18 Corporate Event Ideas That Aren’t a Snoozefest

For most people, the word “corporate” doesn’t build excitement.

You may hear it and see the colour grey. You may picture men and women in office garb. Or how about those drab employee lounges?

So corporate events are probably sad sit-down deals with lots of post-it notes and cheap coffee, right?

Wrong! When it comes to corporate event ideas, the more exciting the better. The workplace is just the place for morale-boosting, team-building fun with a thematic twist.

Let’s cover some of the best options in the wide world of corporate event ideas.

Getting active

This category of corporate event ideas is all about getting out of the office chair and showing a good hustle.

1. Scavenging

The ol’ scavenger hunt–you hide it, they find it. Pretty straightforward. Find a good location and build around a theme like pirate treasure or artefact hunting ala Indiana Jones.

2. Tough Mudder

This event gives new meaning to getting down and dirty. In Tough Mudder, you’ll be doing both. This is a bit of an elite-style event, requiring pretty intense physical exertion. Best for small offices of like-minded athletic types.

3. Pick-a-berry

In our day, we had to march to the berry fields uphill both ways. But for an office, picking berries can be a casual activity. This is a quaint little way to snag healthy, fresh food out in the open air.

4. Laser Quest

Secretary turned sci-fi soldier? Oh yeah. If you’ve never been to Laser Quest, do yourself a favour and let your office go full Terminator. When else can employees shoot at their bosses and get away with it?

Don’t answer that.

5. Skyfall

That’s right, we’re talking about skydiving. This one is super intense, and not for the faint of heart. But the office will be talking about it for a long time to come. No doubt about that!

Entertainment

Let those employee brains off their leashes. Bonding over fun and games can improve everyone’s work experience. It will also help coworkers interact with each other in exciting new ways.

1. Movie night

Simple, fun, and social. The pressure here is at a bare minimum, and for some offices, that’s just right. Movie night is also something that can be done fairly often.

You can keep it at the office with bean bags, take it to the theatre, or even head outdoors. Drive-in movies, anyone? Let your office vote beforehand and pop some popcorn.

2. Quiz

Everyone loves a quiz! Okay, that’s not true. But quizzes can be pretty fun, no joke. Try a trivia night at the local pub of choice. Alternatively, use a handy online tool to run a work-related quiz with cool prizes.

3. Now you see it…

Do magicians seem like they belong at children’s parties? Maybe some do, but Penn and Teller are a prime example of how magic can actually be really entertaining for adults too.

Sometimes, you can even use magic as an opener to talk about workplace improvement. Get creative with it.

4. Theme parking

Instant fun. Take the office to a theme park complete with rides and other attractions. Turn friendly office rivalries into fuel for bumper car shenanigans.

5. Bingo

Now for the non-elderly!

Bingo is obviously a very cheap, laid back activity. It can be done often, but the prize will need to be something good.

Try making a kind of a tongue-in-cheek game. Players can daub squares with text like, “I have eaten fast food from the place across the street more than once this week, and I feel slightly guilty.”

Relatable and humourous is a good way to go here.

6. Murder mystery night

Solve a fake murder in a Clue-style setting. Depending on your crowd, you can crank up or tone down the roleplaying. Build your own custom mystery or get up and running with a preconceived option.

7. Boat ride

This can be anything from a luxury cruise to a casual afternoon on a riverboat. Mark Twain cigars and 1800s garb are strictly BYOB.

8. Game night

Board games sure are more creative than they used to be. From The Resistance to King of Tokyo, there are a ton of engaging options out there. Weekly board game lunches are a great way to let off steam in the middle of the workday.

Find something simple and social for best workplace results.

Down to business

Here are a few options that emphasise creativity and problem-solving. Employees spend every day of the week following the routine, but these events get them to work together outside the box.

1. Creative workshop

There is a good deal of wiggle room here. Your workshop can be on just about anything, but arts and crafts events are some of our favourites. For offices with shared kitchens, you could organise a workshop where everyone creates their own coffee mug.

2. Escape rooms

These are sort of a recent trend. Participants are locked in a themed area and they have a time window during which to plan and make their escape. Hardcore puzzle-solving at its most exciting!

Feeding the masses

When all else fails, there is food. Whether it centres on eating or cooking (or both), food events are highly customisable activities everyone can enjoy.

1. Gala dinner

A good old-fashioned gala is a timeless choice. Dinner and music? Sign us up.

2. Cooking

Cooking classes are instructive and delicious. Alternatively, there are cooking competitions for offices with a competitive edge. Alton Brown is probably out of your price range though.

3. Cultural food event

This can be a recurring foray into diversity. Mexican, Ethiopian, Thai, Italian… If there is one thing humanity has mastered, it is the art of cuisine.

Hold office polls for the next cultural dinner and stuff yourself full of ethnic delicacies.

Corporations can party too

Above all, fit your corporate event ideas to the workplace. The wrong pairing of activity to workers can spell disaster. Build good relationships in the workplace and make sure everyone is comfortable.

And as your ideas solidify, check out our guide to corporate event organisation for the logistical side of things.

Now get to work!