The 2019 Event Marketing Report revealed that 84% of leaders believe that corporate events are vital to their companies. True enough, holding corporate events are common among many companies, big and small, and it’s a sweet escape to the day-to-day overwhelming duties.
Company events may be conferences, seminars, team buildings, but one of the most exciting ones are gala dinners. They’re usually formal-themed parties, so everyone can dress up and pose for beautiful photos. However, no matter how elaborately planned some gala dinners are, many employees still feel dragged to attend, and they get bored a lot. Worse, they may leave early or get too drunk to understand the point of the event.
So, if your company is about to hold its next gala dinner, how can you ensure that not a single soul will feel bored and leave early? Here are some brilliant entertainment ideas to consider:
1. Hire Entertainers
Bands, singers, dancers, comedians — think of a reputable celebrity that’s capable of brightening everyone’s mood. If you want to provide extraordinary entertainment, a magician will probably work great. Even motivational speakers can entertain as well, especially if they’re incredibly witty and charismatic. Make sure to have a stellar event setup, meaning a large stage, creative lighting, and functioning A/V equipment.
2. Ditch the Typical Buffet Station
Because people are always thrilled about food, you might assume that they won’t criticize a typical buffet station. You may be right, but it would be a brilliant idea to surprise your employees and guests with a more creative food station setup.
Create an eye-catching backdrop in your food station to make it a focal point. And instead of a usual buffet setup where caterers put food on the plates of people lining up, make it a DIY food station so the attendees can be free to help themselves. Include comfort food in the menu such as hotdogs, mashed potatoes, and tacos.
Have your caterers present the food creatively, especially in the salad and dessert stations. The exquisitely arrayed food will be part of the aesthetic, and the event’s attendees would surely want to take snaps of it for their social media pages.
3. Incorporate Augmented Reality
Consider making an augmented reality version of your favorite games. Scavenger hunt, for example, is an exciting competitive game that’ll spark your employees’ passions for winning, so imagine their thrill if you give them a boosted experience through AR. High-tech entertainment will foster participation, so there would be significantly less likelihoods of people getting bored.
4. Set Up a Casino
Another highly engaging party feature is casino games. Provide slot machines, poker tables, and other casino game sets, along with professional croupiers to make the experience feel like an actual casino.
5. Build a Story Corner
In this corner, employees would anonymously write anecdotes about a co-worker, and they can also pick up another anecdote from the lot. This could be a good way for employees to get to know one another on a more personal level, forging new friendships.
6. Involve Your Employees on the Planning
Since corporate events are also a way to reward employees, why not involve them in the planning stages? Let them suggest entertainers they want to invite, the menu, and games. That way, everyone will surely have a great time, and your employees would feel more valued and appreciated.
These prime entertainment ideas should take your upcoming gala dinner to the next level, so don’t miss out on incorporating them in your plan. As a result, your employees and guests will look forward to every party, so be consistent in providing quality entertainment in each of your corporate events.
