AN OFFICE PARTY — especially one designed to celebrate an anniversary or other major business milestone — doesn’t have to be about stale sandwiches and a clearance sale. As she prepared to mark her 20th year in private practice this year, Dr. Fiona Kolia, owner of Astoria Vision in McAllen, TX, decided the occasion warranted an event that fully conveyed her appreciation for her loyal patients. She told us about the inspiration for the event and how she made it a memorable occasion.
THE IDEA
“I wanted to celebrate and honor those that have been with me for 20-30 years, contributed to my journey as an optometrist and made Astoria Vision a success,” Dr. Kolia recalls of her decision to mark her practice’s 20th anniversary in January with a proper bash. The event — a Breakfast at Tiffany’s-themed soiree with all the trimmings, held not as a marketing event but as a genuine thank you to customers and patients with gifts for each, a decked-out optical, staff dressed to the nines, and gourmet eats — achieved that goal in style.
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THE EXECUTION
The event played to Kolia’s strengths as someone who loves decorating and “making people feel special.” When she presented the idea to staff, they were on board. “It created excitement in the office and everyone was involved.”
A few months prior to the party staff began getting the word out, telling patients to save the date for the January event. The invited guests comprised mostly loyal patients from Houston and San Antonio, some of whom drove as long as three-and-a-half hours to attend; a few even flew in.
“Everyone responded positively since we thanked patients daily for their loyalty and support. This was not a sales event. We ordered engraved appreciation gifts presented in individually wrapped Tiffany boxes to match the theme for each attendant.” The event was catered, with staff adding personal culinary touches. Patients also left with bags made of recyclable material containing lens cleaners and cloths, as well as individual cookies and cupcakes decorated in Astoria’s logo and the Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme, and sweet goody bags.
Business was not disrupted as the event was held on a Saturday evening outside business hours.
The evening went off without a hitch amid a vibe of “excitement, fun, inclusivity, camaraderie and appreciation,” Kolia says.
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THE REWARDS
Kolia — one of whose missions in creating Astoria Vision two decades ago was to bring the famed top-tier service pioneered by New York’s legendary Waldorf Astoria Hotel to Texas’ Rio Grande Valley — says holding the anniversary event brought the “priceless reward of fulfilling my ‘Vision for the Valley’ at Astoria Vision: A high-end upscale boutique with exceptional customer service, in line with honoring the principles of the Waldorf Astoria — attention to detail and treating people just the way you like to be treated.” Add to that the experience of being able to introduce longtime patients to each other and hearing them swap stories from over the years and seeing “Everyone dressed up and enjoying the well-crafted, one-of-a-kind individually curated Breakfast at Tiffany’s experience down to the last detail, embodying the experience that is uniquely Astoria.”

Do It Yourself: Plan & Throw a Memorable Anniversary Celebration
- PLAN AHEAD. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare, especially if you’re doing it during working hours.
- CREATE BUZZ. Get everyone in your office talking about it, to each other and online, as well as to customers and patients.
- PICK A THEME. Pick a favorite decade or film as a theme for instant atmosphere.
- EXCLUSIVITY. Think about making it invite-only to make customers feel like the VIPs they are.
- A SMALL TOKEN. Give guests something to go home with — small gifts, treats, accessories and the like — as a sign of your appreciation.