Have you ever attended a corporate event where you fell asleep halfway?
For some reason, the corporate world insists on people wearing suits and sitting on round tables to watch PowerPoint presentations or listen to boring speakers. It doesn’t have to be that way though. In the 21st century, where people are going to work with casual outfits and taking champagne at work, corporate events can be fun too.
Here are 5 ways you can make yours exciting and memorable.
1. Invite an entertainer
Whether you are having a charity event, product launch, or even an AGM, spare some time in the middle for some entertainment. You can invite a comedian, acrobat or any person that knows how to wake up a bored crowd. If the event is literally dying down, Craig Martin is the corporate magician you’ve been looking for to knock the socks off your crowd.
2. Contests
Nothing will liven up a corporate meeting like some competition. Since everyone is sitting in groups, throw in some contests, pop quiz, or borrow ideas from Steve Harvey’s family feud. This will work better if your event is only for employees, even if it’s a prize-giving event.
3. Fun activities during break time
During break time, people only take some tea and snacks for a few minutes before walking back into the room. This is the perfect time to bond, create networks, and wake up. Extend the tea time so you can include fun activities like bonfire chat session, exercise, and competition. You can also add exciting things besides tea like nitrogen ice-cream fountain or a bouncing castle.
4. Think outside
Who said corporate events have to be held indoors? Think outside the conference room to more open places where people can experience nature. What you want is interaction and people to stay awake. You can do it in an open field, museum, open brewery, rooftop, and art gallery and even on the road. Imagine having an office picnic in a serene area and just discussing office business or a theme party where people wear different outfits instead of the usual office wear. You have to think outside the box and give people that wow factor.
5. Use technology to your benefit
A company asked the attendees to tweet about what they would want. Those tweets were projected live on the wall, and everyone had a fabulous time. In another event, a company used virtual reality to show off a line of vans using only one van. The lighting used in this event was mesmerizing because it was like different vans every single time. You can also use an app or social media to interact with the participants instead of PowerPoint presentations. The sky is the limit when it comes to what you can do with technology to make any event fun and memorable.
Boring events are no longer an option in this day and age. You have to keep your audience captivated because the competition is stiff. You can get creative and think outside the box. Better yet, ask your participants what they would like or get an event organizer to do the job for you.