As we enter the thick of the corporate holiday party season, here are some ideas and resources to keep a group entertained, fed, and rewarded.
1. The Drake Hotel is offering a series of interactive classes suitable for holiday parties through a new program dubbed the Drake Academy. Classes include sessions on sushi rolling, bartending, wine and cheese pairing, chocolate and cognac tastings, and yoga and massage. Seminars are led by hotel employees and start at $29 per person. Groups as small as six and as large as 30 can be accommodated.
2. For take-home treats, Parcel Design Inc. has sweets like Treat Crackers, little packages filled with chocolate-covered cherries, pistachios, or almonds for $9 each (with a minimum order of 50). Orders can be customized with labels and coloured ribbons.
3. Unforeseen Events offers a range of festive centerpieces, including floral trees with burgundy orchids, peonies, variegated aspidistra leaves and hydrangeas. Prices start at $200 for a two-foot tree and go up to $550 for a three-and-a-half foot tree. Smaller fruit and berry trees with cranberries or apples start at $100.
4. Iceculture has a variety of festive ice sculpture options available, including the company's new crystal ice Christmas tree, which measures eight feet in height and costs $3,800.
5. The home decor store Cry If I Want To has a range of holiday items for sale and rent, including festive gold rhinestone charger plates that rent for $1 each.