Your team works hard to generate success for your company. And when they reach a major milestone, it’s cause for celebration.
Recognizing your team’s achievements is a big deal. That’s why your celebration event needs to be memorable: it ensures your people feel recognized, helps them build the foundational personal bonds that allow them to collaborate effectively, and can even create extra inspiration for achieving that next big win.
If you’re not content to settle for another average team event, this guide will teach you eight tips you can use to host an unforgettable celebration for your colleagues—and it’ll take you five minutes or less to read.
1. Host your celebration on company time
Here’s an opinion that some businesses might not like: as much as your team may be all-in on your organization, that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to dedicate their own personal time to work-related matters—even if it’s a celebration.
Instead, consider hosting your team event on company time, giving your staff a break from their workdays to be recognized and appreciated and to spend quality time together.
Whether it’s a Thursday afternoon happy hour or a lavish lunch on a Tuesday, think about celebrating your employees’ hard work by giving them a break from their hard work—not celebrating it after their day of hard work is done.
2. Keep it light
If there’s one thing that employees value, especially after working through crunch time to achieve a milestone, it’s the ability to connect and socialize with their colleagues in a fun and relaxed environment.
Your team celebration should embrace this spirit.
Incorporating some form of team building can be a great addition but prioritize focusing your celebration on fun and interaction rather than business.
3. Engage remote employees
In a world where hybrid and remote work are commonplace, team celebrations might not be able to happen with everyone present in person.
If you’re able to bring remote workers to take part in your event, then that’s the ideal option. But if not, think about ways to ensure they’re included.
For example, you can bring the party to them by hosting regional get-togethers at a restaurant or in a rented meeting room.
If neither of those are viable options, you can include them in your celebration event via video conference and then help them feel your appreciation by sending them a gift card or ordering them lunch.
4. Elevate your food and beverage offering
Skip the grocery store fruit platter and make food and drinks an exciting part of your company event.
If you really want to make your team feel appreciated, you can consider hiring food trucks to provide free snacks and hiring a mixologist to make cocktails that offer a sensory experience.
Of course, make sure you’ve got some non-alcoholic drinks for anyone who doesn’t partake, and ensure everyone drinks responsibly.
5. Take time to recognize achievements
Make sure you dedicate a few minutes at your celebration event to proactively recognize both team and individual achievements.
Discuss the milestone that your team achieved, explain how it impacted the success of your organization, and share how each individual team member’s contribution made a difference.
6. Plan a few fun surprises
Hosting a celebration event for your team is great. But if you want to make it one for the ages, think about adding in some unexpected surprises.
This could be something like hiring a celebrity on Cameo to create a video toasting your team’s success or hosting a puppy therapy session to help your team unwind.
Whatever you choose, adding a little bit of “surprise and delight” to your company celebration is a great way to make it unforgettable.
7. Pick a venue that works for everyone
When deciding where to host your team event, think about what’s convenient for everyone. If your office is the most accessible place and has space for you to welcome everyone, that’s a great option.
Otherwise, finding a centrally–located event venue is another great option. At iQ Offices, our event spaces come equipped with everything you need to host a top-tier team celebration.
8. Plan to get everyone home safe
If you’ll be serving alcoholic beverages at your team celebration, make sure you have a plan in place to get everyone home safely, like offering a company Uber code or cab vouchers.
Success is created by your team’s hard work, but it also requires them to feel inspired and to share personal connections with one another. That’s why hosting team celebration events to commemorate big milestones is a way to reflect on all you’ve achieved so far and to get your team motivated to achieve their next big goal.
If you’re interested in finding a fully–appointed, centrally-located event venue for your next team celebration event, contact us today.
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Kane Willmott is the co-founder and CEO of iQ Offices, the largest independent Canadian-owned co-working operator with offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. iQ Offices provides beautiful office spaces with safety, service, privacy and design at the forefront.
