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Running Projects Running Groups Books and Reading ListNot The Xmas Party step-by-step guide
AQR's parties are noteworthy, but this year's was a right cracker as our first-timer, Tamsin, is happy to report – and the piano player had a major part to play, too.
Now I dont know about you, but I feel that February is an absolutely fabulous month for a (Not the) Xmas Party, and the Ivy an equally great location. Luckily, it seems that AQR were in agreement with me here. Here are my 10 steps to achieving a brilliant night, written as a first timer:
Step one: quick change in the office bathroom and a touch up of the make-up, accept that the wind will undo anything you try to do with your hair.
Step two: shuffle over to the bus stop in shoes that youre sure were more comfortable last time you wore them!
Step three: inevitably get caught up in central LND traffic, sigh.
Step four: arrive early to be told by the doorman that the event might be taking place in the Ivys other venue room.
Step five: realise you won the bet on there being name badges and are MADLY grateful as (1) you have a terrible memory and (2) they spelled your name right!
Step six: feel yourself starting to empathise with all those hundreds of participants youve chucked together in a room together as you find yourself in a similar situation (but luckily with the fabulous accompaniment of a crisp gin cocktail, followed by wine).
Step seven: circulate and figure out the best place to sit for the canapés (pronounced car-napes, my favourite was the one with watermelon).
Step eight: build a rapport with the serving staff who, in turn, see that your wine and your tummy are kept topped up across the evening.
Step nine: play guess that song with surrounding peers as the pianist does his thing and jumps from The Beatles to Ed Sheeran seamlessly.
<b>Step ten:<b> fall in love with said pianist as the wine flows and the night shifts from casual, light talk to full-blown Karaoke and consulting a guilty pleasures Spotify playlist for the next hit (no scrubs came with actions too!).
This was my first Not the Xmas Party and I am already looking forward to the next AQR social with the friends made around the piano in particular (for all your sakes though, it probably shouldnt be Karaoke!). Youve been warned, YUG!
The event was such great fun and the perfect setting to let your hair down and mingle with a host of different companies.
Tamsin Spencer
Research Manager, Acacia Avenue
This article was first published in InBrief magazine, April 2016
Copyright © Association for Qualitative Research, 2016
About the author

Tamsin Spencer
Tamsin joined Acacia Avenue in 2015. Her fascination with human behaviour, attitudes and choices greatly impacted on her interests and, subsequently, career choices. Tamsin's ambitious to learn more about how her academic background can be commercially applied in order to deepen Acacia Avenue's collective understanding of research theory and practice.
AQR Member Profile
Tamsin Spencer
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Not The Xmas Party step-by-step guide