What companies have black tie formals for work parties?

[eggsbenedict23]

DS is hoping to go to university in 2024/2025.

He's a fan of balls and went to his school ones and defo has plans to go to uni ones. Yes he likes the look of Cambridge may balls. He likes the dressing up aspect and the party atmosphere.

He's been doing some career searching and been wondering what companies have "balls". I assume it's because he feels there's not many opportunities to go to balls after university

I assume it would be global large companies?

Armed Forces. Bit of a bizarre reason to sign up though!

My law firm. My husbands law firm - he’s still wearing the DJ he got at Cambridge, 25 + years on

DH used to work for a 'global large company'. Come to think I suppose I do now... never been to a 'ball' in all our decades, certainly not 'black tie'.

If he wants to dress up like that probably he needs to do posh cruises in his holidays rather than expect his work to provide the opportunity, or maybe take up ballroom dancing as a hobby.

That is... the strangest reason I've ever heard for going in a particular career direction.

Can't he just take up going to the opera or something?

A role where you cab Win awards ? Sales ?

Yes, law firms although they tend to give lounge suit as an option as well as not everyone has a dinner jacket. Suspect this is all on the way out though so probably not the best thing to base career decisions on 😂

Friends of mine are members of a London based Scottish reels club and they’re always having black tie dinners. I imagine there are lots of other young fogey-type things that will hold them as well (not calling your son a young fogey!)- young Conservatives, drinking societies etc. Hunt ball? Or make lots of money and throw balls himself.

This is extremely random but yes, agree with PP that law firms are the way to go - I've worked in four city law firms and all of them have held black tie balls. That said, there's a fair amount of pushback on a black tie dress code from some of the younger staff so I suspect it might not be the case in 20 years!

X post with @DontEatCrisps

Most universities will have a ballroom dancing society, and lots have summer balls, not just Cambridge. As for careers, he'd be severely limiting his options if being able to dress up in black tie is a consideration. The climate now is to move against any form or perception of elitism in the workplace, so I suspect even those existing "opportunities" are likely to diminish in the coming years.

Oh, cross-posted. Interesting that others think this is on its way out, too.

Snooker player?

No idea, but what a fabulous thread!

i dont think he should choose a job based on black tie events but if this is something he likes than socieities like the lions, round table etc often have similar events and are a good social scene. I went to one recently as a guest as it was really good fun. they had different groups so one for under 40s and then the older ones.

Agree with @midgetastic , the people I see in black tie on my timeline are at awards ceremonies, recruitment sector seems to have loads.

Law firms /barristers- certainly back in the day I went to my fair share of glamorous parties. I work in house now though so no idea how much that is still the case

Charity fundraisers maybe?

But yes it's an astonishing rationale to base a career on

I used to go to a lot of black tie dos when I was a product manager, and our suppliers had a larger marketing budget.

These don't really happen any more.

Ha I've been beaten to it but definitely law. Although I've heard even they've been hit by the CoL crisis!

Any form of private sector corporate client facing could have the opportunity for black tie events, though as PP’s have said, times are changing. But to name a few from my old aside from law: Financial services, retail, leisure and hospitality, media, pharma…basically sales and marketing type roles where client schmoozing is still a thing!

This is too funny. Imagine choosing a career based on liking dressing up for balls. 😅 I really hope this is real.

Some of the Big4 do but it can be office specific. Great fun though!

My uncle is a film producer. He's at black tie stuff all the time.

If he can find a contact with a recruiter of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) he could get some up to date analysis on which sectors still spend in this area, or even asking a major hotel contact (think Park Lane type) for their their events booking profile net of weddings/personal events.

Definitely a random requirement to shortlisting his future :)

My sons needed a dinner jacket at university which was surprising to me but they have had good wear from them and hopefully will last for years. I am a lawyer and have been to lawyer dinner jacket events. I have also been to advertising industry black tie dinners and I am sure financial services still has many too. He might find it easier though to make this a requirement for his hobbies - there are plenty of those with posh dinners etc he could join.

Army as someone also mentioned above.

I'm pretty sure the balls that the large management consultancy I used to work for were black tie. I certainly wore a full-on long dress and they were pretty fabulous events. This was a couple of decades ago though.

Bonkers reason to choose a career path however!

My husband and I both work in engineering/planning related industries and they defo have black tie functions, although often either awards events or charity dinners. I'm in the public sector though, so I rarely get to go to any. 🎻
Funniest reason ever to go into a profession mind you! 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