Carnival/Circus Theme

"Much of the decor was outlined in lights and had a vintage feel. Thousands of midway lights created a canopy over the dance floor and helped define the boardwalk ambiance," says senior designer Jeffrey Foster at Event Creative, the Chicago-based event design and production agency that designed the event.

The Groupon holiday party, held at the Aragon Ballroom in December 2014, was inspired by the Midway at the World's Columbian Exposition fair, also known as the Chicago World's Fair.

For the Cirque du Soleil-style holiday party for Traffic Control Services, held at its corporate office in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, in December 2014, JDK Group used eccentric elements like colorful hanging parasols and inflatable furniture by Cort Event Furnishings to transform the room.

Restaurants served tasting plates from stands evocative of carnival booths during the cocktail portion.

The California Science Center Discovery Ball got a California theme this year.