Is the Holiday Party the Ghost of Christmas Past?
Posted by Annette DeHaven in The Daily Update
The Alstin crew will be belly up to the bar at McGillin’s Old Ale House next week enjoying some Christmas cheer, the warmth of the holiday season and without a doubt many a shared tale or two of Alstin holiday celebrations of yore.
Our celebrations have ranged from:
The over the top extravaganza – We transformed the Valley Forge Convention Center into a Jersey shore-esque boardwalk complete with said boardwalk, a ton of games, a full sized merry go round, some guy on stilts, a popular Jersey shore cover band … over the top can’t even really begin to describe that one.
The somewhat silly – We were told by our dear party planner to “think Manhattan night club” for one year’s event. Considering some of the parties Alstin threw we all wondered, were we heading up to NYC? Many cool clubs in Philly were debated. Well, that venue turned out to be little more “Chucky Cheese” (a pre-teen disco resplendent with kiddie birthday photos on every inch of wall space) than nightclub, but we still got our groove on that is for sure.
The attempt at sophistication – We once had students from a local culinary arts school prepare a lovely seven-course meal for us. Immediately after we made a beeline for McGillin’s and placed an order for several edible items (mostly “fried” items) along with the pitchers.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports that just over 60% of U.S. companies are planning holiday parties this year, down from 77% in 2008. We invite you to take the latest poll on our blog (top right of the page), or let us know what your company is up to this year.
One thing is for sure, and we all can agree over here at Alstin, you don’t need a large budget – just a time and a place – to celebrate the holidays with the people you know and love and get to call your co-workers.
Author Bio:
Annette DeHaven, Alstin's General Manager, serves as right hand woman for an impressive roster of clients. Known for addressing problems head-on, Annette, who's led by example for more than 15 years, remembers crazy statistics, regularly spouts off mind-bending metrics, and recalls just about every field description for birds you've never heard of. 
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“McGillin’s Olde Ale House threw open its doors the year Lincoln was elected president. That’s shortly after the Liberty Bell cracked and long before ground was broken for Philadelphia City Hall. The beer taps have been flowing since 1860 — making it the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia. It has outlasted Strawbridge’s, the Civil War and even Prohibition.”
The history of this establishment is stuff of great lore. I look forward to making Alstin holiday party history there as usual.
Anne