Hosting a great event is all about being creative. Your attendees deserve to have a fantastic time and take home memories that will last for years!
My Event Favorites
- Hire a corporate emcee
- Create an escape room challenge
- Host cooking classes, either in-person or virtually
- Put on scavenger hunts
- Have a game night of either board games or online games
- Rent or DIY photo booths
- Host a charity fundraiser
- Have a pet party
- Put on an office talent show
Here are nine interesting and entertaining ideas for your upcoming corporate event to ensure everyone has the time of their lives.
See Related: 5 Amazing Benefits Of Hiring An Event Planner
#1. Hire A Corporate Emcee
Everyone corporate event needs a speaker and entertainer on stage. No event would be complete without it!
The speaker you book for your corporate event will be in charge of setting the tone for the entire event. After all, they’ll likely be directing the events and ensuring everyone in the crowd says entertained.
It’s common for people to book corporate comedians or even keynote speakers for their upcoming events.
As a corporate emcee, I’ve spoken and entertained at countless company functions to plenty of industry professionals. And I love to see how some genuine entertainment and fun can leave people laughing!
So, if you’re looking to host an event, hopefully, you’ve already decided that you need to book either a speaker or a master of ceremonies to host.
But why do you need a master of ceremonies in the first place?
The Power Of A Seasoned Host
Hiring a traditional company speaker is one thing. But they likely won’t be the ones directing the entire event from start to finish.
Luckily, an event MC can guide your group throughout, giving folks the chance to laugh, get to know each act personally, and feel like the event comes together in the end.
Making For An Unforgettable Experience
For any master of ceremonies, you’ll want to make sure that they can bring positive humor to your event. And positive humor means clean humor – nothing divisive, offensive, or profane.
This might seem like a no-brainer. But you’d be surprised at how many emcees out there mistake humor for a chance to poke fun at the expense of others.
Instead, when searching for a master of ceremonies, make sure their humor can meet the needs of your group. The key to a successful corporate event is relaxed professionalism and inclusive fun!
How To Make Your EVENT Successful
Though hosting events can be fun, it can also be daunting. You want to ensure your attendees have a great time and they stay entertained from start to finish.
Here are five ways to ensure your EVENT is as successful as it can be!
E – Engage The Audience
Any great event keeps people on their toes and engaged. Host activities and entertainment that will excite your attendees!
V – Visualize The Event
Create a vision for your event. Plan everything from the theme and tone so it creates one cohesive experience.
E – Evaluate Your Options
Don’t settle. Do your due diligence and research the best vendors and entertainment.
This is important for creating a successful event.
N – Nurture Relationships
Now that everyone in the organization is together for some fun activities, it’s the perfect opportunity to get to know more people.
You can network or just take your time to get to know the people you work with!
T – Track The Progress
Set measurable goals for your event. Especially in the planning phase, make sure everything is occurring on time.
#2. Create An Escape Room Challenge
There’s something so exciting about being trapped in a room that you can’t escape from. Of course, I’m talking about Escape Rooms!
Escape rooms have been taking society by storm lately, and it’s one of the most fun, entertaining, and intriguing things you can do!
It involves teamwork and problem-solving (perfect skills to hone at a work-related function) in order for participants to come out on top.
It may sound complicated at first, but I promise it’s not. Your escape challenge should start with attendees being “locked” in a themed room and end with them solving puzzles and clues in order to escape.
Don’t forget to set the timer!
Escape rooms can be a hilarious adventure and a great way to promote genuine team bonds.
Creating Your Own Escape Challenge
Wondering how to put it into action? Here’s how.
- Start by picking the perfect place at your venue for the room. Anything from a simple room to a rented space can be used!
- Now it’s time for the fun part. Design your room to include clues, puzzles, or props to make it an interactive experience. Ensure there’s an adequate flow to the room.
- Let’s put it to the test. At your event, form teams of roughly four to eight individuals. Make sure you explain any rules and review any safety information.
- Start the challenge! Give each team anywhere from 60 minutes to an hour and a half to complete the challenge. Make sure you “lock” them in the room and give them a walkie-talkie if they need to communicate with someone outside the room.
#3. Host A Cooking Class
Unless you enjoy making your food at home, it’s becoming more and more common for people to find other ways to get food. From eating out to ordering in, plenty of people (and especially office workers) choose easy ways to get their nutrients.
Sometimes, the case is that they just don’t know how to cook. And that’s a fair concern!
It can be hard to whip up something for dinner after a hard day at work when all you want to do is take time to chill out.
