Happy employees are motivated employees. Great employees are the secret to any company’s success. Without a motivated workforce, a business would have a pretty difficult time fostering productivity and generating revenue.
Studies show that satisfied and motivated workers have a better attitude towards their job, which improves office productivity. On the other hand, unhappy employees don’t perform as well and hamper a company’s progress.
Your employees need a little pick-me-up every now and then. One of the best ways to lift their spirits and appreciate their efforts is by hosting a couple of exciting events.
Company Events: Keep Employees Happy (and Keep Them Longer)
Hosting corporate events is a fun way to break the monotony in the office and motivate employees. These special gatherings take your team out of their daily routine and celebrate their work towards a common goal. Some popular office events include:
- Office parties
- Team building activities
- Charity events
- Off-site incentive travel retreats
During an outing or a party, employees enjoy their time with colleagues without having to worry about work. Promoting team bonding activities outside the office also allows employees to see their managers and co-workers in a different light.
Company gatherings are the best platforms for showing your appreciation for all of the hard work your employees do. After all, hosting award ceremonies puts the spotlight on their achievements, which will let them know that they are valued by you and the company.
What Type of Event Should You Host?
There is always something worth celebrating in the office. Be it a small achievement or a big-time client win; you’ll never run out of excuses to host an event. Below are some ideas for your next company gathering:
Happy Hour
Cap off the week by inviting the team to a Happy Hour session on a Friday evening. It can be something as simple as a few drinks at a local bar or a fancy yet small gathering at a luxurious restaurant. Throwing a Happy Hour party lets your employees relax after a strenuous week. It also promotes better communication and fosters inter-departmental relationships.
Breakfast Meetings
Start a work day by hosting a breakfast meeting with some filling fare, as well as fun and productive conversations. You can order food from local shops or pick up some bagels and coffee. It’s a great way to encourage the team before they start their workday. You can also have a breakfast meeting at a restaurant, remember for groups of five or more to make a reservation, so the restaurant is prepared for your arrival.
Activity-Based Events
Strengthen your team’s morale and camaraderie by hosting sports and other activity-based events (e.g., go-kart racing games, bowling sessions, and mini-golf courses). These physical activities allow employees to blow off some steam and get a little bit of exercise.
Employee Appreciation Gatherings
Award ceremonies and appreciation parties affirm your staff’s teamwork and efforts, which boosts their morale. Show your team how much you appreciate their work by distributing small prizes and certificates. If you have a smaller team, try to give everyone a gift. These tokens of appreciation will make the staff feel valued, which fosters employee loyalty.
Planning Company Events 101: Where Do You Start?
The first step is defining the event’s purpose: what’s it for? It’s easier to plan an event with a clear goal; its purpose will determine the type of corporate event, theme, program flow, and activities. Once you’ve defined the goal of your event, you may move on to the following steps:
Conceptualization
Conceptualize right after you define the event’s purpose. Conceptualization includes deciding on how many people will be attending, figuring out the location, making sure everyone’s needs are met and planning the activities.
Budget for the Event
Budgeting keeps you from overspending. When deciding on the budget, consider all possible expenses, especially the emergency expenses. During the planning phase, be realistic with how much you need and try to keep your costs reasonable.
Venue, Date, and Time
Find a location that is convenient for everyone and can accommodate all attendees. Also, secure the venue as early as possible. Regarding the time and date, find out the most convenient schedule for your business. You want to pick a time that does not conflict with regular business responsibilities.
Activities
Plan activities that will include all your employees. Make a list of fun games that encourage them to participate. Keep in mind that some employees may be a bit more agile than others. If you are planning an awards ceremony, decide on the prizes and tokens of appreciation beforehand.
Details, Details, Details
The success of your event lies in the details, so plan carefully. First, you’ll have to conceptualize and determine the theme of your event. Next, encourage employees to attend the gathering by choosing a compelling theme. A dynamic and out-of-the-box concept will get them excited for the event. In between your other tasks, organize all the other necessary arrangements, such as the photo and video production, food, and entertainment.
Lastly, don’t forget to craft a short tagline for your event. Your tagline should summarize the event, but not give everything away. It should also be enticing enough to get your staff interested.
Determine the Administrative & Evaluation Process
Start with the administrative process: how are you going to keep track of your event’s goals and plans? Make your job easier by assigning people to different tasks, such as food, guest lists, coverage, and more. There should be a person for each element of the event; this ensures that you will know whom to approach for questions.
While setting the event’s initial objectives, think of ways to determine its success. Create an evaluation process that checks your employee’s satisfaction and opinion of the event.
Encourage Everyone to Participate
The main goal of your event is to boost employee morale. This can be difficult to achieve if some of your staff refuse to join.
It’s natural for employees to shy away from gatherings with people they don’t know well outside the professional setting. Help them come out of their shell and have fun with the other departments by striking a casual conversation and convincing them to take a break. If there are games and activities, set an example and be the first one to volunteer. When your employees see you having fun, they will want to join too.
Corporate events serve a dual purpose: it gives everyone a break from the regular office routine and keeps the team’s spirits high. Motivate your employees and improve office productivity by hosting a party, awards ceremony, or even a simple lunch. Rest assured, your staff will appreciate the thought and effort.
Do you need help with planning your next company event? MTI Events is happy to be of assistance. Whether you are planning to throw a black-tie event or reward employees with an incentive trip, we are the event planning company that can handle it all. Our creativity combined with careful planning and years of experience ensures that your employees will enjoy every moment of your appreciation event.
