It’s a Mobile Dueling Piano Show.
Your company’s annual holiday party is the one event employees talk about all year. It’s your chance to show appreciation, build team connections, and create memories that last well into the new year. But if you’re planning another year of background music and hoping people will “mingle naturally,” you’re missing a massive opportunity to give your team the “exciting experience” they’re craving.
After analyzing dozens of corporate holiday party requests from Texas companies, from 100-person consulting firms in Cypress to 180-person corporations in Dallas, one thing is crystal clear: businesses are done settling for ordinary entertainment. They want something that transforms their annual celebration into the event employees actually look forward to attending.
What Makes a Dueling Piano Show Perfect for Corporate Holiday Events?
It brings energy, customization, and connection — all in one package.
Unlike traditional entertainment, dueling piano shows create what business psychologists call “shared positive experiences“—moments where your entire team participates in something together, forming bonds that extend far beyond the party itself.
Dueling piano shows are built around your crowd. Guests call out songs. The performers banter, battle, and bring the room to life — without ever putting anyone on the spot. It’s inclusive, energetic, and just the right amount of fun while still remaining professional. Everyone from interns to execs can get involved without feeling like they’re at karaoke night.
Here’s what typically happens at a corporate dueling piano holiday party:
At Eighty Eights, we have done numerous corporate events, and while no two shows are the same because no two crowds are the same. Here is what we typically find happens at a corporate holiday party in Texas.
- Employees choose the music: Your team requests their favorite songs from the ’50s to today’s hits, creating instant engagement
- Natural ice-breaking: Colleagues who barely speak at work find themselves singing along to the same songs
- Energy that builds: Unlike background music that stays static, dueling piano energy escalates throughout the evening
In short, it’s not just background music; it becomes music and entertainment in one. Also, with the ability to provide professional MC services and customization, it ensures that the show never upstages the purpose of the party, which is making your employees feel valued.
Real Texas Companies Are Already Making the Switch from Music to Entertainment
When Koch Corporation needed entertainment for 180 employees at House of Blues Dallas, she wasn’t just booking a band—she was investing in team morale. Companies that choose interactive entertainment report higher employee satisfaction scores and increased attendance at future company events.
The Williamson County Bar Association’s board member specifically sought dueling piano entertainment for their December celebration because legal professionals, people who spend their days in serious, high-stakes environments, needed entertainment that helped them genuinely unwind and connect with colleagues.
And because a dueling piano show travels with a complete mobile setup including lighting, sound, and matching polished grand piano shells, it works just as well in hotel ballrooms as it does in conference centers and private venues.
When and How to Book
Hopefully, now you can see why so many companies are choosing a dueling piano show for their corporate event. But if you still have questions, let’s try to get some of them answered.
The first question we usually hear: When should I book, or is it too late to book? While some of the companies we work with start booking with us as early as July, we are sometimes able to book events with as little as a one-month’s notice. We are often more able to accommodate quick turnaround requests if they are on non-weekend dates. You can always just send us a request form or call, and we will let you know within 48 hours if we are available.
Do we need a dance floor?
Nope. Many clients book us precisely because they don’t have space for dancing, or know their team wouldn’t use it anyway. That said, if you do have room for dancing or know your employees would like to cut a rug, we can modify our show to include more dance songs. It is always your show, your way.
Another question we hear is Is this only for big companies?
Not at all. We scale the show for events from 50 to 500 people. If your space is limited, we can remove the piano shells and keep the music big while the footprint stays small.
Also, we know many times it is challenging to get people together in December, so we are often asked, Can we do a January holiday party? Of course, and actually, that’s increasingly popular. Venue rates are frequently better, guests have fewer conflicts, and it’s a great way to ease back into the new year.
And finally, How does your show work if we want to do a dinner and announcements? Here’s what we have seen work well for corporate parties, but as always, we can accommodate your schedule.
6:00-7:00 PM: Cocktail Hour
- Employees arrive, decompress from the workday
- Light mingling, appetizers, first drinks
- Background music works fine here
7:00-8:00 PM: Dinner
- Formal program, company announcements
- Recognition speeches, award presentations
- Conversation-friendly music levels
8:00-11:00 PM: Interactive Entertainment
- Energy needs to shift dramatically
- Employees are relaxed, fed, and ready to celebrate
- This is where dueling pianos create magic
Professional dueling piano entertainers understand these transitions and work seamlessly with your schedule.
The Competition: Why Other Entertainment Options Fall Short
Live Bands: Great music, but limited song selection and no audience interaction. Your employees become spectators rather than participants.
Solo Musicians: Often perfect for cocktail hours, but they lack the energy and interaction corporate holiday parties need.
DJ Services: Unlimited music selection but zero personality, interaction, or ability to read and respond to your crowd in real-time.
Casino Nights/Games: Fun activities, but don’t create the shared musical experiences that bond teams across departments and generations.
What’s Included in the Eighty Eights Holiday Show?
Here’s what your team gets when you book The Eighty Eights:
- Two professional entertainers with 35+ years of combined experience
- A fully mobile, all-request dueling piano show
- State-of-the-art lighting and sound production
- Piano shells that look beautiful in photos and even better in person
- Liability insurance for peace of mind (COI available)
- Option to use our sound system for announcements and speeches
- Pre-recorded music during guest arrival or breaks
- Set up, teardown, and transport included
When it comes to planning your company’s holiday party, the stakes are higher than ever. Teams are dispersed, expectations are rising, and people are looking for more than just a meal and a Spotify playlist. You want to deliver something that brings your people together.
Dueling pianos do exactly that.
If you’re looking for holiday party live music in Texas — and want something more exciting than a DJ and more engaging than a playlist — The Eighty Eights would love to help.
📍 Available throughout Texas — including Austin, DFW, Houston, and beyond.