Boring company events are a thing of the past. The days of dry speakers, stale swag, and employees who roll their eyes are long gone. Today’s events are exciting, fun, and not all that “corporate.” All it takes is a little creativity to plan a fun and memorable event for your employees.
The next time you plan a corporate event, think outside the conference room and create an experience that your employees will remember. Don’t limit yourself to what you’ve done in the past. Read on for 9 great ideas to make your next corporate event feel a little less corporate.
Have Fun With Food
Good food makes everything more fun. Avoid the standard buffet and choose a fun and unique meal for your attendees. Serve breakfast for your event, no matter the time of day, or build a donut wall for sweet treats. A stir fry station or taco bar is always welcome.
If you’re daring, try some really unusual food – cutting edge cuisine can give your employees a new and bold experience. Whatever food you choose, you can set up serving and dining areas around the space that help encourage conversation.
Encourage a Little Competition
There’s nothing wrong with some healthy competition, and you can bring a sense of play to your next event by hosting your own company competitions. Try a scavenger hunt around your office or a nearby city. A game show atmosphere is a great opportunity to give out prizes. You can even host a cooking competition to let employees show off their culinary skills!
Bring the Outdoors Inside
You can bring a little of the magic of the outdoors into your next event. A camping theme with hammocks and s’mores can be fun, or a beach theme with tropical cocktails and the sounds of ocean waves can help employees relax and unwind. You can even use special lighting to make the room feel like the outdoors, or you can choose outdoor furniture to complete the feeling of a mini-vacation.
Make Entertainment the Star of the Show
An entertainment theme can create special memories for your next employee event. A movie night is always fun, and you can easily recreate the feel of a posh theater with comfortable seating. You can even serve snacks and drinks to add to the enjoyment. For a younger crowd, a gaming theme can be exciting, and it’s easy to create a space where gamers and spectators can get in on the action.
Promote Relaxation and Wellness
Sometimes unplugging from the stress of the workweek involves putting an emphasis on wellness and relaxation. Create a station where you serve wholesome snacks and smoothies to promote a healthy lifestyle. You can create a soothing atmosphere that allows people to unwind and rest. Divide a large room into quiet spaces that encourage peacefulness and comfort. Soft seating and jewel tones like emerald can help promote relaxation.
Host a Game Night
You’d be surprised at how much people of all ages love classic games. A game night can be fun for everyone in your company. Set up tables or comfortable seating areas where employees can play board games or card games, and serve snacks or even cocktails. Games allow everyone to unwind and kick back, and the right atmosphere can encourage relaxed fun.
Allow Employees to Show Off Their Fandom
Almost everybody loves sports, and just about everyone has a favorite team. Encourage your employees to support their favorite teams with a sports-themed event. Invite employees to wear their favorite team swag. You can even divide them up into teams for games like volleyball, basketball, table tennis, or kickball. The beauty of these events is that they can happen either inside or outdoors.
Celebrate Holidays in Unusual Ways
You can turn any day into a holiday at your next event. If there are no holidays coming up on the calendar, pick a lesser-known holiday and plan an event around it. You can even celebrate a holiday at the “wrong” time of the year — like a Christmas-themed event in the summer or an indoor “cookout” in the winter. With holidays, the possibilities are endless, especially when you plan your space to match the theme.
Bring in Entertainment
Bringing an entertainer into your next event will give your employees something to remember. You don’t have to book a pricey, well-known act, as long as you find someone who is talented. Of course, you can book a band or solo artist, or you can find a good comedian to make people laugh.
You can even go crazy and find more unexpected forms of entertainment. Book acrobats to do astonishing stunts or hire a marching band to wow your team. No matter what entertainment you choose, you can make the event even more exciting by turning the room into a breathtaking performance space. No matter what theme you plan or what concepts you put to use, CORT Events can help you make your event space shine. From individual pieces of furniture and accessories and decor to complete packages and inspiring ideas, the items you rent from CORT Events can truly take your event to the next level.
