Servers greeted guests at the entrance with mistletoe shots, made with peppermint schnapps and pomegranate juice.
Photo: Emma McIntyre for BizBash
Apex projected 3D mappings of falling snow onto the windows. Silver furniture added to the ice theme.
Photo: Emma McIntyre for BizBash
The entire floor of the clear tent was paved with real grass and frosted with faux snow.
Photo: Courtesy of Bureau Betak
In keeping with the evening's loose Russian theme, organizers prominently placed bottles of Imperia Vodka, a chief sponsor of the gala, in icy-looking buckets on each table.
Photo: Courtesy of Bureau Betak
As the sun set, candlelight served as the primary light source, illuminating the dinner tables and adding to the cozy feel of the night.
Photo: Courtesy of Bureau Betak
Project Paz’s Project Art Fund-raiser
On Monday, guests enjoyed Mexican-themed fare and festive holiday decor at Project Art, a silent art auction and cocktail party held at 82 Mercer in New York. The fund-raiser was put on by the non-profit Project Paz, which promotes after-school activities for the children of Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico’s most violent cities.
Photo: Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com
Ronald McDonald House Toronto hosted its annual holiday-time gala at the Carlu in December. McNabb Roick Events reflected the Holiday Chic: Sparkle theme in sequined table linens and the crystal candle holders that served as centerpieces.
Photo: George Pimentel for Ronald McDonald House Toronto
For a winter-themed corporate party, design director Andrew Zill of Baltimore-based Feats Inc. created a snowy scene that included a glowing bar anchored by a crystal-flocked tree.
Photo: Edwin Remsberg
Centerpieces of white carnations designed by Feats Inc. evoked fluffy snowballs.
Photo: Edwin Remsberg
The Portlandia season 3 premiere party, held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York in December, played off the idea of Portland in winter with quirky displays of everyday objects suspended in ice.
Photo: Diane Bondareff/Invision for IFC
At Diffa's Dining by Design in New York, Ralph Lauren went with a cozy, ski chalet-inspired look. Centerpieces of snowberries and wrought-iron lanterns created a runner down the center of the rustic wood table. Other striking details included a faux fireplace, Pendleton-inspired bench cushions, and an antler chandelier.
Photo: Ronnie Andren for BizBash
For a party Maxim threw to celebrate January cover girl Michelle Branch in 2004, the magazine's in-house design team created a unique invite: Guests received a white branded ski cap; instead of a price, the tag on the hat carried the event info and served as an admission ticket.
Photo: Courtesy of Maxim
Russell Harris Event Group produced a winter wonderland-themed party for Fox in 2010. The designers covered the patio at Los Angeles's Villa Sorriso in blue carpeting and hung LED tubes in the trees, creating an effect that simulated falling snow.
Photo: Dan Scott/American Image Gallery
Kapture Vision produced a holiday bash with a masquerade theme for CyberCoders in December at Newport Beach Dunes Resort in Newport Beach, California. Jay's Catering set up a s'more station where guests could fire-roast their own desserts.
Photo: Callie Biggerstaff
As a way to introduce its new all-wheel-drive models, British carmaker Jaguar built a larger-than-life snow globe in New York in the height of summer. To make the transparent, spherical tent feel like a snow globe, producers tapped Los Angeles-based MagicSnow to bring in a machine that periodically dispersed ice flakes.
Photo: Courtesy of MagicSnow
The Washington National Opera Ball took over the ceremonial building at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in 2010. Event producer Sandi Hoffman of Sandi R. Hoffman Special Events transformed the lobby into a winter landscape with plush white carpets and white birch trees lining the hallway.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
At the 2010 National Opera Ball, the winter theme continued into the courtyard, which featured fake snow falling from the rooftop and was designed as a tribute to the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Entertainers circled the snow-filled courtyard in inflated Zorbs.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
For a Regent Park School of Music fund-raiser held at the Carlu in Toronto in 2009, the event organizers at McNabb Roick Events draped panels of sheer white fabric and oversize snowflakes, stars, and icicles from the ceiling of the concert hall to give the space a wintry feel.
Photo: Henry Lin
Tampa Bay NACE Holiday Party
Aerial performers poured champagne for guests at the National Association for Catering & Events holiday party Monday at the Vault in downtown Tampa. The party had a speakeasy theme: guests received the address and password after they registered for the event, and entertainment from Event Show Productions included burlesque dancers and actors playing poker. Vendors included event planning and execution by Sandy Rule; decor, furniture, and lighting by MMD Events; draping by Quest Drape; and catering by Good Food Catering.
Photo: Aaron Bornfleth Studio
4. A 20-Foot Tree Centerpiece
“The focal point of the cocktail space is a four-sided ice bar with a 20-foot gleaming ice- and crystal-flocked tree at the center. A vodka expert provides guests with educational information and samples served in carved ice shot glasses.” Ice bar and shot glasses from USAICE
Photo: Remsburg Photography
2. Ice Carving
“Cocktail hour is in a separate tented area, chilled to 55 degrees, [where] interactive ice carvers from Fear No Ice chisel giant blocks of ice.”
