Staff from electricals giant AO were treated to an all-expenses paid night at one of Manchester's biggest bars - where they were stunned with a surprise performance from Rick Astley and a raffle with gifts up to £20k
A UK business tycoon threw a festive bash to beat all others for his team with an epic Christmas party with cash prizes.
The staff at home appliance heavyweight AO were blown away by an extravagant evening at one of Manchester's swankiest spots - complete with a cameo from none other than Rick Astley.
The big-hearted AO head honcho John Roberts pulled out all the stops - not only securing a VIP performance but also giving away gifts amounting to £20,000 in a raffle to delighted employees during the blowout.
AO's founding father went all-in, reserving Albert's Schloss in Manchester exclusively for the company's celebratory shindig, marking the first time the ultra-popular bar has ever been privately booked out in December.
The attendees revelled in complimentary grub and drinks, grooved to live DJs, and enjoyed cabaret acts at the renowned establishment, with no expense spared. The night was topped off with a win-big raffle unveiled by the boss himself, making it a winning night for some lucky staff members.
Social media has been ablaze with clips of pop legend Rick Astley rocking the stage, as gobsmacked AO employees shared their disbelief. Comments have ranged from enviable exclamations like: "I have never been so jealous of someone's work do oh my," reports the Manchester Evening News.
Danielle Sumner shared the exciting moment online, captioning her clip: "POV the company you work for hires out Albert's Schloss for the Christmas party and then bring Rick Astley out".
TikTok users were gobsmacked by Danielle's video from the epic shindig, firing off responses like: "Any jobs going?" and "Quitting and starting here" after she shared clips from the grand do.
Stock planning team member Nicole Swinhoe struck gold with a £5,000 win in the raffle, courtesy of an on-the-spot prize draw by boss Roberts.
The Chorley woman, aged 30, plans to whisk her two little girls to Disneyland in Florida with the windfall.
Over the moon, Nicole exclaimed: "I couldn't believe it! The whole night was an incredible experience, and the £5,000 will make such a difference to my family."
She continued: "I was able to take my eldest daughter to Disneyland Paris a few years ago and ever since, my youngest has always felt like she missed out, so to be able to think about taking both of them to Disneyland in Florida will be just the most magical holiday of our lives."
She added: "We all went to the staff party for a great night out, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be leaving £5k richer with the ability to take my girls to Florida. Honestly unbelievable!".
Yet another lucky winner, Honor Wildblood of AO's HR squad, bagged a cool £2,500. The 25-year-old from Bury is dreaming up plans for a glam Miami getaway with her best mates courtesy of her win.
The prize bonanza included two cash prizes of £5,000, one of £2,500, another of £2,000, an iPhone 16 Pro and even a cuddly AO teddy bear.
The second lucky recipient of the £5,000 prize was 24-year-old Chris Wilson, a member of the commercial team at AO's main office in Horwich.
He shared: "My girlfriends' sister moved over to Dubai in 2019, then of course with the pandemic and the cost of living, we've never had the opportunity to see her. I can't wait to be able to surprise her with a pair of plane tickets, for them to reunite after five long years."
AO, an electrical retailer headquartered in Bolton and known for its catchy "AO, let's go" adverts, is listed on the London Stock Exchange as AO World Plc and employs around 3,000 people. The company also sponsors the AO Arena in Manchester.
John Roberts, the founder and CEO of the company, expressed his excitement and said: "Our legendary AO Christmas Party is always an epic night and a well-earned chance for our people to play hard after working hard all year.
"It's our opportunity to thank them in fine style for the care and effort they put in all year to creating magic in the moments that matter for customers. They deserve every minute of it and it's mega to know that these prizes will make such a massive difference to our winners including Nicole, Chris and Honor."
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