Corporate Event
Here are some unusual and alternative ideas to make your corporate events stick in the minds of participants for all the right reasons.
All company events – internal and external – are opportunities to reflect your business in the best possible light. Making corporate events memorable is about focusing on details and unusual ideas so you stand apart from the competition.
External Meetings
Hosting clients or partners from other companies is about reflecting your brand in a positive light, as well as discussing business. In addition to choosing a meeting venue that feels inspiring and has all the technology you need, go a step further to make these meetings memorable.
Food
Food can be a great way to do this – host a themed food tasting instead of a formal lunch, or bring in a chef to do a theatrical food demonstration. Everyone loves a gift too, and even a goody bag with unusually designed USB sticks or some bespoke freshly ground coffee will go a long way.
Internal Events
Even meetings that only have attendees from within a company are important to get right, since having well-run and memorable meetings increases loyalty and productivity among employees. For company-wide events, do something unexpected such as hiring a comedian to get people in high spirits or organize a team building event.
Conferences
Large company corporate event and conferences are an opportunity to show off the best of your business to a captive audience, so it’s critical to get the details right so you stand out from your competitors. Great conferences begin with excellent speakers, so take your time to find just the right people.
Speakers
At least one speaker should be someone who can stick to a theme while inspiring them – for example, an individual who has achieved a great feat professionally or personally. Introduce some unexpected extras too, such as alternative coffee break sessions where people can practice mindfulness in a tipi or undertake a 15-minute masterclass.
Training Days
Days dedicated to learning should be about more than sitting in a classroom. Engage the participants from the start by sending them on a scavenger hunt. Link the details of the scavenger hunt to the training theme so it gets people on their feet to begin a training session. Surprise participants by setting up informal seating options instead of desks and chairs.
Example
For example, giving people the option to sit on sofas or beanbags as well as at tables creates an inviting atmosphere ripe for learning. Also break up the day by inviting an expert speaker to talk about a subject relevant to the training topic. Using storytelling to explain the practical application of the subject matter can inspire people to implement the things they learn.
Team Building Days
Time away from the workplace are rare opportunity to bring teams together and consolidate working relationships. Even if some work needs to be achieved during team building days, there are lots of ways to surprise employees with some highly memorable activities, and experiential learning can be really effective in enhancing communication, improving teamwork and building trust. It works well to energize the team by starting the day with an ice breaker.
Participants
Ask all participants to share an unexpected or unusual detail about themselves ahead of the team building day, such as a famous relation, unusual hobby or the superhero they would most like to be! Give everyone a copy of the list and task them with matching the unusual fact with the relevant colleague…without asking direct questions. It’s a fantastic way to get team members talking about all sorts of subjects they wouldn’t normally think of.
Make It Memorable
A memorable corporate event forms lasting relationships with people, whether it’s your employees or future business contacts. Adding unexpected elements and unusual components to the simplest meetings or the largest conferences really can make all the difference.