So, at your upcoming company event, give your employees two gifts in one. Treat them to a tasty meal while helping them expand their knowledge of food!
A cooking class is a great way to bring your employees together and learn a new skill while having fun. They can either make their food solo or work in teams.
Then at the end, they can enjoy a tasty meal that they prepared with their own hands (and perhaps with some help from the instructor).
Cooking classes can be hosted either in person or online. So if you’re putting on a virtual corporate event, you can still ensure your employees enjoy this fun activity.
But if you’re going virtual, just make sure you send them a gift basket with the necessary ingredients beforehand so they’ll be completely prepared.
#4. Scavenger Hunt
One of the best parts of creative activities at a corporate event is giving your employees a chance to work together on something fun and lighthearted. Instead of focusing on finishing a project by a certain deadline, they can put their heads together in order to accomplish a silly and entertaining task!
A great way to promote collaboration and teamwork is by hosting a scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts are easy to incorporate into any company function and can be exceptionally entertaining!
Depending on where you host it, you can also give your team a chance to explore the city or a local spot.
Here’s how to plan a scavenger hunt for your upcoming event:
- Pick a location. It can be at the event venue or somewhere in the city.
- Make a list of items. These are the things your team will need to find. Decide if they will need to find preexisting things or if you will hide specific items for the activity.
- Make teams. Ensure you go over the rules and any important information they might need to know.
- Send them off!
Bonus: Emcee vs. MC: Which Spelling Should I Use?
#5. Game Night
Not all corporate events need to have only extensive and in-depth activities planned. Even simple ideas can be better sometimes!
If your team is looking for something more laid-back, a game night might be the perfect choice for some entertainment. Or, you can end your extravagant corporate function with some fun board games to ensure everyone ends the night on a peaceful note.
You can either set up games for during the event or set a designated time for it.
Hosting a virtual event for your remote team? Invite your team to play some online games together! In today’s digital age, there’s no shortage of games to choose from when looking to entertain your employees.
#6. Photo Booth
Sometimes, the details make the entire event. Enjoy-as-you-go events are some of the most enjoyable, as they give people a chance to indulge as the rest of the event continues!
At any event, photo booths are always a safe bet. Everyone can get on board with a chance to take cute and memorable photos!
And even if they don’t end up on social media, they’re sure to help the memories last a bit longer.
You can either rent out a photo booth or DIY your own. Sometimes, all you need is a few props and a tripod!
If you’re hosting a more upscale event, it might be a better idea to book a professional photo booth. If not, feel free to snag props and other materials for your booth at places like dollar stores.
#7. Charity Fundraiser
Recently, charity functions have been gaining plenty of traction. People are increasingly becoming more interested in using their time and resources to help others.
And that’s a change I love to see!
Hosting a charity fundraiser event is a surefire way to entertain your attendees while contributing toward a positive cause.
Hosting a unique charity event doesn’t need to be hard. Pick a cause, and shoot for the stars!
#8. Pet Party
Almost everyone has a furry friend these days, it seems. When your employees leave work for the day, odds are they’re going home to their pets!
To bring some creative passion to your event, send an invite to the office pets (figuratively). Let people bring their dogs to the function, and let some new friendships get made.
Just don’t forget to make a designated pet area.
Fill it with doggy toys, water, and treats in case they get hungry. Then your employees can take time to bond with each other over their best friends.
Plus, pets at events just make everything a bit more enjoyable. Everyone can have a bit more fun when there is a puppy nearby!
One thing to keep in mind is allergies. If you know of someone on your team that has allergies, it might be a good idea to skip this activity.
If you’re unsure, send out a message to attendees beforehand to confirm that no one will have major objections to a dog party.
#9. Office Talent Show
Who says you have to hire professional entertainers to have a lively corporate event? Sometimes the best talent is right at your fingertips!
A talent show is a great way to let your employees share a few of their own unique skills while boosting their confidence. Plus, it’s a great way to provide genuine entertainment.
Your attendees will be much more intrigued by the show if the performer on stage is their deskmate!
Hosting a talent show can be a pretty straightforward process. Ensure you let your employees know beforehand about the event to give them time to prepare.
Then, create a sign-up sheet so you can keep track of who will be performing.
A great bonus is to give out awards at the end! You can make them as silly as you want, especially if your team provides a wide variety of entertainment.
Wrapping Up
Hosting a creative and entertainment company event can seem daunting at first, but with the right activities in store, it will ensure the night ends as a success!
Keep Reading: 8 Fun Office Party Ideas From A Corporate Emcee
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Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings, special events, gala celebrations, and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com. For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
