Downsize a favorite holiday dish into a bite-size hors d’oeuvre. Brett Galley, director of special events at Connecticut-based event planning company Hollywood Pop Gallery, suggests pork tenderloin with bacon and caramelized onion marmalade on a crostini.
Backal recommends functional, mismatched seating, like love seats, couches, and tufted benches, to create an inviting and cozy feel. The Kidwell Sofa, $395, in a black-and-white damask print from Designer8 Event Furniture Rental in California offers a comfy spot to chat.
For an elegant, modern take on a traditional holiday theme, Galley suggests rustic table decor with earthy tones and nature-inspired accents, accented with a variety of red roses and greenery.
Tierney decorated a bar with classic nutcrackers for the party last December.
The cherry-wood Drake bar, $475, from Taylor Creative adds a touch of old-fashioned flair to holiday events.
Serve cheery cocktails in bright red colors with sparkly sugar rims and plump berries like the ones from Chuck’s: A Kerry Simon Kitchen at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago.
A cookie-decorating station turns adults into kids, says New York event designer David Stark. He recommends providing guests with blank ginger or sugar cookies in various shapes, along with a bar of edible decorating items.
At the Hallmark dinner, traditional Victorian carolers at the front door greeted guests.
Send guests home with an edible gift, like Harry & David’s Tower of Treats, $39.95, which is filled with Royal Riviera pears and a selection of mixed nuts, shortbread cookies, and citrus candies.
A holiday party may be your last chance to book an event at the 901, a former auto mechanic shop that is only available for events through 2014. Together with the adjacent parking lot, the pop-up space holds as many as 500 people for a reception. A built-in bar is available in the garage.
For a venue that will get the team moving, Urban Putt offers a winter-friendly indoor miniature golf course. The 14-hole course incorporates San Francisco landmarks—think a Transamerica Pyramid windmill—in a space that holds about 200 people. Still want to treat staffers to dinner and drinks? No problem. The venue also includes two private dining rooms, a restaurant, and a bar.
For companies celebrating a particularly good year, El Conquistador, a Waldorf Astoria Resort located in always-warm Puerto Rico offers a private 100-acre island for 2,000 guests. Known as Palomino Island, the destination can be reached via the resort’s Catamaran and is available for private events outside of the period from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, when it is open to El Conquistador guests. The resort’s on-site audovisual company and catering team can help with everything from setting up live music to creating a traditional Puerto Rican buffet.
New York’s World Famous Bedroom Arcade allows guests to play a collection of classic video games such a Frogger, Ms. Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong from the comfort of a prewar Murray Hill apartment. Suggested for intimate groups of about 20, the home’s living room and kitchen are also available to gamer guests.
Those looking to take holiday parties to new heights may be interested in the Linq Hotel & Casino's High Roller, which is billed as the tallest observation wheel in the world at 550 feet. The wheel features 28 pods, which are available for private events and come equipped with two small benches, eight monitor screens, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Individual cabins hold 40 guests, and hosts can request the addition of a bar and personal bartender.
Part retail space, part fine art photo gallery, the 8,000-square-foot Leica Store in Los Angeles offers a modern, camera-ready venue with its sleek floor-to-ceiling glass storefront, minimalist decor, and such perks as an outdoor terrace and a V.I.P. lounge featuring a custom Miele coffee bar. Leica’s Washington, D.C., Miami, New York, and San Francisco locations also function as event spaces, and a Bellevue Washington space is slated to open by Thanksgiving.
Originally erected in 1875 as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank, the property reopened as Weylin B. Seymour’s in January after a team fastidiously restored the historic space. (It went on to win a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.) Charming original features, such as the Peter B. Wright murals, two domes that stand more than 110 feet high, and a restored birdcage-style elevator, pervade the venue, which holds as many as 500.
For a raw space that serves as a blank canvas, former warehouse Fair Market offers 16,000 square feet of room, as well as such perks as a greenroom and audiovisual capabilities. The space seats 500 guests or holds 1,500 for receptions.
Guests can walk through a veritable winter wonderland at Chill Ice House, where the 1,200-square-foot frozen bar and lounge features such, ahem, cool design elements as a DJ booth, curtains, and cups made of ice. For private events, the venue can create customized ice sculptures and signature drinks, as well as display company logos on televisions. The lounge, which is set to minus five degrees Celsius, holds 55 guests, while an additional bar area offers warmer temps and a lounge that seats 60.
For an unexpected alternative to the ubiquitous Las Vegas hotel, the Neon Museum’s Neon Boneyard North Gallery offers a 3,100-square-foot outdoor area that still evokes the local charm of the Strip, thanks to 60 vintage neon Las Vegas signs. Guests—the space holds 300 for receptions or seats 200—can mingle amongst former signs from the Palms Casino Resort, New York-New York and other iconic Las Vegas establishments.
If a bar is a must, opt for a venue like the Reserve, which features a unique bank vault sure to serve as a conversation starter among coworkers unaccustomed to interacting with one another outside the office. Formerly a Bank of America, the 6,500-square-foot club holds 550 people in a total of three rooms and offers the option of a private room that holds 65 guests.
Groups of 2,500 can rent out both Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch and the Chicago Sports Museum, which together make up a 23,000-square-foot complex on the seventh floor of Water Tower Place. The restaurant's menu features classic American fare like burgers and meatloaf, while the museum offers a wide collection of sports memorabilia and interactive games to keep guests entertained.
