On Monday evening, we held our annual Footers Catering Lip Sync battle! After our last busy weekend in December, this tradition started in 2016 and has become one of our most celebrated and looked forward to events of the year. There are three teams that compete in six different categories. A production company brings in a stage with lighting, a sound system, a fog machine, and pipe and drape to create a backstage area. We have “celebrity” judges who critique each performance. And there are dressing rooms for each team to change costumes and prepare their props. This event has truly taken on a life of its own. Each year we are left saying, “How are we going to top this next year?”

This year’s edition certainly did not disappoint. There was crowd participation in the “Songs with Instructions” category. Each team rolled out surprise cameos from parents, kids, spouses, and friends of Footers employees that were amazing. Costumes were highlighted by disco ball helmets, cross-dressers, animal onesies, and inflatable bikini suits. And the theatrics were taken to a new level with scaffolding being used in not one, but two performances. One to recreate the Super Bowl Halftime Show and the other to highlight an astronaut during David Bowie’s Space Oddessy performance. It was an evening filled with joy, smiles, and laughter. In the end team “Yule Never Defeat Us” took home the oversized trophy just barely edging out the “Gangsta Wrappers” and “Team Big Feelings”.

This event is so special for me and our team, not just for the entertainment value, but for what it represents. It is a celebration of all the hard work, long nights, high energy, and meticulous planning that goes into executing three crazy weeks of events during the holiday season. It is a safe space for our people to try something fun that they don’t normally do. It’s an opportunity for us to connect and bond on a deeper level as we support one another and get the opportunity to meet significant others and family members. And it shows our competitive spirit in a fun way where performers go to great lengths to one-up what was done the year before. I get the honor of being the emcee for the evening and each year, I’m overwhelmed by the hugs, heartfelt comments, and love shared with me by those in attendance as the event concludes. I’m reminded that I am incredibly lucky to work with such an awesome team that loves what they do and who they do it with.

Our Lip Sync battle has evolved over time into what it is today. There is careful thought each year about “MIBEing” it and at the same time not losing sight of the spirit of the original tradition. I believe it is that balance of doing what has been done before and finding ways to keep it fresh that cement a tradition for many years into the future. The end of the year is a great time to take stock of the traditions you look forward to each year both in your personal life and at work. What are the things you look forward to? How do they evolve each year? What new traditions do you want to be intentional about creating in the future? Share in the comments.

From our team to yours, I wish you a very happy holiday season!