Hanging out (from left) are, Sheila Benjamin-McNeill; Transport Minister Mike Henry; Rajiv Bakshi; Kenny Benjamin; and Dawn Henry. - Photos by Winston Sill

It's been a while since the Guardsman Group's Kenny Benjamin hosted clients, associates and friends at his corporate offices along Old Hope Road in St Andrew. Weekly Friday-evening cocktails were once regarded as opportunities for networking among young professionals and leading members of the political, financial and industrial arenas.

In recent times, socials have been less frequent, for reasons including Benjamin's increasing Caribbean portfolio and the corresponding increase in work responsibilities and personal commitments, including more travel and out-of-town engagements.

Christmas season is universally acknowledged as a time for gift-giving, merry-making and goodwill. In keeping with this, Benjamin, along with his general manager, Valerie Juggan-Brown, and their staff, hosted a refreshing Christmas cocktail and soirêe, at the Group's headquarters last Friday.

Loves, corporate Jamaica, politicians, socialites and power-players, were all in attendance at the shindig.

Dears, everywhere one looked, there were powerful, not to mention beautiful, people. Among them were Transport Minister Mike Henry and his wife, Dawn, (they celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary on Monday); Labour Minister Pearnell Charles; Health Minister Ruddy Spencer; Opposition Members of Parliament Dr Peter Phillips and Dr Wykeham McNeill and wife, the lovely Sheila Benjamin-McNeill; Judge Glen Brown; Indian High Commissioner H.E. Mohinder Grover; the stunning Suzie Benjamin and son Nicholas Benjamin; former parliamentarian Douglas Vaz; Colonel Trevor McMillan and wife Dr Olivia McDonald; the charming Jennifer Lim and daughter Liz McAdam and her son Nicolas.

Also spotted were the fab Minna Israel, Dr Henry Rainford, Cindy Breakspeare-Bent, Dr Michael Banbury, Ian Garbutt, Danville and Sharon Walker, the engaging Rosie Pillner, Harold Brady, the fabulous-looking Karon Chung, Tanny Shirley, Sonia Sutherland-Dumetz, Jeffery Dujon and wife Sherida, William Craig, Yvonne Wilks, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Tarun and Cathrine Handa, Oliver Magnus, Mark and Julie Jones, Earl Patrick, European Union official Alex Dropinski and wife Dr Saphire Longmore, Michael Gentles, Troy Brennan, the gorgeous Toni Parke-Moodie-Panton, Ian Neita, the lovely Claudette Preston, Mark McKenzie, R. Christene King, Ueli Bangerter, Shienne Holman, cigar king Joe Aducci, the gorgeous Jackie Bird (visiting from Montego Bay), Nicholas Stephenson, the fab Audrey Miller, Dave Anderson, Sheraine Murray, Jonathan Wyemms-Gorman, Shima Rodgers, Herol Halsal, Renee Menzies-MaCallum, Michael Gordon, the lovely Caron Martin and Damion Small, plus a number of others.

With Christmas carols wafting through the balmy night air and a number of Kingston's leading waiters and waitresses in attendance, talk flowed and the libations kept coming.

Then there was the fare that included most of the island's native dishes. The punche de sorrel topped off what was truly a traditional Jamaican menu.

Dears, it made for a rather charming and laid-back do! What is a party without guests dropping some legs? Well, my dears, that some did, and how! Loves, it was pretty close to Saturday morning before it all ended.

Shienne Holman (left) and Ueli Bangerter are caught on camera.

Oliver Magnus and Joan Lindo have something to laugh about.