Agencies set to party on

FD, Weber Shandwick, Citigate Dewe Rogerson and Ketchum will all be spending as much as last year on Christmas parties and seasonal entertaining.

Citigate Dewe Rogerson CEO Jonathan Clare justified the expense, saying: 'Markets go up, markets go down, but this should remain a constant.'

However, Brunswick and Edelman will spend less than last year on their works Christmas parties and Freud Communications would not say whether it had slashed the budget for Christmas parties.

Bell Pottinger, Hill & Knowlton and Finsbury had not responded as PRWeek went to press.