Photo: Courtesy of Fear No Ice
Traditional Christmas With a Charitable Touch
“Christmas is filled with traditions, from the food we eat and the treats we leave for Santa, to festooning the tree and hanging the stockings to be filled. Our event brings all these elements together with a philanthropic twist that spreads holiday cheer to those less fortunate. There are so many who are unable to put food on their tables, gifts under a tree, or even dress appropriately for the weather, let alone attend a party. This cocktail soiree is designed not only for celebrating the season, but for helping those in need. Attendees leave the party knowing they enjoyed a celebratory evening out and helped many of those less fortunate in the process.”—James Rota of Dazzle Creative Events
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
27. Warming Cocktails
“The signature cocktail is the ‘Winter Warmth’—a blend of Belvedere vodka, sweet vermouth, milled cherry juice, and eggnog froth with a dusting of nutmeg and a star anise garnish.” Cocktail from Shiraz Events in Miami, New York, Los Angeles and London
Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events
Luxury in White and Gold
“Undeck the halls of all scraps of the workday to make room for guests to have visions of sugarplums instead of paperwork. Transforming the boardroom with draping and custom cream carpeting repurposes the space from meetings to elegance. Dim lighting enhances a neutral palette with playful pops of red and gold. The plinking of piano keys carries over the hum of conversations never had around the water cooler. As everyone gets comfortable, Beverly, the quiet accountant who has had just enough peppermint white Russians, slinks on top of the piano to sing ‘What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?’ Post-party, the water-cooler talk is all about the night the office was anything but business as usual.”—Christopher Confero for David Beahm Design
Rendering: Courtesy of Christopher Confero
57. Cardboard Deer
“One wall holds multiple recycled-cardboard deer heads, with a single red one for fun.” Micro-Buck Deer Trophy, $13, from Cardboard Safari
Photo: Courtesy of Cardboard Safari
63. Modern Chairs With Fur Accents
“Clear Louis Ghost chairs are dressed with white faux fur pillows.” Table design and decor by David Beahm Design; rentals from Party Rental Ltd.
Photo: Courtesy of David Beahm Design
Artificial Ice Events has a variety of winter-themed entertainment options, including a giant, hand-carved rocking horse, an inflatable tubing slide that simulates sliding down a snow-covered hill, and 15-foot-tall inflatable snow globes that can be branded for photo ops. The company also offers snow machines and ice rink rentals.
Photo: Georgi Anastasov
Eggnog shots with mini gingerbread cookies, by Schaffer’s Genuine Foods in Los Angeles
Photo: Bridget Kenny for BizBash
Sony turned a parking lot into a nightclub.
Photo: Courtesy of Precision Event Group
Photo: Lin and Jirsa Photography
At a holiday-themed event to celebrate the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Event Architects brought in a pair of professional ice skaters who performed on an elevated skating rink.
Photo: Rick Aguilar Studios
Swank Productions is offering a Winter Wonderland holiday party package for corporate clients that allows them to mix and match decor elements such as silver linens, votives in acrylic "ice fragments," and artificial snow. Although Swank recommends clients book as soon as possible for holiday parties to avoid rush fees, the company has pulled off past events in as little as three days.
Photo: Paul Witte/Bentley Meeker Lighting & Video
Greenpoint bakery Cookie Road can deliver large quantities of its trippy-looking hand-decorated sugar cookies to private events. Holiday designs include tie-dye-effect stockings and mittens, Christmas trees, snowflakes, and snowmen. There is a minimum of 50 cookies with an average price between $3 and $7 per cookie.
Photo: Courtesy of Cookie Road
Groupon's Holiday Party
The Chicago-based company held its massive holiday party at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom on December 14. Event Creative's decor included 8- by 12-foot masquerade masks, which had illuminated, color-changing crystal columns as "handles." Event Creative created patterned gobos meant to look like the draped materials on a Mardi Gras float and collaborated with Sound Investment on the lighting.
Photo: Sheri Whitko
Photo: Courtesy of Zen Arts
Large-scale projections brought a winter setting to sunny Los Angeles for DirecTV's annual holiday party. Firefly LA and the Hand Company projected snow-covered forests, icicles, and other scenes onto a 120- by 140-foot tent on DirecTV's campus.
Photo: Courtesy of Firefly LA
Hargrove Inc. transformed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's H Street headquarters into a rustic ski lodge complete with a 20- by 30-foot faux stone fireplace, a lifelike stuffed moose head, six-foot-tall wooden reindeer, and a massive Christmas tree.
Photo: Juan Carlos Briceno/FotoBriceno
New York-based Internet company IAC hired Frank Alexander to capture the Viceroy Santa Monica's sophisticated cabanas with green and white rentals from Taylor Creative Inc. and colorful, arty lighting by Glow Design Group.
Photo: Allen Zepeda
A Christmas Story cookies, $40 for a dozen; parchmentcookies.etsy.com
Photos: Courtesy of Parchment Cookies
An easy D.I.Y. centerpiece: Fill a Mason jar with water, greenery, cranberries, and a floating candle.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Gold gilded magnolia wreath, from $350; theholidayworkshop.com
Photo: Courtesy of Van Wyck & Van Wyck
2013 Holiday Party Trends: In-Office and At-Home Events Are More Popular
Some methods of saving money that came about during the recession are likely to stick around, including the move toward more intimate, low-key events. While 64 percent of respondents in last year’s holiday survey said their party was held at a bar, restaurant, or event space, almost 37 percent of survey-takers reported that their festivities took place at the office or at the home of a boss or colleague. And while parties at low- to no-cost venues may have initially been an idea born out of tight budgets, it’s a trend that’s continuing for different reasons. “Starting last year, I saw more companies hosting the event at the C.E.O.’s home, with made-to-order food stations set up throughout the space,” Gorjestani says. “Companies are distributing what they spend their money on differently. Inviting employees into your home is a really nice touch because it adds such a thoughtful, personal aspect to the event.” As for in-office parties, new holiday party decor collections from Revelry House, MarthaCelebrations for J.C. Penney, and Minted make it easier than ever to make the meeting room look festive. Pictured: Stationery e-tailer Minted’s new holiday party decor collections start from $65, and include customizable banners, napkins, signage, and more.
Photo: Jenny Batt/Hank + Hunt
