Let’s face it, making a corporate event fun and engaging can be challenging, especially when you have to keep it professional and stick to company branding. No matter what you do, the feeling of “been there, done that” always lingers. So, how do you scout for innovative corporate event ideas without breaking the bank? The devil lies in the details. It is impossible, and unnecessary, to re-invent the wheel and come up with something new each time you host an event. But, the little twists that you add to standard corporate events can make a huge difference.
Our 13 corporate event ideas not only promote team building activities but leave a lasting impression on your attendees. Who knows, one of these ideas may just be the one that transforms your corporate event into the best event you ever hosted.
13 Corporate Event Ideas
Gesture Control Presentation
Say goodbye to stubborn clickers that refuse to work while delivering presentations. With improvements to technology, you can avoid these buzzkills and deliver seamless presentations with gesture control armbands. This technology can be integrated for better speech delivery by working only when the speaker on stage motions to move to the next slide.
Platform for Recognition
Think of a fun way to recognize your team and their efforts. After all, a little recognition goes a long way. Whether it is a peer recognition or departmental awards, generate opportunities that allow employees to recognize each other’s contributions to the team. Peer recognition is a great way to encourage team bonding and serves as a motivational tool.
Go Outdoors
Host some of the team-building activities outdoors. Shake things up with exciting games and challenges that bring people together and help them to know each other. It can be a cost-effective and manageable way to boost camaraderie and provides a refreshing break from business presentations.
‘Treat’ Them Well
Do your team members have a sweet tooth? Surprise them with sugary treats like chocolates and ice creams in a variety of flavors and toppings. Get innovative with the ice cream decoration by planting a toothpick flag on the scoop with your company’s motto written on it! Surprise treats are a good way to break up the event monotony.
Give Branded Swags
You’d probably done this a lot while hosting events but giving branded swag before or at the event is always well-received. The level of excitement lies in the type of giveaway. If you plan to give swag before the event, make sure that the item is something that your attendees can bring to the event. Taking pictures with swag not only promotes your brand but is also a great way to foster engagement during the event. Alternatively, you can distribute the swag at the registration desk. Wrap it or put it in a swanky goodie bag – whatever you do just remember to give a thoughtful gift that people can use even after the event is over.
Branded Segways
Speaking of branded stuff, how about having a branded Segway at your next corporate event? This works well for a large event where transportation is necessary. It also gives several branding opportunities. You could make them available for rent to travel from one corner of the event to another or be used in the office to market your event.
Escape Rooms
Another fun corporate event idea is to have different escape rooms that put the detective skills of your team to test. Murder mysteries are making a comeback and are already a popular team building event idea used by several companies at their events. If you don’t have a lot of different rooms to do this activity, you can build your rooms with well-thought out planning, partitions, draping, lighting, and customized décor. Create an immersive experience for your guests at a fraction of the cost.
Recreate the Past with Food
Food can be nostalgic and entertaining at the same time! Recreate childhood memories by decorating cookies or having an ice cream sundae bar. These simple and easy foods are a cost-effective way to engage guests. Another corporate event idea is to use branded food, especially desserts. This is a classic yet incredibly popular way to make a perfect impression on your guests with food. The more appetizing your food looks, the more it will be shared on social media!
Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes
Ask your team members to spend the day in each other’s shoes to appreciate and understand one another better. After all, mutual respect, solidarity, and understanding are key characteristics of any strong team. So, the next time you host a corporate event, try pairing different teams and assign them a task. This is an increasingly popular corporate event idea since your employees will be surprised to learn more about each other’s contributions to the growth of the company. It will make them more considerate of their colleagues’ workloads when working on projects together in the future.
Set Up a Photo Challenge
Another popular corporate event idea is to do a photo challenge that not only engages your guests but also increases the popularity of your event on social media. If you are struggling to hire a professional photographer, then why not turn your team into the photographers? This is an extremely affordable method that gives you a chance to challenge the creativity of your team members.
More than Just the DJ
While music is emotive and generally appeals to everyone, there doesn’t necessarily need to be a DJ at an event. Today, having entertainment at corporate events is more than just loud music or a huge sit-down performance. Bring the entertainment down a notch and turn up engagement with live bands or an MC. You can also have unique performances such as dueling pianos on stage to surprise your attendees. And if you have rock stars on your team, you may want to give them a chance to perform at the event and showcase their talent.
Photo Booths
A standard at events, some companies provide 360 photo booths, VR experiences, slow-motion videos, and 3-D selfies so that your guests can creatively take photos. This is the best way to drive engagement and get your event noticed on social media.
Sketch and Guess
Get a little artsy with different types of fun corporate activities including digital caricatures, silhouettes, and giant coloring maps. Leave your guests speechless with digital caricatures, which offer a unique way to incorporate technology into the event and amplify entertainment. Not only will your attendees want to try their hands at drawing but they will also want to post their art on social media networks.
Key Takeaways: Corporate Event Ideas
There are several ways – both big and small – to facilitate networking at events that go beyond off-sites and team lunches. Reinvigorate your next event with our fun corporate event ideas. These ideas underline that the foundation of any team activity is built on giving some recognition, getting out of the office, introducing fun, and making time for everyone. Our team building event ideas show that not all events have to be the same and can be planned even within tight budgets. The only way to impress your guests is to think outside of the box and be creative. By providing different forms of entertainment, food, activities, and technology, your guests will not only enjoy the refreshing break but will also be inspired to use their creativity and innovate on the job.
