Corporate Summer Event! The stressful moment when you need to come up with original ideas to engage your colleagues and create lasting memories from your event. Fear no more! We’re here to help you, so check out our Top Tips and Suggestions.
Our Tips and Tricks for a great Company Summer Event
TIP 1: START WITH AN OBJECTIVE IN MIND
Make sure you understand and are clear what is the purpose of this event. Every decision after that should support your main goal. Do you want to recognize colleagues for their hard work? Do you want to celebrate a successful new business deal or the completion of a big project? Help everyone get to know their teammates better? Is boosting morale your ultimate goal? Or maybe you just want to have some fun together and shake off the stress of the first half of the year? No matter the answer, having an objective for your Company’s Summer Party in mind and making it relevant and linked to the current business agenda and overall morale will help you make the right choices.
Our suggestion: Use our filter by objectives option on the search page! We have 20+ objectives to choose from!
tip nr 2: determine who is invited
A summer party may be a great opportunity to invite spouses and children. Having families at your company summer event will definitely have an impact on the overall theme and objective of the event. And you shouldn’t forget to offer activities that will keep the kids engaged. One of my favourite company events was actually a summer party where families were invited. We were over 600 people, gathered at a beautiful farm. I remember meeting my boss’ boss and his wife and kids, having great conversations and doing archery together. So simple, yet helped us connect at a very different and human level. I must say my view of that person changed positively after such an encounter.
Our suggestion: Check out our Family & Kids Category. Take a look at one of the events suggestions for KIDS’ CREATIVE CORNER
A company may also decide to invite people with whom they have close relationships, like vendors or business partners. We have seen that happen in smaller organizations. You may also decide to have an employee only event.
Having a budget in mind and knowing what’s company’s tradition will help decide which option will work best and deliver the best results.
Our suggestion: Liked the farm event idea? Then check-out our FARM TO TABLE DINNER
tip nr 3: you may choose team vs. an entire company
Instead of throwing one big company celebration, some companies decide to make separate teams or divisions events. This way everyone can spend time in their smaller circle and engage with people they work with every day. Again, our tip number one will come handy. Knowing what’s the objective of that team? It might be that they want to learn something new, get to know each other better or participate in a team challenge.
As much as I personally enjoyed big company events, the team get-togethers, were the ones that had the biggest impact on how we performed, interacted and supported one another. Those intimate moments when you can build together a team purpose, starting by talking about your own personal purpose helped us get to know each other on a deeper level.
Our suggestion: A healthy and engaging NUTRITION & COOKERY CLASS or a TEAM PURPOSE WORKSHOP
TIP NR 4: ENGAGE, ENGAGE, ENGAGE
Team events are a great opportunity to engage with your colleagues and learn a little bit more about them. People will eventually forget your words but never how you made them feel. So make them feel engaged in a purpose or activity enhancing their sense of belonging. Strengthening relationships and knowing each other better will pay off longer term. Make sure there is time for people to network, introduce themselves or even bring something personal to the event.
One of my favourites simple energizers to engage attendees is to ask them to bring something that will best represent their passions or who they are. It can be an object, picture or story they tell. It’s important to allow time for people to talk about what they brought (this works well with smaller groups) or create a wall where all images are attached (works for large groups).
Now, in big parties or events, coming in a themed costume works in a similar fashion. Until today, I remember the head of the team in a BeeGee’s jumpsuit! This memory always brings back fond moments of us together and how we teamed up in a singing competition.
Our suggestion: Interested in improving collaboration, communication and interactions with the team? Check out – TEAM SPIRIT DAY! or CORPORATE MULTI ACTIVITY DAY
TIP NR 5: Relax & Have fun
Lastly, take the opportunity to just relax and have fun. Getting together with your team or an entire company is a unique moment. Even better if you can take the team away from the office and away from the everyday routine. And make sure the leaders are present and participating with everyone and role-modelling having fun, being engaged and being with the teams.
I once had a chance to co-facilitate a team event where a team leader introduced the activity and then left the room… So he basically told everyone how great the next activity will be and how important it is to take part… and then left… I guess you can imagine the impact it had on his team. Some people felt free to leave the room and their smaller groups in the middle of the practice. So if you a leader of the team, make sure you are part of the activity. In the end, you are part of the team and the company too.
And if you would like to talk through some of these ideas or need help in designing your next company event – get in touch with us!
Article co-written by Gisela Andrade and Aleksandra Potrykus.
