I have several very good friends stateside whom, I would say, hold the stereo typical viewpoint of what IT is and what it does for the business. In my past life, I worked in the IT sector as a software educator in what I called "The Second Silicone Valley" of Orange County California. (Or, "The O.C." to those that have cable television). My wife and I both lived through the dot com bubble days and experienced the opulence of the era by way of a holiday party thrown by the IT company my wife worked for.
In Vegas.
At the Bellagio Hotel! (That's the one with the dancing fountains)
AT NO COST TO US!
The organization in question flew their employees AND spouses to Vegas, put them up in the Bellagio hotel and had a raging (not to mention expensive) year end shindig.
Ahh….the good old days. But, I digress.