If you’re looking for a way to spice things up and have some fun while improving your team’s skills, corporate event ideas are exactly what you need. They might just seem like fun excuses to get out of work, but business events can be incredibly beneficial to your organization and teams.
With the right corporate event ideas, you and your team can have fun while strengthening your bonds. You’ll also get to improve skills all around while creating a relaxed atmosphere that your staff actually looks forward to engaging with.
This guide explores the benefits of hosting corporate events and the best corporate event ideas around. Whether you and your team love outdoor parties, mystery challenges, or charity events, you’ll find something to meet your needs!
Benefits of Corporate Events for Your Team and Business
So, why should you consider making time for these business event ideas?
Many people assume that these events are just for fun and don’t actually benefit their businesses, but that’s not the case. Work events can help you transform your team and improve your business.
Here are the top three benefits of scheduling workplace events on a regular basis.
1. Recognize Employees and Celebrate Success
Work events are a perfect way to recognize employees and celebrate their successes. Employee recognition is often lacking in today’s workplaces, but it’s incredibly important to team members and their performance. A Workhuman-Gallup survey found that employees who get recognition are more engaged, productive, and connected (and less likely to leave).
It’s also essential to recognize and celebrate your employees simply because they deserve it. They work hard all year long to make your business successful, so they deserve some recognition for all their hard work. If you treat your employees well and show them that you genuinely care, they will be better and happier employees who bring more value to your organization.
2. Take a Break from Work and Have Fun
Another way work events can benefit your teams is by giving them a break. Although it sounds counterintuitive, giving your teams a break to relax and have fun can energize them.
Again, your employees work long and hard every day. All that work and stress can build up over time, and people need a break. Without breaks, there’s a significant risk of employee burnout, which leads to lower performance and higher turnover. But you can avoid burnout and motivate them to do even better by ensuring they have chances to relax, have fun, and bond with their colleagues.
Work events are also a great way to support employee mental health. As mentioned above, poor mental health can have negative consequences for your business. It’s better to be proactive and support your employees’ mental health, such as with fun and engaging work events.
3. Casual Interactions and Team Bonding
Work events also create perfect opportunities for you and your team to interact casually and bond. Although they may seem insignificant, casual interactions and team-building can significantly improve team dynamics.
If your team members become friends, interact regularly, and have a good rapport, they are much more likely to be good team members. They will be more willing to cooperate, work together, and support their fellow team members. Those things all translate into a more productive, engaged, and motivated team, which can help you more quickly achieve your goals.
In addition, it can help make your workplace a healthier environment. No one likes going to an exhausting, gossipy, or toxic workplace.
If your employees are comfortable talking to each other and working together and are generally friendly, your workplace will be much more enjoyable for everyone. That’s a huge benefit, as a welcoming environment can help boost productivity, engagement, and more while decreasing turnover.
More Reasons To Try These Fun Company Event Ideas
Before we dive into the best and most creative corporate event ideas, let’s spend a little more time on why they’re so important.
It should come as no surprise that engaged teams are more productive than unengaged teams. For example, one Gallup report found that engaged teams are 23% more profitable and 18% more productive. One of the best ways to engage your employees is through corporate events. These events can keep your employees energized, focused, and motivated while improving their communication and problem-solving skills.
Another interesting stat is that, according to a 2022 Hubspot report, 40% of remote employees miss spontaneous interactions in the office. Although those interactions may not seem important, they play a big role in team cohesion and communication. With the right work event ideas, you can give your employees an opportunity for spontaneous interactions and relationship development.
Outdoor Ideas for Corporate Events
When the weather is nice, there’s nothing better than getting outdoors and enjoying some sunshine. Outdoor corporate event ideas provide excellent opportunities to get some sun, spend time with coworkers, and have fun.
Scavenger hunts make for exciting business event ideas. They give your team a chance to enjoy the outdoors while working with their team members on a fun game. We offer several scavenger hunt events, such as the Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt or the Mad Dash Scavenger Hunt.
The Summer Office Olympics program includes some more fantastic activity ideas for corporate events. This classic program has been in the catalog for years and is still among the most popular—and for good reason!
Likewise, the Outrageous Games event is perfect for playing fun games, getting competitive, and boosting company morale. Seriously, it doesn’t get any better than getting outside to enjoy some old-fashioned fun.
Charity Corporate Event Ideas
Are you looking for workplace event ideas that’ll make a difference? You’ve come to the right place. These events give you and your team a chance to directly impact the world and your local community. Plus, research has found that employee charity work boosts productivity, so it’s a win for everyone.
