6 Nations and KPMG. “It’s now about creating good content that revellers can share on social media platforms. More than ever, the Christmas party is about capturing great moments and showing your circle of friends what you did.”

Corporate spend on events is increasing, he says. “Old-school drab dinner and a band packages in a bland hotel no longer suffice. Most of Ireland’s corporate companies are dynamic and up to date with trends. They want to integrate new technology into the experience. They want something wow.”

Grooveyard has done this by reimagining a perennial theme – winter wonderland, which may sound safe and boring, but by scaling up the decor (a giant interactive snow globe is set at the bottom of a six metre high interactive waterfall), they’ve upped the ante.

Nostalgia remains a key theme. The decade being mined this yuletide is the 1990s: loved up smiley faces and Madchester replacing the grit of the 1980s, with the set of TV shows Friends and/or The Simpsons other cultural touchstones that can form exciting backdrops.

The Grooveyard team tours music festivals and event production shows to find new ideas that will have impact. A San Moritz apres-ski mood is one. “The venue will be dressed using backdrops and props that set the scene. Interactive ski games, where you slip into a pair of skis and feel, literally, as if you’re on the slopes, will be positioned at intervals to act as ice-breakers, to help people bond and relax.”

The Christmas party this year is a tale of two trends. At the other end of the big-is-beautiful party spectrum is the homespun look, which has been given a hipster makeover. “Rustic rules,” says Dave Henry of National Event Hire. “Formality has had its day. Clients no longer want the fuss of the traditional white linen-clad round table and dressed chairs. Our new rustic benches and long refectory-style tables made from recycled wood pallets are on trend because they’re conducive to a more casual type of dining where you can table hop. It’s far more fun.” The seating is also sanded smooth so girls in their glad rags won’t snag their sparkly tights.

Diane Henderson, an events manager at Gotcha Covered, prefers to set a By George Christmas scene that can time travel back to Dublin’s Georgian era when the city’s architectural elegance charmed the world. She loves venues such as No 5 South Leinster Street, hidden behind the National Gallery, off Merrion Square, and No. 25, an impressive townhouse on Fitzwilliam Street with interconnecting rooms designed with parties in mind.

She likes to use flattering-to-all candelight, using LED lights rather than bare flames, and finds the idea of a moveable feast, food stations where guests can try a wide selection of bite-size delights, more popular than the traditional sit-down turkey and ham supper. With this culinary offer, guests can move around more. The dreaded notion of getting stuck beside John from accounts all night is a thing of the past.”

Companies are spending more on their drinks offering, she says. “Many want a signature cocktail for when people arrive. A whiskey sour is a drink that appeals to men and women, and feels fresher than traditional bubbly.”

What you serve also shows your staff how much you appreciate them. Best suited to medium-size groups, the Gibson Hotel transforms its enclosed terraced into a food hall selling seasonal bites such as hog roast and crepes that guests can graze their way through as they work the room.

Create Your Night party planners in Dublin is offering tapas trails and craft beer tasting sessions to small groups.

Businesses may have finally started to open their wallets, but many of the hotels they’re holding their parties in are still in recession mode and scrimping on the decorations, laments Mary Mac Sherry of The Christmas Decorators.

“The blue lighting schemes of the boom era now just remind us of all those blue Christmases since. Smart establishments have invested in pencil thin trees and angel hair lighting schemes to add glamour to their lobby. This creates an air of optimism.”

Scrooge has been relegated to Christmasses past, says choreographer Jane Shortal. "The mood is like summer's mega hit, Pharrell Williams' Happy. The idea is to get everyone dancing." She's being hired to teach employees dance moves before the big event, moves that they can then rock out on the night.

“While it ticks the team building box, it’s really about taking them out of their comfort zone, cranking up the music really loud, creating camaraderie between employees and bosses and them having a laugh together.” gotchacovered.ie; janeshortall.com; thechristmasdecorators.ie; createyournight.com; thegibsonhotel.ie; nationaleventhire.ie; grooveyard.ie