Here’s the thing about fun. Fun has no half measures. Either everyone is feeling the joy, or you and your team are bored. There’s no faking genuine fun; especially in the corporate event space. Presumably you did an internet search for fun corporate event ideas, so you must have somewhat of a hopeful spirit (cue “Don’t Stop Believing”).
As a seasoned facilitator in the event world, I’m here to reassure you that it is possible to find a fun corporate event! Let’s go through some simple ways to set yourself up for success and identify a great potential activity for your organization.
Why Does It Matter If My Corporate Event Is Fun?
You may work in a very serious, high level environment that is more focused on ROI than on letting loose. Perhaps you are a forensic accountant or a research scientist. You might be all in on the fun personally. But maybe you’re having a hard time convincing your boss why fun actually has value. Investing in shared fun has the potential to create quite a bit of return on investment for you and your team.
Shared fun within teams creates higher levels of engagement, better communication, stronger connection, and calmer nervous systems with better executive function. Connected, engaged fun is an incredible antidote to common issues in the workplace like stress and burnout.
In fact, studies show that organizations with highly engaged employees perform better as a whole when compared to competitors and have markedly lower rates of absenteeism and employee turnover. Here at Kidbilly Music we’re big on the importance of engagement.
Key Components Of A Fun Event
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the adjective “fun” means “providing entertainment, amusement, or enjoyment.” In order to accurately assess whether a program will be fun, let’s make a little fun check list. If your event includes these elements then you should be in good shape.
- Engagement – The chosen event or activity should encourage participation of the whole team.
- Connection – Team members have a chance to connect with the activity and with each other in a meaningful way.
- Creativity – Does the event have bring an element of creativity or that joyful feeling of being “at play?” Will you and your team be creating something together?
- Collaboration – The team is working together to pursue a common goal during the activity. Ideally, team members would be collaborating to create something or complete a challenge.
What You Need To Look For
You might be scratching your head and thinking, “can’t I just rent a Karaoke machine and call it a day?” Well, here’s the thing. That plan might get a few folks engaged, but it won’t get everyone on the team to buy in.
That old adage “time flies when you’re having fun” is still relevant. When we make sure events include elements of engagement, communication, collaboration and creativity, people will be drawn in and will loosen up.
To be successful you’ll want to:
- Find an experienced facilitator – There is nothing more helpful to cultivating a fun atmosphere than an experienced, high energy facilitator. From planning to execution, an experienced facilitator will know how to keep the wheels on the party bus.
- Make sure your facilitator cares – There are some pretty easy ways to tell if your facilitator cares or if they are just phoning it in. Has your facilitator sent you a questionnaire to gather information about you and your team? Have they asked about your hopes for the event, or your concerns? Does the planning process feel collaborative to you?
- Take your time planning – Ask for references, reviews, and materials from your facilitator and/or chosen event. Do your research.
- Is there potential for fun? Once you’ve got your plan in place with the facilitator, go back to the key ingredient list above (engagement, communication, collaboration, and creativity). Can you and the facilitator easily identify ways everyone will be engaged? What about places for communication and working together towards a common goal?
If you’re checking all the boxes you’ll be in great shape for a fun and productive event.
2 Fun Corporate Event Ideas To Get You Started
There are more options than you’d think that will get your team to buy in and have some real fun during a corporate event. Here’s a couple of contenders to get you started.
Team Building Through Song®– I admit I’m a bit biased here, as this is cornerstone of what my company does with clients every day. We use music, story and song to draw people in through a super fun and accessible program. The programs are customizable to each client’s needs, from small group programs ranging all the way up to high energy events with over 1,000 people. You’ll be surprised to see even the shyest folks rocking out on air guitar and singing song lyrics at the top of their lungs.
Let’s go Lego! – I’ll be honest, I was a bit skeptical when I took part in this program, but it was genuinely great. A skilled Lego facilitator guides groups, utilizing Lego blocks to build structures that symbolize the organization’s story, goals, or history. My concern on this one was that it would lack potential for real engagement and depth. But working with the blocks with others was truly meaningful. We were able to build metaphors about both the history of the organization and the mission going forward. The session was powerful. And since we were playing with blocks, it was inherently fun.
Planning an event that’s fun can be almost as hard as finding a unicorn. But if you take time to plan and execute a great program, your team will thank you. Your organization will benefit from having a more engaged workforce that knows how to work and play together.