From small gatherings to large celebrations, corporate events are the perfect way to show gratitude to your employees. They can be great for team building as well as building morale, and when they’re done right, they can be a great experience for all.
But ask employees what they think, and they’ll often tell you that corporate events are boring. To get attendees excited to attend, check out these nine corporate event ideas that break the typical mold.
1. Eating Competition
Everyone has been to the traditional corporate dinner. If you want to shake things up a bit, try incorporating an eating competition into your next one. Aside from speeches and award presentations, corporate dinners often lack in entertainment. Competitive eating is a perfect way to incorporate some much-needed entertainment into your event.
Depending on how large you want the competition to be, you may want to encourage employees to participate. But it’s especially great if you can get a few of the bosses or team leaders to go head-to-head.
2. Skydiving
This one requires a decent budget (and a bit of guts), but if you’ve got them both, skydiving is a great way to bring people together. Not only is it something that most people haven’t done, but it’s an experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. The camaraderie that you can build skydiving with others is immeasurable.
3. Sledding or Tubing
Many companies host annual events near the holiday season. If you’re in a cold weather climate, look for ski resorts, local mountains or even golf courses that have sledding or tubing hills.
It’s a great way to get people out of the office, and it’s a fun activity that people of all ages can enjoy. A sledding or tubing excursion is sure to bring out the little kid in everyone!
4. Volunteer
Giving back to the community is a rewarding experience that everyone in your company or on your team can enjoy. Reach out to local food kitchens, shelters, children’s hospitals, and community organizations. They are usually looking for volunteers, and it’s something you can do once in a while or as often as you wish.
Volunteering to help those in need may even inspire some of your employees to do more volunteer work on their own!
5. Board Game Tournament
In the spirit of the family game night, hosting a board game tournament in your office is a great way to inspire friendly competition. Set up stations with various games around the office. Let employees form teams and play in groups.
It’s best to avoid games (like Monopoly or Risk) that can take hours to play (unless you prefer to play one game all day). Instead, look for games that don’t take too much time so that people can move around and play various games throughout the day. To make it worth it for everyone, have some prizes ready to award at the end of the day for the winning teams.
6. Trivia or Game Show
Whether your favorite topic is sports, science, or pop culture, it’s easy to engage people in a game of trivia. And team trivia is a great way to gather people together who know a little bit about a lot of different things.
Create a trivia contest at your next corporate event and let your employees get competitive. It can be as simple as a game of trivial pursuit or as complex as a Jeopardy-style game show. It’s best to stick to a broad range of general knowledge questions. But if you really want to make it interesting, you can create questions about your company and employees.
7. Canoe or Kayak Trip
If your company is full of outdoorsy types, a canoe or kayak trip can be a memorable and relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Rowing doesn’t require any special skills or fitness expertise, so it’s perfect for everyone, regardless of age or level of fitness. Unlike skiing or hiking, this is one outdoor activity that everyone can enjoy.
8. Be a Tourist
If you live in a city that’s full of tourist attractions, there’s a good chance you’ve never seen many of them. Natives often steer clear of those spots—even though people from all over the world come to view them.
Organize a tour and immerse your employees in a bit of local history and local culture. Sightseeing in your own city is something you probably wouldn’t do on your own, but as a group, it can be a great experience. Depending on where you live, you might want to make it a walkable tour or rent a trolley to get you around town.
9. Film a Movie
Is your office full of creative, enthusiastic people? Challenge your group to film a movie together! They can spend the morning creating a plot and writing a script and film in the afternoon.
You can hire the services of a professional film company to help you out or do it yourself. Just make sure you have the equipment and someone in-house who can handle the editing. Once the film is ready for viewing, host a second party to let everyone see the flick. You’re sure to enjoy a few laughs over your coworkers’ creative acting skills!
Picking the Right Entertainment for Your Organization
Not every idea on this list is ideal for every company, so keep in mind what you think your employees will like and which activities they will want to do. Whether you follow one of our suggestions directly or take inspiration to create your own event, make sure you keep your employees in mind. With a little bit of ingenuity and some strategic planning, you can make your corporate event one that everyone will want to attend!
Lisa Clapper is the Owner of Copper Mugs. She has an extensive marketing background in all facets of marketing but a true entrepreneur at heart. Her interests and experience in home design and decorating has led her into the housewares industry where she designs and sells copperware for Copper Mug Co.
