13 Corporate Holiday Party Ideas Inspired by ‘Mad Men’

The velvet Avery chair from DESIGNER8* (pricing is available on request) is available in this rich emerald color as well as navy.

Hoste recently unveiled its newest ready-to-serve cocktail—the Perfect Manhattan. It’s a blend of rye whiskey, sweet and dry vermouth, and housemade cherry bitters and comes with a lemon zest atomizer for the final garnish. Plus, Hoste also offers a modern take on Don Draper’s fave drink, the Old-Fashioned, called the Gold Fashioned.

These coupe glasses ($5.50 each to rent) from Element Event Solutions’ Rialto Glassware Collection come in fun, festive shades of coral, green, and yellow.

This gold starburst chandelier from DESIGNER8* (pricing is available on request) evokes the popular trend of starburst designs of the 1950s and 1960s.

The new spirit SirDavis American Whisky, by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in partnership with Moët Hennessy, honors Davis Hogue, the singer’s great-grandfather, who was a farmer and moonshiner as well as the brand’s namesake. The vessel’s ribbed glass is reminiscent of art deco style and would fit perfectly on the bar cart at the Sterling Cooper office.

Create a neutral tablescape with pops of fern green—a cooler take on the season’s usual brighter version—with the Noto Green Flatware Collection from Element Event Solutions ($2.35 per piece to rent).

Christie Altendorf, marketing and senior event planner at D’Amico Catering in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., shared a recent event that featured a retro twist. It drew inspiration from the works of Mulatu Astatke, a prominent jazz musician from the 1960s. “This influence extended to the menu and bar program, culminating in a beautiful, luxe celebration that seamlessly blended vintage flavors with modern presentation,” she said.

The menu included sweet and savory “cigars” with items such as Camembert, honey, and walnut phyllo cigars and chestnut, mushroom, Stilton, and pear twists, arranged in decorated cigar boxes. Sweet ones included baked chevre and hot honey cigars and a malted chocolate mousse-filled cannoli dipped in dark chocolate and cookie crumble.

For the retro-inspired event, D’Amico Catering traded the usual buffet signage for Polaroid photos of each food item. Images were taken during setup, with the menu description and dietary notes handwritten at the bottom of each photo. Continuing with the aesthetic, passing trays were switched out for acrylic record holders that featured jazz vinyl covers from the 1950s and 1960s.

While a traditional Manhattan includes whiskey and sweet vermouth, a Black Manhattan features bourbon and bittersweet Averna amaro, creating a more herbaceous, rich cocktail with wonderful complexity and depth of flavor, Altendorf explained. “This keeps with the classic vibe of a retro cocktail but puts a fresh, unexpected spin on things.”

Sip Social Co.'s mobile bars are converted three-wheeled, retro-looking Piaggio Ape trucks that offer beverage options on tap and can be customized with signage and decor, including full wraps. They can dispense beer, wine, prosecco, and craft cocktails, as well as nonalcoholic drinks like sodas, cold brew, kombucha, and more.

Based in Seattle and Tucson, Ariz., the audio engineers of Mobile Vinyl Recorders use restored vintage disc-cutting lathes to create records in real time. The company can bring up to 12 record lathes to an event.

For a recent auto dealership event, Proof of the Pudding served Peace, Love & Pot Pies, reinvented TV dinners, and “hippie harvest” desserts including Funfetti cake shooters, red velvet baby bundt cakes, and Coca-Cola floats. Remember when Don dreamt up that Coke ad at the hippie colony during the series finale?

This kitschy drinkware shaped like classic holiday lights in a vintage-esque color palette screams '60s party. The spill-proof cups come in a set of four ($38), including 41 gold water-resistant alphabet stickers for customization and removable, reusable straws. Each sipper holds 12 ounces.