A Get-Together at a Bar
Good Eats: Filling bar snacks like pomegranate goat cheese fritters, applewood smoked bacon strips with horseradish dipping sauce, and bite-sized grilled short rib paninis, from Ridgewells Catering in Washington will give guests something to nosh on while they drink. Snacks for 50 people start at $12 a head.

Memorable Moment: New York-based Jonathan Jacobs, the Vintage DJ can spin holiday classics by Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby as well as lesser-known renditions by Otis Redding and the Ventures. To help get the crowd moving, he’ll bring the Salesmen and the Bitter Sweets, his retro back-up dancers. Pricing ranges from $1,500 to $3,000, and dancers are $100 each.

Parting Gift: I Am Not a Paper Cup, by DCI is made of porcelain with a removable silicone lid—a greener alternative to disposable drinkware. The cups are $20 each, with discounts for orders of 20 or more.

A Big Blow-Out
Good Eats: Feed and entertain guests with dinner by Tyler Florence, Art Smith, or Mario Batali. Booked through agency Chef2Chef appearances typically last two to three hours and can include a custom menu, cooking demonstration, and book signing. Pricing ranges from $10,000 to $150,000 plus travel costs.

Memorable Moment: Watch the C.E.O. jam to Guns N’ Roses at a portable Guitar Hero station. Stations from Everything Entertainment in New York cost $625 and come with the game, a flat screen, and an attendant for four hours.

Parting Gift: The Imbroglio Desk Calendar by French designer Jean Pierre Vitrac will start off the year with a dose of high design. The perpetual calendars are $50 each; discounts are available for orders of 10 or more.