DEMOCRATIC DINING
If you've ever been stuck at the dull table at an event then you know the sinking feeling you get with you walk into a room set up with large six-foot or five-foot round tables seating up to 12 people. You can only converse with the person to your left and right and woe betide if you got Gerard from accounts with his halitosis breath. The Strawberry Tree organic restaurant at Brook Lodge in Co Wicklow is a much more democratic set-up that serves sharing plates at a candle-lit table that seats up to 44. Brooklodge.com
WILLIE WONKA
The death of Gene Wilder has made whole generations of partygoers nostalgic for the 1971 Christmas classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Five-star hotel One Aldwych in London's theatre-land serves an afternoon tea inspired by the musical of the same name which is served with candy floss pops as well as dry-ice cocktails served in statement tea pots. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party at Dublin's Westin Hotel is another option. onealdwych.com; thewestindublin.com
A NIGHT AT THE CIRCUS
In Dublin, Fossett's Circus performers have been called upon to entertain tech firms from Dell to Google with something more than the traditional dinner and a show offer. Fosset's marketing manager Charles O'Brien believes they're looking for pure nostalgic escapism that harks back to their childhoods. "Aerial acts, jugglers and magicians are in demand but curiously no clowns."fossettscircus.com
PATRIOT GAMES
Seal the end of the centenary year with a patriotic 1916-themed event. Chay Bowes of the 1916 Freedom Tour has already hosted wedding parties and tech giants Facebook, EBay and LinkedIn on his historic tour. Enjoy drinks and eats with storytelling at The Old Schoolhouse on Northumberland Road afterwards with experts to put the whole event in context. With bullet-holes still evident in the roof, it is one of the most unchanged battle sites of the revolution, says Bowes. 1916tour.ie
PRIVATE DINING
Forget private dining in restaurants. Your clients or staff want to be taken off grid to a location none of their friends has been to. Chef Lady Eve has the perfect solution for a small group of up to 12 people. You can hire her and her beautiful Victorian home in Donnybrook where you're greeted by staff and can enjoy a roaring fire in the drawing room before the interconnecting doors through to the dining room open. The kitchen, a large open-plan space, has a second lounge area and a patio outside for smokers. ladyevecookery.com
