People have been drinking less and less each year, and the whole thing has been getting kind of boring. We also have a lot of new people who seem pretty uptight (nerds, new grads).

Do you have any ideas or shit you do at your party to make people comfortable and more likely to drink? (specific examples)

12/14/2010 9:54:11 PM

Alcohol.

12/14/2010 9:55:56 PM

asshole and/or beerpong. everyone loves asshole and/or beerpong.

seriously, i'd probably be lumped into the uptight category. imo you can't be acting a fool in a professional setting. as long as you are in the company of your bosses and coworkers, you are in a professional setting.

12/14/2010 10:12:19 PM

Not sure that is a problem. Back in the day, our bosses used to have keggers in the office. Then political correctness shut that down.




Also, xmas parties are supposed to be about getting trashed and doing shit you slightly regret

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 10:17 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 10:16:33 PM

have taxis on hand so no one needs to worry about driving.

12/14/2010 10:22:30 PM

offer some options!! people are worried they'll look like alcoholics if they start off with liquor. have some inoffensive wine and beer for starters. maybe also do a pre-made mixed drink, like egg nog with some Christmas cheer

12/14/2010 11:10:31 PM

The key is for one person to do something so obscene that everything else looks tame in comparison

12/14/2010 11:16:34 PM

music...games...lots of drink choices...taxis.

you need someone to lead the party but not be the ass of the party at the same time.

are the drinks free? if i had to pay i wouldnt drink nearly as much as if it was free. get someone to be a bartender and work for tips...hell id almost do that for you if the ppl are decently paid.

12/14/2010 11:26:45 PM

Hi I am available for hire as an instant party starter

12/14/2010 11:33:48 PM

Seriously, you need to lead the way...once the newbies see that it's ok to unwind, then everything will be kosher.

12/14/2010 11:59:32 PM

work christmas parties aren't supposed to be fun in this day and age

12/15/2010 9:21:32 AM

How many people will be at the party??

Start off the party with everyone cheering and taking a shot. You don't cheers with a beer/glass of wine/liquor drink...because people can sip that shit. A shot will get the ball rolling with most of them, then it's all downhill (uphill?) from there.

Who's the boss?? Does he have any quirks or sayings that he repeats over and over again?? Shoot out an office email (excluding the boss of course) that starts a drinking game where everyone has to drink whenever they hear the boss say something.

That's all I got. Unless you've got a lot of money to blow on midgets and strippers.

12/15/2010 9:41:12 AM

work christmas parties aren't supposed to be fun in this day and age

12/15/2010 9:43:44 AM

12/15/2010 10:03:31 AM

Not saying it is like this everywhere, but from what I've pieced together:

About 10 years ago - End of year bonuses and a Christmas party at some restaurant.
About 5 years ago - $50 prepaid Visa, a small cheese/cracker/coffee basket, and moderately catered lunch in the office
Now - Nothing and an office pot-luck. This year they even moved the pot-luck to a day where most people have already left for their Christmas vacation. They should just spring for some Taco Bell for the 5 people that will be around that day.

12/15/2010 10:29:15 AM

my office moved ours to an office lunch at a restaurant so they wouldn't have to pay for alcohol and spouses

I prefer it this way actually, office Christmas parties are always awkward

12/15/2010 10:51:53 AM

It's on the boss to set the tone for the party.

If the boss unwinds, the employees unwind.

12/15/2010 11:04:49 AM

Food and Beverage Christmas parties are the best parties of the whole year....nothing even comes close.

12/15/2010 11:10:04 AM

JELLO SHOTS!!!!

12/15/2010 1:32:19 PM

why is it a problem if people don't want to drink?

12/15/2010 1:58:41 PM

My office makes us sign a waiver saying we will not drive the day of the party. But our office is in downtown DC with plenty of mass transit/cabs.

Whoever was hired during the previous year is responsible for some sort of entertainment at the party. I was new last year, and I definitely had a few drinks before getting up to sing.

But we take our Christmas party VERY seriously. We don't even know the location of the party until we get there. The managing partner hands a slip of paper with the address to a restaurant to the cab drivers. It usually lasts for around 5-6 hours, and then we go to a bar afterward.

It's in two days as a matter of fact. I'm super pumped.

12/15/2010 2:01:09 PM

Just go with some drinking games. You are never too old for flip cup.

12/15/2010 2:01:13 PM

Ours has gotten scaled down a little bit each of the past 4 years but it is always a fun time. They rent out a Hyatt downtown with a nice atrium (they rent all the commons areas and ballrooms...not the guest rooms) and have tons of drinks and food and music etc. We have about ~2000 employees at this office so them plus dates or spouses usually equals a pretty big, fairly formal party.

I look forward to that weekend every year. The party is on Friday so my friends and I go out to eat early Friday evening downtown, then go out to a bar or two, walk to the party, stay for a few hours, and then finish up at some other places downtown. The next night we always have our tacky Christmas party at someone's house. Always a good start to December.

12/15/2010 2:45:46 PM

MAGNESIUM CITRATE

12/15/2010 3:14:14 PM

COCAINE

12/15/2010 3:17:19 PM

Quote :

"seriously, i'd probably be lumped into the uptight category. imo you can't be acting a fool in a professional setting. as long as you are in the company of your bosses and coworkers, you are in a professional setting."

this

12/15/2010 3:18:52 PM

I think our party too the same evolution in fun-ness as the one a few posts earlier. It's a crying shame.

The office xmas party is supposed to be like mad men. I'd say that any place where coworkers are more comfortable with each other is a superior work environment.

12/15/2010 8:58:44 PM