From leadership conferences to company-wide holiday parties, corporate events are a great way to bring employees together under one roof. While it’s nice to have all your guests RSVP, it’s even more important they take something away from the evening. Active participation in your event creates a meaningful experience that makes employees feel truly connected to the company, making lasting memories for years to come. No matter the type of event you’re planning, it’s crucial to maximize your corporate event engagement.
TIPS FOR ELEVATING YOUR CORPORATE EVENT ENGAGEMENT
Here are some ways you can create insightful and engaging moments before, during and after your next corporate event.
Before the Event
Pre-event planning is one of the most important steps you can take to guarantee engagement. Quick and easy ways to get your employees excited about your event involve:
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Polls
While you’re still working out your schedule, you can poll employees on what they’re looking forward to or what they’d like to see discussed during the event. This allows your team to have a say in what they want to get out of the evening.
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Teasers
If you have a particularly exciting speaker or activity, or there’s a presentation you know attendees will want to sit in on, send out a teaser to guests. This builds anticipation and helps your invitees look forward to the experience.
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Personalized Invites
While company-wide emails may feel like the fastest way to inform your employees about the event, it’s an impersonal format. Instead, look for ways to customize the invitations to the event’s theme and personalize them with your invitee’s name.
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Social Media
Use an event app for information sharing and interaction, and create a live social media wall to display attendee posts and comments.
During the Event
On the day of your corporate event, you’ll want to create a welcoming atmosphere for your employees to make the event feel more like a gathering than a conference. Engagements that are easy to add to any corporate event include:
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Ice-Breakers
Allow time for your team to loosen up at the start of your corporate event. Provide attendees with conversation starters to help them ease into the event, build rapport and connect with one another.
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Interactive Presentations
The last thing employees will want is to sit in a dull, lecture-style presentation. Instead, schedule interactive breakout sessions where teams can discuss specialized topics and strategize solutions before presenting their ideas. Such interactivity will keep guests engaged and alert.
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Gamification
Incorporating team-building games into your event helps ease the seriousness of the occasion and encourages a relaxed sense of fun collaboration. For example, you can host an interactive scavenger hunt or have employees compete in entertaining mini-games to receive a small prize.
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Breaks and Snacks
Remember to read the room. Pay attention to your attendees’ energy level. If their attention is waning, offer coffee and snack breaks. You may also want to consider round table seating arrangements to promote engaging conversation.
After the Event
Once the event is over, you can still boost employee participation and interest. For post-event engagement, you can:
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Send Your Thanks
The simple gesture of thanking your team for their time and attention can go a long way towards prolonging the buzz after your corporate event. Showing your appreciation lets employees know you recognize their contribution and helps them feel like they’re part of the team.
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Share Pictures
Collect any event photos or videos from your team and add them to a shared folder or post on social media to keep the conversation going. That way, attendees can look back at sessions and moments that left an impact and have keepsakes to remind them of the event for years to come.
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Request Feedback
While following up with a thank-you note is always nice, it’s even better to ask for feedback on the event. This way, you’ll be able to learn which presentations or activities received a high level of engagement and which aspects could be improved on for future corporate events.
GET THE BEST CORPORATE EVENT ENGAGEMENT AT CONGDON YARDS
No matter the size of your corporate event, you’ll want a high-tech venue that’s functional yet formal. If you’re looking for an engaging space for your High Point corporate event, visit Congdon Yards. Located in historic downtown High Point, our spacious venue can adapt to accommodate corporate events, retreats and meetings of all sizes. Reach out to us today to schedule a tour.