A Portland holiday party has to clear two bars: it has to work in the rain, and it has to not feel like a corporate obligation. Plenty of cities only worry about the first.
Nine options and their trade-offs.
1. A hosted murder mystery at your own venue
Ours, and first because it clears both. It is indoors at your own office, and it is a game rather than an exercise — nobody is asked to reflect on anything.
It also gets people out of their own departments, which is the usual failure.
2. A brewery buyout
The Portland classic and good value. Casual, and needs planning for non-drinkers.
3. A restaurant buyout
Excellent food and better value than comparable West Coast cities. Book by September for December.
4. A hotel ballroom
Right above a couple of hundred people. Formal in a way that some Portland offices will find slightly alien.
5. A historic or industrial venue
The east side has genuinely characterful spaces. They book early and often come with strict rules.
6. A daytime lunch
Better attended, cheaper, and nobody drives home in the dark and the rain.
7. A coffee or chocolate tasting
Unpretentious, indoors, inexpensive, and very much of this city. Works for a smaller team.
8. A cooking or cocktail class
Good for twenty to thirty, and the task covers the opening half hour.
9. Charitable giving instead of a party
Lands particularly well here. Worthwhile, and not an event on its own.
Timing
Settle December by the end of September. We ask for about 45 days, so early October is the practical last call.
If you want something people actually want to attend rather than feel obliged to, We bring the host, the storyline and every piece of the game to your venue, and we ask for about 45 days so it can be staffed and prepared properly. Pricing and availability shows what your guest count works out to, you can book a date directly, and the contact page reaches a person if you would rather talk it through first.