How to Create Corporate Events That Don’t Feel Like Work

New York-area corporate events require more than well-pressed suits and seamless execution to succeed. In one of the world’s most competitive business climates, high-level executives and businesspeople know when an event lacks substance. Sometimes, it’s not the first impression but the ones that form after where the real challenge begins.  

With the ideal blend of content and atmosphere, corporate events become less of an obligation and more of a refined space where networking comes naturally, and ideas flow unrestrained.  

Below are a few ways to create corporate events that don’t feel like work.  

Let Employees Vote on the Event 

From the highest executives to the newest interns, every business has its own company culture, and all workers play a role in ensuring smooth operations.  

Allowing employees to vote on aspects of corporate events not only allows higher-ups to get a more accurate gauge on company culture but gives workers a greater sense of accountability, autonomy, and agency in the work they do.  

Some aspects of event planning your workforce can vote on include: 

• Dress code 

• Event theme 

• The nightly agenda 

• Potential guest speakers 

• Food and drink 

This democratic process is easier to conduct than ever before. Services like slack and Microsoft teams allow instantaneous, direct communication with entire workforces, and often feature built-in poll or voting functions.  

DIY Food Workshop 

Give your current employees and future business partners something tangible and personal with a DIY food workshop. Rather than standard offerings, such as a fruit platter or carving station, turn dinner into a more involved experience for your guests.  

Some examples of DIY food workshops include making your own: 

• Cocktails or mocktails 

• Bread 

• Ice cream 

• Sushi 

• Steak or chicken 

When guests bake their own bread or sear their own steak, the resulting experience is something more hands-on and personal than simply having a one-size-fits-all food table. An interactive group experience provides innumerable opportunities for conversation and new connections. 

In addition, food workshops give guests and employees something memorable and delicious to take home. Freshly prepared ice cream or chicken are fun items that quickly become associated with your company and leadership. 

Shark Tank-Style Pitches 

In meetings involving multiple businesses and new ideas, Shark Tank-style pitches can add a bit of excitement and friendly competition to a business meeting.  

Under this setup, a team is assembled to create a presentation. Presenters have to work with a strict time limit. Once the presentation is over, a panel of judge’s praise or critique what they like about the presentation. Employees, however, can work alongside their supervisors and bosses to ensure they comprehend all the proper information. 

Presentations and pitches are a standard at many corporate events. Where a Shark Tank-style pitch deviates from the norm, however, is its use of: 

• Time limits. A typical pitch on the Shark Tank TV show pitch is only 8-12 minutes in length, requiring presenters to be concise and straightforward.  

• Critique. Judges can give valuable feedback directly to presenters about their ideas and proposals. 

• Potential for large gatherings. If multiple businesses are converging for one event, such a meeting format allows many presentations to be cycled through with relative ease.  

• Iconic status. As a popular TV show, your guests are likely to be familiar with and excited about a Shark Tank-style gathering.  

Professional Development Workshops 

When most people think of corporate events, networking and sharing new business ideas are what comes to mind first. Despite this, these events can also be great opportunities for career development and employee orientation. 

Interns and younger employees are often excited and passionate about what they do but lack experience in a professional environment. If they have past experience, it may not be with the tools or methods your business uses in particular.  

Professional development workshops can be a great opportunity to support interns or new employees in their new position. Some possible workshop ideas for various industries include: 

• Computer science/programming jobs: Hackathon held between new employees mixing competition with help from higher-ups and developing an understanding of company systems (e.g. coding language or software).  

• Copywriting/Art Direction: Pair new graphic designers with experienced copywriters (or vice versa) and host a competition to see which in-company duo can prepare the best spec advertisement.  

• Finance: Host a mock stock market game over a period of time to access interns’ knowledge of market patterns and teach them the intricacies of your firm’s strategies.  

Such orientation events give new employees a way to become familiar with one another and meet coworkers that are potentially in similar places career-wise. 

Health and Wellness Principles 

Gen Z and millennials are expected to be 74% of the U.S. workforce by 2030. Of those groups, 82% say they would prioritize mental health support even if it meant a lower paycheck. If your workplace wants to be ahead of the curve on captivating the younger generation, health and wellness-oriented events are a good place to start.  

Some potential ideas for a mindfulness or health retreat, or ways to incorporate such principles into standard corporate events, include: 

• Yoga or meditation sessions between crowded agendas. 

• Mindfulness or nutrition workshops. 

• Tracking water intake or steps during company events.  

• Healthy food catering. 

Incorporating such principles into your meetings indicates a sense of corporate social responsibility. It also shows that company leadership cares about its workers beyond productivity and dollar value.  

Build the Ultimate Corporate Event with Pleasantdale 

Are you a business owner looking to host your next New York-area corporate event? Located less than fifteen miles from downtown Manhattan, the Pleasantdale Chateau offers nearly 40 acres and a well-preserved, 19th century property for such an event.  

Our state provides an atmosphere of elegance that is hard to beat. Whether it be in the form of a Shark Tank-style competition or health and wellness retreat, we are determined to give your corporate event the ultimate aesthetic.  

Interested? Call us at (973) 731-5600 to inquire about your next corporate event today.