12 Food, Beverage, and Decor Ideas for Corporate Holiday Parties

Woman- and minority-owned party design company Balloon & Paper in Los Angeles creates larger-than-life balloon displays for celebrity clients including Khloe Kardashian, Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Simpson, and others. Pictured: Holiday decor designed for a December 2021 event with event planner Mindy Weiss and Mark’s Garden.

Nora Sheils, co-founder of Rock Paper Coin and founder of Bridal Bliss, says that gingerbread houses make for beautiful tabletop decor. “Line tables with gingerbread homes in various shapes and sizes and not only will it look as festive as can be, but it will smell amazing too,” she said. Also, if you’re hosting families, consider setting up a kid's table with all the fixings to decorate their own houses to take home.

Espresso martinis are really having a moment, so New York-based Abigail Kirsch created a visual activation where the martini is infused in real time with citrus as it passes through a “drip tower.” The Blood Orange Espresso Martini is topped with vanilla bean foam and citrus zest dust.

For casual gatherings that don’t require tabletop rentals, Repurpose’s compostable tableware makes hosting hassle free without hurting the planet. Products include sturdy eight-inch square dessert plates and 10-inch dinner plates made from sugarcane scraps and wood pulp; wine glasses made from corn and other plant-based materials; and compostable cutlery. Repurpose is offering 25% off throughout the holiday season on all products with the code CELEBRATION25 (from Nov. 1-Jan. 5) and 30% off with the code THANKS30 from Nov. 10-24.

This holiday season, The Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky. is serving up festive cocktail specials at Swizzle Dinner & Drinks, a retro-style supper club that's available for private events. "Christmas in a Cup" (pictured, back left) features Absolut vanilla vodka with cranberry, orange, and a hint of rosemary, while "Naughty or Nice" (pictured, front) offers a nutty twist on an old classic with Evan Williams bourbon, Bols amaretto liqueur, and lemon-orange sour topped with red wine.

Events by RHC, which launched in 2021, recently hosted an event to mark the launch of its new venue partner Chelsea Square in New York City. Guests were able to build their own cheesy creations at a mozzarella bar.

At the Chelsea Square event, Events by RHC presented a decadent dessert table with raspberry and chocolate passion fruit macarons, white chocolate and caramel truffles, almond vanilla and pistachio cherry financiers, yuzu blackberry pavlova, and more.

Brooklyn-based Tin Can Studios created this floral installation for a St Germaine event using mint and rosemary that bartenders could snip to add into the drinks.

In collaboration with Michelin Star-awarded chef Fredrik Berselius, Tin Can Studios created this holiday tablescape for an event at his restaurant Aska in Williamsburg. The idea was to bring guests on a journey through the Swedish woods.

Hosting a virtual gathering? Send guests a Charcuterie Kit + Live Edge Wood Board Bundle from Platterful. The kits—available in standard ($99) and large ($159) sizes—come with cheeses, meats, crackers, spreads, and other accompaniments such as dried fruits, olives, candied nuts, chocolate, pickled things, and more, plus an instructional sheet and video tutorial to help recipients build the boards. They feed two to four people as a small appetizer or one to two as a meal. Platterful also hosts virtual charcuterie how-to workshops and in-person events in the Indianapolis area. Bulk pricing is available. Also, for every box ordered, 10 meals will be donated to combat childhood hunger.

Jessica Feiden, CEO of Jessica K Feiden Photography, shared small-gathering ideas from a holiday session that was designed by Kate Bowler of Domestikated Blog including decorating the bar cart. “Whether it's a festive ice bucket, decorative straws, glasses, or mixers, it adds a pop of color and holiday fun. Even a bit of greenery, ribbon, or a cute hanging sign goes a long way.”

Following the success of Vénus et Fleur’s mini Letter Collection, the flower company recently launched its collection of large floral letters, which make an easy decor piece for holiday celebrations. Available in a wide range of floral colors, the arrangements ($389 each) are filled with fragrant eternity roses that last at least a year and measure 13 by 12.5 by 6 inches.