For example, our Clean Water Connection involves you and your team building water filters to help provide people with clean water for years to come. The event includes various activities centered on the importance of access to clean water, and it all culminates in building water filters for communities in need.
We also have a Charity Bike Build event, in which you and your team will build and donate bikes to local community centers. This event promotes environmental protection and provides community members with a green transportation option.
“The events with charity components are my favorites,” said Dustin Reichert, TeamBonding Event Facilitator. “Especially when the charity is able to come to the event and present in person. It really makes a strong point and impacts the participants for the better.”
Mystery Corporate Event Ideas
Is your team full of problem solvers? If so, one of these mystery-focused corporate event ideas might be perfect! These events focus on solving a mystery using your teamwork and communication skills. You’ll develop your team’s skills, all while having fun.
For example, The Mystery Bus takes your team across a city or area of your choice as you visit interesting destinations. You can sit back and enjoy the ride with your team as you unravel the mystery.
Murder Mystery Dinners have been around forever, but they are a great choice for a corporate event. You can enjoy a meal with your team while attempting to solve a murder mystery, allowing your team to work on their communication and problem-solving skills.
Culinary Corporate Event Ideas
Who doesn’t love a good meal? Your team is sure to enjoy a fun and exciting culinary adventure. Though they may seem like all fun, these employee event ideas can improve morale, communication, problem-solving, and more.
For example, our Food Truck Challenge event gives your employees the chance to design their own food trucks. This event is fun, but more importantly, it helps employees build relationships and boost their creativity.
If drinks are more your thing, consider Team Mixology! Cut loose and have fun creating cocktails with your team. You’re essentially turning happy hour into a company event activity, and you can take it up a notch by adding friendly competition and some rewards, too.
Virtual Corporate Event Ideas
Do you have a remote or hybrid workforce? No worries! There are plenty of great corporate event ideas for virtual and hybrid teams. Virtual corporate events typically take place via Zoom, and they’re always a hit since everyone can participate from the comfort of their own home.
For example, our Virtual Casino Night is a great corporate event idea for remote teams that like to cut loose. With a professional dealer and live table, you’ll enjoy a high-quality virtual gaming experience. This event helps improve teamwork and make sure your staff can have some fun, no matter where your team members are. They’ll get to choose between Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Poker, a Money Wheel table, and more.
Have a hybrid team? We have hybrid events for that! At the Races is a fun company event idea where your team can enjoy betting on simulated horse races. This event is a perfect chance to forget about work, have some fun, and boost morale.
Well-Being Corporate Event Ideas
Not all corporate events have to involve fast-paced games and activities. Sometimes, you just need to relax and focus on employee well-being. Prioritizing well-being can also positively impact your business, reducing burnout and increasing motivation.
Our Employee Wellness Program is one of the most popular choices. Other options include yoga events, meditation retreats, international food tastings, and more.
Another popular option is Breaking Barriers. This corporate event idea is all about identifying personal and professional obstacles, represented by wooden boards that participants physically break using their hands or feet. Through facilitator-led discussion, team members pinpoint specific insecurities they want to overcome—like fear of failure, procrastination, or perfectionism—and goals they aim to achieve.
This transformative experience builds team trust and motivation while empowering individuals to push past mental barriers, resulting in a more confident and unified team ready to tackle challenges together.
Dustin Reichert, Event Facilitator, shared a memorable moment from a recent Breaking Barriers program:
“There was a newer, very petite participant who had been with us for less than a month. Her peers encouraged her to go first, but she struggled initially. I had her sit back and observe while I gently pointed out areas for improvement. Later, when it was her turn again, she went up fifth from last and broke the barrier on her first try. The room erupted with cheers, support, and high-fives.
To make the moment even more powerful, another participant recovering from hernia surgery couldn’t participate, so I suggested they choose someone close to them to break it on their behalf. Though he wasn’t particularly close to the newbie, he chose her—and she broke it on her first try again. The room exploded with excitement once more. It was an incredible experience. Just so powerful!”
Build a Better Team with TeamBonding
These corporate event ideas can help your business achieve its goals by boosting morale, engagement, motivation, productivity, and retention among employees. In other words, they help keep your employees happy, motivated, and ready to work.
When it comes to corporate events, there is no better choice than TeamBonding. We have been doing corporate events for over 25+ years and have a huge selection of events.
“Focus on the goals and outcomes you’d like to see as a result of a program to help you pick the right event for your group,” recommends Dustin Reichert.
Ready to transform your team dynamics? We’d love to find and customize some corporate event ideas just for your company’s goals! Contact us today to get started.
