12 Unique Corporate Event Ideas

Running a business means that you will occasionally have to organize certain corporate events. Reasons for doing so vary from raising money and increasing your visibility to launching a new product and improving your relationships. In addition to raising funds for charities close to your company, these events can be for your employees, business partners, stakeholders, customers or even the general public. They can be held on a regular basis, annually or biannually, or be more sporadic and organized only when there is something worth sharing, showcasing or celebrating.

There are several key factors for planning a good corporate event. First of all, you need to determine the event’s purpose and decide on the type of event and its guest list. This will help you come up with the time, venue and theme of the event and see whether you need a catering agency. Then, you might also need to come up with an agenda and book speakers or other key players. Last but not least, you need a backup plan, just in case. If you think you cannot do all of this on your own, it might be best to turn to an agency that specializes in corporate events.

However, if you do decide to organize it on your own or with minimal professional help, it might be hard to think of something that is not just a regular fancy dinner or holiday party. With that in mind, here are some unique ideas you can apply to your event and charm everyone that attends. Take a look.

Invite a noteworthy speaker

If you’re planning a seminar-like event, you can try and enlist some help from a professional speaker in your industry or a celebrity that has experience in this field. Not only will they impart your employees with useful advice, but they will also inspire them to keep working on themselves. On the other hand, if you are planning an event for your customers, your employees and partners can be the speakers. This way, your clients will get to meet the people behind your brand and learn more about how your company works.

Organize a performance

You should have no trouble organizing this option seeing as how it comes with a lot of variety. This can be an event for your staff, your partners, your clients or everyone together. For instance, it can be a concert so you can look for a popular singer or band to make this day memorable. Alternatively, you can also get a stand-up comedian, a celebrity impersonator or a dance group. A graffiti artist can do a live mural during the event and a few caricaturists can go around drawing people. Furthermore, a magician or illusionist can create quite an entertaining show, so that’s definitely something you should not overlook, and you can also consider a cirque show with aerial performers and contortionists. Of course, what you choose to do will depend on your funds and what you think the crowd would like.

Throw an awards ceremony

In case you were inspired by The Office to hand out various awards to your employees, you can organize a gala evening. It doesn’t have to be the MET gala, you can have a casual dress code and keep it low-key – the point is to reward your employees. Invest in some trophies and book a nice venue. You can even put a red carpet in front to keep up with the gala theme. Get a photographer to document everyone’s arrival and some candid shots from the ceremony.

Hold a costume party

If you want a unique party, what better than throwing a costume party? Whether for Halloween or just because you want to, set a special theme for the evening and have fun. Maybe a ‘90s night or famous movie characters is something you can go for. Moreover, to make sure everyone remembers this night, you can look for companies such as Photoboothme that rent out corporate function photo booths. Getting a customized photo booth will make the event even more memorable, and you can rest assured these costumes will not be forgotten.

Have a karaoke night

This idea is pretty self-explanatory and simple but that does not mean that it won’t be fun. Look for a karaoke machine for hire or a venue that already has one, set a date and tell everyone to prepare their repertoire. You can set a theme for the night; for example, only songs from the ‘80s or only pop diva songs. It can be a competition or you can do it just for fun – it’s up to you and your staff.

Go bowling

You can easily rent out a local bowling alley and have a fun afternoon or evening. Everyone can split into groups and you can even make uniforms for each team. If this is something that everyone enjoys doing, it can turn into a regular thing where you keep score and have an awards ceremony at the end of the season.

Organize a trivia night

Another activity where you can split into teams and get awards is having a trivia night. You should have a quiz master and a few helpers who will come up with various categories and questions to see which group has the most knowledge about random topics. A local pub is a great setting for this so check if there is one you can rent out for a night.

Do an escape room

Everyone is still obsessed with escape rooms so you can turn this into a great corporate event. In addition to being super fun, working together to get out will bring them closer and improve their problem-solving skills. This is great for those looking for an intense activity that will really require them to think.

Go on a scavenger hunt

You can also work on your teamwork by opting for a scavenger hunt. If you don’t have the time to organize the entire thing on your own, you can also turn to professionals who will do everything for you. In case you want to do it yourself, there are many ideas online to inspire you.

Solve a murder mystery

Continuing with the theme of solving problems, murder mysteries are also quite popular. If you’ve already done the previously suggested activities, maybe this is something that will also interest your employees. If they are super into true crime, they’ll be dying to figure out who the culprit is.

Get the adrenaline pumping

If your company is full of adrenaline junkies, you have a slew of options waiting for you. For instance, have you considered swimming with dolphins or snorkeling with sharks? On the other hand, if you prefer air over water, you can all go sky diving. A group jump is definitely an experience none of you will forget. Of course, there are some less stressful activities such as sumo wrestling, archery or skiing. If all else fails, you can go to a sports game together.

Have a gaming tournament

When it comes to gaming, you can go for video games or opt for board games. You can rent some gaming equipment and organize a tournament in video games your employees love to play. On the other hand, everyone can bring their own board games – from Monopoly to Settlers of Catan, choices abound. You can even organize your own Dungeons and Dragons championship.