The highly-anticipated event of the year, the 2007 Orion Christmas party, was held last night at the newly-constructed Auckland Museum Events Centre. The venue allowed stunning 360-degree views of the city and it was a black tie affair. The details of the planning and organisation were kept secret up until a month before the event, so that really built the anticipation of whether it was going to be highly successful or truly forgettable.
This Christmas party was a particularly special one for me, as I had a hand in the original idea, which was the black tie theme. In a competition earlier on, employees were given a chance to decide the Christmas party idea, and the winner got a $50 wine voucher. There were many suggestions, and in the end, the winner was yours truly. The winning idea was having a formal or black tie corporate ball event at a nice venue with a buffet dinner and live entertainment. There were other great ideas, but for the organisers of the Christmas party, this idea really stood out.
Fast forward to yesterday, and the Christmas Party was in full swing. There were more people attending than I had expected. Earlier before, there was some opposition to the winning idea, which in my view was just plain silly. Excuses ranged from not wanting to dress up formally, to not wanting to spend money to get a suit. Some may have attended in the end, but those people who decided not to unfortunately missed out on a fantastic evening. Overall it was well attended and everyone was looking their best.
And it seemed that Orion really put a lot into the party, in taking a good idea and organising all the aspects of the event to make the Christmas party a great success. The three-course meal was delicious (if a little on the small side for a big eater like myself), and the drinks and alcohol were flowing freely. The venue was first class (only fit for a black tie event) and the live entertainment, courtesy of The Mermaids, really got everyone moving on the dance floor. The idea was mine, but without the action of the organisers to carry it out so flawlessly, it would have been just another forgettable event, like some of the Christmas parties in the past. As Thomas Jefferson once said, genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration (okay, it's not related to Christmas parties, but you know what I mean). Basically if a Christmas party is well organised (excellent choice of venue, good food, great entertainment), then it will be a great event. The Black tie idea was just the icing on the cake, to make it a bit more memorable for everyone.
And to top off a memorable party, I got a photo moment with two of the Mermaids singers, Amber Claire and Joe Cotton, both highly talented NZ singers. Initially I was only going to get a picture with Amber, but Joe decided to jump in, so that was extra cool. Afterwards I told Amber that I was a big fan of hers, and that I had both her albums. Didn't really know what else to say as I was a bit star-struck (plus the fact that we had to leave the venue quickly), but she was really sweet and gave me a quiet and polite thank-you. Woohoo! I said I was looking forward to her next album release.
This Christmas party was a particularly special one for me, as I had a hand in the original idea, which was the black tie theme. In a competition earlier on, employees were given a chance to decide the Christmas party idea, and the winner got a $50 wine voucher. There were many suggestions, and in the end, the winner was yours truly. The winning idea was having a formal or black tie corporate ball event at a nice venue with a buffet dinner and live entertainment. There were other great ideas, but for the organisers of the Christmas party, this idea really stood out.
Fast forward to yesterday, and the Christmas Party was in full swing. There were more people attending than I had expected. Earlier before, there was some opposition to the winning idea, which in my view was just plain silly. Excuses ranged from not wanting to dress up formally, to not wanting to spend money to get a suit. Some may have attended in the end, but those people who decided not to unfortunately missed out on a fantastic evening. Overall it was well attended and everyone was looking their best.
And it seemed that Orion really put a lot into the party, in taking a good idea and organising all the aspects of the event to make the Christmas party a great success. The three-course meal was delicious (if a little on the small side for a big eater like myself), and the drinks and alcohol were flowing freely. The venue was first class (only fit for a black tie event) and the live entertainment, courtesy of The Mermaids, really got everyone moving on the dance floor. The idea was mine, but without the action of the organisers to carry it out so flawlessly, it would have been just another forgettable event, like some of the Christmas parties in the past. As Thomas Jefferson once said, genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration (okay, it's not related to Christmas parties, but you know what I mean). Basically if a Christmas party is well organised (excellent choice of venue, good food, great entertainment), then it will be a great event. The Black tie idea was just the icing on the cake, to make it a bit more memorable for everyone.
And to top off a memorable party, I got a photo moment with two of the Mermaids singers, Amber Claire and Joe Cotton, both highly talented NZ singers. Initially I was only going to get a picture with Amber, but Joe decided to jump in, so that was extra cool. Afterwards I told Amber that I was a big fan of hers, and that I had both her albums. Didn't really know what else to say as I was a bit star-struck (plus the fact that we had to leave the venue quickly), but she was really sweet and gave me a quiet and polite thank-you. Woohoo! I said I was looking forward to her next album release.
I'm still buzzing from last night, couldn't get to sleep, and still feel a bit restless today, but it was truly a fantastic evening. Thank you, Orion, for using my idea, in organising the best Christmas party ever. The bar was set so high, the organisers will have a challenging task to make next year's one even better.
1 comment:
Jo Cotton!! Woot!! Nice1...
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