[SyzygistSix]

Was that a real thing or was the Beyonce concert hyperbole?

[gmueckl]

Don't know about Beyonce, but it's pretty common for big companies to organize private concerts with big names for their employees. I guess it's a case of just spending enough money to make this happen.

[corty]

It is pretty commmon in departments such as sales, trading or marketing as incentive to e.g. invite $singer upon hitting the years sales target. Or organize a short holiday, visit to a sports event, fancy dinner, something. Seems to spill over to engineering or the whole company in some places.

[xtracto]

As a previous engineer manager this sucks . While sales people get all kinds of bonuses for doing their job. The Engineering team gets a pat in the back because nothing broke down.

[ccmonnett]

On the other hand, sales people are quickly dismissed if they don't meet their goals; it's a double-edged sword.

[SyzygistSix]

I'd have to say that I would prefer the pat on the back to what most bosses consider good entertainment.

[cptnapalm]

Not really related and I don't know about Beyonce, but during the dot com bubble, a company called Pixelton had a party with KISS, Tony Bennett and a reunion of The Who. They went bankrupt.

[dmalik]

At BlackBerry we had Aerosmith, Van Halen, and U2 on different occasions.

[mathattack]

In hindsight could that money have been better spent?

[mathattack]

Real thing. Banks hire politicians for meetings, tech companies hire celebs.