Every once in a while, a company is kind enough (or secure enough in its manhood… or something) to allow us to enter the inner sanctum of its holiday party.
One such organization is the McCann World Group, home to ad-industry titan McCann Erickson, which held its seasonal bash for a crowd of 1,200 at the Nokia Theatre last week. The staffers gathered for a pre-party meeting inside the actual theater space, and when they emerged, they found servers bearing blue-hued “Snow Globe-tinis,” a mix of vodka, blue curacao, and triple sec (with a maraschino cherry).
A spread from The Catering Company included gourmet pizza, flank steak, Moroccan lamb, lox, and a mashed-potato bar featuring add-ons like shredded barbecue chicken, Parmesan cheese, and a roasted vegetable mélange. Servers circulating through the crowd offered perennial crowd-pleasers (pigs in a blanket and cocktail shrimp) and introduced some potential new ones in the form of mini Cuban sandwiches and beef with chimichurri sauce.
We took the temperature of the crowd with this completely unscientific poll of randomly selected revelers:
On the food and drink: “I like the mashed potatoes with barbecue chicken.” “The steak with chimichurri is really good.” “I like the shrimp, the sliced pork.” “The sliced pork is good.” “The white wine is very good, and I’m picky.” “I liked the canapés, the little things that were passed.” “They should have different beer—Stella, Corona, Sam Adams.” “They should have Rolling Rock because they’re our client.” “The shrimp is really good.” “The salmon is off the hook.” “No funny blue martinis” (as in, skip them next year).
On the space and atmosphere: “It’s tight; you can’t really see everyone.” “The space is awkward if you’ve got to find someone. Whatever, it’s a great party.” “I can’t take the line.” “The music should have more variety. Right now I feel like I’m in an SNL skit, but it’s still early.” “It’s a good party, but the flow is not working for me—it’s jammed.” “The space is organized in such a way that it forces you to move around and it increases the chances you’ll have a random encounter with someone you know.”
Posted 12.11.06
One such organization is the McCann World Group, home to ad-industry titan McCann Erickson, which held its seasonal bash for a crowd of 1,200 at the Nokia Theatre last week. The staffers gathered for a pre-party meeting inside the actual theater space, and when they emerged, they found servers bearing blue-hued “Snow Globe-tinis,” a mix of vodka, blue curacao, and triple sec (with a maraschino cherry).
A spread from The Catering Company included gourmet pizza, flank steak, Moroccan lamb, lox, and a mashed-potato bar featuring add-ons like shredded barbecue chicken, Parmesan cheese, and a roasted vegetable mélange. Servers circulating through the crowd offered perennial crowd-pleasers (pigs in a blanket and cocktail shrimp) and introduced some potential new ones in the form of mini Cuban sandwiches and beef with chimichurri sauce.
We took the temperature of the crowd with this completely unscientific poll of randomly selected revelers:
On the food and drink: “I like the mashed potatoes with barbecue chicken.” “The steak with chimichurri is really good.” “I like the shrimp, the sliced pork.” “The sliced pork is good.” “The white wine is very good, and I’m picky.” “I liked the canapés, the little things that were passed.” “They should have different beer—Stella, Corona, Sam Adams.” “They should have Rolling Rock because they’re our client.” “The shrimp is really good.” “The salmon is off the hook.” “No funny blue martinis” (as in, skip them next year).
On the space and atmosphere: “It’s tight; you can’t really see everyone.” “The space is awkward if you’ve got to find someone. Whatever, it’s a great party.” “I can’t take the line.” “The music should have more variety. Right now I feel like I’m in an SNL skit, but it’s still early.” “It’s a good party, but the flow is not working for me—it’s jammed.” “The space is organized in such a way that it forces you to move around and it increases the chances you’ll have a random encounter with someone you know.”
Posted 12.11.06
