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Good morning! Here are the five things you need to know in local business news to start your busy Wednesday, and Great Scott's development, the World Cup's impact, new JetBlue flights and the great holiday party comeback.
Good morning, Boston. Happy 93rd birthday to Rita Moreno. Here are the five things you need to know in local business news to start your  busy Wednesday.
Regional tourism leaders say 2026 will be a big year for Boston, from the FIFA World Cup to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Isabel Hart reports.
Massachusetts public workers got welcome news about their retirement savings when the state’s pension fund hit a new 12-month high for its most recent fiscal year, writes Amber Tai.
Hart also reports that JetBlue will soon fly to two new European destinations starting next May: Madrid and Edinburgh. 
Nominations are now open for all of the Business Journal’s 2025 programs: Best Places to Work, 40 Under 40, and more
Hannah Green reports that the FDA will allow UniQure NV to seek accelerated approval for its Huntington’s disease gene therapy, more than doubling the company’s share price yesterday.
Eli Chavez reports that developers of the project to rebuild the longtime Allston music venue Great Scott now plan to add nine stories of residences in a tower more than 100 feet tall above the iconic club.
What else you need to know
By the numbers
Today in history
On this day in 1995, a massive fire destroyed three buildings at Polartec fleece maker Malden Mills in Lawrence. (MassMoments.org) 
What’s good on WERS-FM
All Apologies, by Nirvana
What I’m reading
The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray
What I’m watching
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, on Disney Plus
The holiday party comeback 
Last night, the Business Journal held its annual holiday party. We gathered at a restaurant in the Seaport District, where we held a Yankee swap, enjoyed an open bar and ate delicious food. Spouses and significant others were there with us, along with a few people who had retired or left in the past year and came back to join us, and it was an absolutely great evening. 
Did you know holiday parties are making a comeback this year? It’s true. A survey of employees and decision makers by ezCater on workplace holiday trends found that holiday-party planners estimated about 69% of their employees attended last year’s holiday party and 81% planned to attend this year.
After four years of remote and hybrid work, employees are craving live, in-person interactions that are more than just boring meetings, presentations or Zoom-based social events. Holiday parties are an opportunity to bring together family and co-workers, and — gasp — strengthen workplace friendships. 
Turns out, office friendships are the “secret sauce” to boosting employee morale and retention in 2025. That comes from a new Friends at Work survey by KPMG LLP, which found that 81% said work friends are “highly important” and that friendships at work help them feel engaged, satisfied and connected to the job.
Is your company holding an office holiday party this year? If not, why not?
PARTING SHOT
The 16th annual Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway took place at the College Football Conference Championship games last weekend, and Nyah, a student at Salem State University, was the winning contestant in the Big Ten Conference Championship game, according to Keurig Dr Pepper:
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