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Corporate events can be used to spark creativity, innovation and productivity in your team, by choosing exciting experiences or activities that all of your guests can enjoy. Here are 19 ways to boost staff morale and break the ice at your next annual gala, awards evening or meeting.
Entertainment and experiences aren’t just par for the course when it comes to corporate events, they serve a function on their own. The more your attendees get involved, the better relationships are forged which has a positive impact on productivity and the working environment long-term as well as making employees feel valued.
While it doesn’t have to be; go, go, go from start to finish, a few cleverly placed activities or experiences can add more excitement to the event without busting your budget. We’ve put together a list of amazing ideas you can incorporate into your corporate event to keep guests amused and work for your brand or business, whether it’s a small meeting or an international conference.
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VR Game Experiences
The introduction of virtual reality has paved the way for plenty of gamification opportunities in a small space. As you can see here, using a VR headset and controllers can implant attendees into a virtual world to play games that aren’t otherwise logistical in your venue. Plus, it’s highly adaptable and you could opt for company specific ideas that help with problem-solving and team-building tasks too to work on core skills in a fun way.
Credit: Channing Muller
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Wine Blending
Taking wine tasting up a notch is a wine blending team building exercise where you can compete to create the best flavour. As you can see here, three different wines blended at different levels creates unique flavours while promoting creativity and relaxation. This is an excellent activity when guests are sitting down and can be easily upscaled for larger event without having to consider movement or mobility.
Credit: EventWright
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Casino Tables
Of course, the casino theme is always a big hit at corporate functions and the combination of competition and handling money can be exhilarating for some. You could opt to create your own branded (or sponsored) currency that could be converted into rewards or company incentives if you win certain amounts, rather than using actual currency.
Credit: Omni Productions Inc.
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Climbing Wall
For those wanting an adrenaline rush, hire a mobile climbing wall like this one for an exciting challenge! Perfect for the competitive edge, team-building and bonding because the heights factor can be challenging for some so requires everyone to work together to reach the top.
Credit: Aveling Adventure
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360-degree Photo Booth
An interesting experience for corporate attendees is to create a 360-degree photo booth using a moving backdrop for unique effects. This photo booth can drop attendees into any atmosphere and would be ideal for completely capturing groups so no one gets chopped out of the image!
Fun Fact Friday: 79% of U.S. marketers generate sales using event marketing, according to @medium!
Credit: Pixperience
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VIP Shuttle
Encourage sustainable carpooling without compromising on comfort and style with options like this stunning VIP shuttle service. Perfect for event transitions with funky LED lights to keep the event vibes interesting throughout the journey, this allows corporate event attendees to continue team-building and games on the move without separating the group.
Credit: Overland Limousine Service
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Inflatable Games
Bring back the inner child in your guests with inflatable games and experiences like this bungee cord game. You could also try inflatable obstacle courses and pit teams against each other for extra competition or an adult bouncy castle or ball pit at your venue.
Credit: Tony’s Games in Stockholm, Sweden
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Selfie Props
Create plenty of photo opportunities at your corporate event because they are the gift that keep on giving, particularly at the annual retreat! This is a cool example of large selfie props to make the photos memorable and stand out or you could create a backdrop area and corner of your event for capturing the memories.
Credit: NEP House of Events LLc
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Custom Coloring
Coloring books are all the rage, particularly as swag ideas but you can upscale this to create an interesting and communal activity. Have a large coloring book canvas with an image reflective of your brand, get the attendees to color in throughout the event and hang it in the office as a reminder of the team-work it took to create something awesome.
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Community Focus
Promote team-building while working towards greater causes with a charity themed activity such as this. These community members are making bowls and painting them which will later be used at a fundraiser to help fight hunger in the community. A fun activity to create the bowls and not only raises awareness but help a worthy cause, it’s a win-win.
Credit: Food Bank For Larimer County
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Matching Step and Repeat
Make your step and repeat more interesting by creating an illusion by extending the backdrop onto the flooring! When attendees arrive it creates a great VIP welcome and photo opportunity as well as a great first impression. The use of carpets, particularly at a hotel of limited venue can easily adapt to event color schemes and themes with minimal effort and no lasting fixtures.
Credit: Interactive Entertainment Group
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Digital Forest
Using digital screens at your venue can make it interactive but this is a cool idea to grab attention and make a spectacular first impression outside. This Hunger Games themed event utilized outdoor screens to display pop up themed interactive characters for extra wow-factor, counting down until you got the “capitol” venue. Doing this sets the tone from the outset and builds up anticipation until attendees reach inside, starting on the right foot and building up to the final sequence where they see the venue itself. Quirky elements like this are particularly memorable and perfect for going above and beyond.
Credit: Lapin Quotidien
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HoverBall Archery
If you don’t fancy the risk assessment of traditional archery that doesn’t mean you have to go without! This variation offers a compromising alternative where you can still get the target practice and competitive edge with a fun mobile option. Plus, this is more likely to fit in a smaller event space and can be adapted for competitive games during team-building or retreats.
Credit: Aveling Adventure
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Indoor Fields
For the sports fans in your team, recreate a traditional football field and enjoy a day of games indoors. With the right amount of space, you could try fun things like bubble football, sack races and traditional school sports day races, or Quidditch, rallying your team together to cheer each other on. Create your own cheer squad for those who would rather be on the sidelines and this would be a fun sponsorship idea for the pitch, chairs or jersey signage, just like in the real thing.
Our recreation of a sports field will have your guests playing all day long. #footballer #sportsman #soccer #championship #futbol #sportphotography #futebol #futbolsport #gohardorgohome #futbolista #footballseason #speedkills #footballplayer #sportphoto #sportsphotography #ilovefootball #sportphotographer #seeaustralia #exploreaustralia #australiagram #ilovesydney #ig_australia #cityofsydney #events #sydney #sydneyprops #specialevents #teambuilding #props
Credit: Sydney Prop Specialists
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Neon Light-Up Furniture
Okay, technically not an activity but definitely a fun experience and interesting atmosphere! Light-up furniture can be the perfect transition pieces and adds flair to an evening event. You could create different effects by segregating the colors according to moods, for example a red, warm relaxation area, a funky mixed set of networking cubes or a gold VIP lounge area. The use of color can automatically translate into different vibes for the event, making it easier for attendees to adopt the feel you are trying to project.
Credit: 84 West Events
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Photo Booth
What would a corporate event be without a traditional photo booth? This is a simple but cute idea that could be set up in the office and easily rented! A simple glitzy drop curtain combined with favourable lighting and you’ve got budget friendly memories and plenty of branding opportunities.
Credit: PhotoBooths of SoCal
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Bowling
Keep it simple with bowling and traditional games at your event. This could be a full tenpin lane that you rent or something nicer on the budget like this fairground recreation. Mix things up by creating a points system or adding obstacles on the runway to make it harder and more competitive!
Credit: Creating a Scene Inc.
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Performance Companies
Hand your entertainment and activities over to the professionals with a corporate performance company. They can act as roaming entertainment as well as interactive greeters while creating fun and interesting activities to keep everyone busy!
Credit: SWC Entertainment Group
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Digital Walls
Make meetings interesting by allowing for games and brainstorming using digital screens and walls. Fun icebreakers like Pictionary are facilitated and it can be used for the meeting purpose itself. Plus, when the meeting is over, attendees can be sent the brainstorm without the need for paper and printouts which is a step closer to a greener meeting.
In Conclusion
Corporate events can be used to spark creativity, innovation and productivity in your team, particularly if you choose exciting experiences or activities. Just make sure to incorporate them into your message and cater to everyone.
