Corporate Event: Folly or Best Business Practice?

Yesterday was a beautiful evening for a walk on the bluff around the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. With another couple and a friend we decided to take a break and enjoy a beverage in the Adirondack chairs to view the sunset.

This is a common local practice. Well, so much for that idea. RC security was tight and at every entrance to block public access. Why? A Cupertino business had taken the entire hotel and surrounding property for an "event."

Security was very nice; but, made it clear that the company was not to be disclosed.  Challenge on! It was not long before one of our hardy band of walkers bumped into an employee of said company on the public path who was willing to spill the beans.

In the spirit of privacy we agreed to silence and leave it up to your imagination as to who this company is. I ain't no snitch.

Of particular interest to me was how much such an "event" costs. I mean really, renting the entire Ritz Carlton is very expensive. There was a huge tent with over 100 seats set up for dinner with a view, what appeared to be a large outside appetizer and beverage area with a view and fire pits ablaze in many a strategic spots.

This might have also been an overnight event as several of the rooms had guests of the "event" enjoying the view on their private decks. Must be nice getting paid a good wage, health-care and all the other benefits including stock options and then lounge in such luxury.

I retired way too soon.

Accepting guesses of the cost in the comment section of this post. Remember when submitting your guess that this appeared to include before dinner stuff, a lavish dinner, other meals and accommodations for what could have been a couple of hundred or more. Check out Ritz's site, too, before guessing.

It also looked like some of the guests were enjoying golf rounds on a very expensive course. Oh yes, there is an amazing spa to take into consideration as well; can you say massage and pampering?