Human Resources: NUMBER OF CORPORATE HOLIDAY PARTIES TO INCREASE IN 2006

New York City, November 7, 2006 ... According to a new study by Battalia Winston International, one of the nation’s leading executive search firms, 94 percent of businesses will be conducting some type of holiday celebration this year, a seven percent increase from 2005. Almost three-quarters (74%) of parties will be evening events and 86 percent of companies will be serving alcohol, a 14 percent and 11 percent boost from 2005, respectively. Companies should be wary of a possible drop in productivity during the week of December 11^th, as more than half (58%) of the holiday parties are planned for that week.

“This year’s survey demonstrates once again that the holiday party remains an important tradition at America’s businesses,” said Battalia Winston CEO, Dale Winston. “Throughout the years, we’ve learned that the percentage of company parties is directly linked to the health of the economy. The strength of the stock market combined with stable interest rates and a drop in energy costs in recent months has given employers the confidence to celebrate again.”

These are just a few of the findings of Battalia Winston International’s Annual Survey on Corporate Holiday Celebrations at 110 of America’s leading businesses. The survey has served as a bellwether on the health of American business since 1988. Battalia Winston International is one of the country’s leading executive recruitment firms and the U.S. member of The Amrop Hever Group, the largest network of independent search firms in the world.

Other interesting findings of this year’s survey:

Where and When? Of those conducting holiday celebrations, 74 percent will be evening affairs, compared to 26 percent taking place at a luncheon. More than two-thirds (77%) are conducting their celebrations off-site, compared to 23 percent celebrating at the office. A majority (58%) of the parties are planned for the Week of December 11, while 17 percent are planned for the week of December 4, 15 percent are planned for the week of December 18^th, five percent are planned for the week of November 27^th and five percent are planned for after the holidays.

Employees Only! A majority (52%) of the companies having parties are only inviting employees, while 37 percent of companies are allowing spouses. The vast majority (95 %) are not inviting clients, which is consistent with last years findings indicating that using holiday parties as a marketing vehicle to interact with clients and prospects is a dying practice.

Dollars & Cents. More than a quarter (28%) of companies will conduct more expensive parties this year, an eleven percent increase from last year. Two-thirds (66%) of the respondents say that this year’s celebration will cost about the same as last year.

Lavish Parties? Of those conducting holiday celebrations, more than half (58%) said that the holiday party will be about the same as 5 years ago, with only 26 percent expecting to have a more lavish party. In fact, 16 percent of the parties planned are going to be more modest, signaling that the days of lavish corporate parties are nearing an end. When asked if the recent emphasis on proper corporate governance had affected party planning, almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents said no, while 35 percent of respondents said it did have an affect.

No Gift For You! A clear majority (62%) of respondents say their celebrations will not include gift giving. This continues a trend away from gifts since the height of the economic boom in the late 1990s, when approximately half of businesses gave gifts (49% in 1999 and 51% in 1998 gave gifts).

Few Scrooges This Year. The vast majority (91%) of holiday parties will be paid for by employers, with the remainder of respondents indicating that employees are footing the bill (4%) or contributing to the bill (5%).

About Battalia Winston International

Battalia Winston International has been successfully meeting client needs in executive recruitment for over 40 years and is currently ranked as one of the 15 largest executive search firms in the USA. Headquartered in New York, BWI has offices in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. BWI offers a global presence through its membership in The Amrop Hever Group, the largest network of independent search firms in the world with a search force of over 230 senior consultants based in 82 offices over five continents and 51 countries.