Category: Frequently Asked Questions

There are multiple ways of connecting and communicating with customers and clients all over the world. While different methods of events can have specific goals set for them, the company must find what works best for them.

Conferences will allow companies to enrich and interact with their clients and customers directly. These types of events will allow the company to communicate its goals directly to all the attendees. While the planning and organizing of conferences can take time, promotion is where most companies struggle. The promotions are what inform the target audience of the event details and reasons why they should attend the conference.

Promoting a conference is of utmost importance to any event. This will allow the company to advertise and promote its event to its entire target market. The target audience will only attend the meeting if they firstly know of its existence and secondly understand why the conference was created.

What Is A Successful Conference?

Defining a successful conference can be a difficult task. The number of attendees or the type of content that speakers will touch on can have an impact on the success of a conference. This however will not be the main reason why a conference has been a successful event.

There are more than one or two boxes to tick to ensure that a conference will be successful. A company can start by determining what exactly they want to achieve from the event. What event goals do they want to reach and why these specific goals are in place? By simply setting event goals the team will ensure that all planning and execution enforces the conference to achieve the goals.

The team can place their focus on planning the best conference according to their goals and objectives. The impact a well-planned event has on the company can be considered gigantic. The planning team will need to organize and build the event from the floor up.

Planning set the stage for the experience all attendees and guest speakers will feel. The event team must ensure that they have enough time to plan and create an event type that will meet all the company goals. The team will have many objectives and tasks to complete, all ensuring a strong foundation for the entire event.

After the administrative planning such as event budget setting, vendors, and other organizations’ tasks are done, the team must decide on the best-suited venue. The venue will have an impact on the success of the upcoming events. The venue will be where the attendees meet the organization

The venue must be of the right size to cater to all attendees and speakers. There are many other important factors to consider when determining whether the venue is the right fit. All these factors will play a role in the success of the conference.

The company must place a focus on safety on the day of the event. Onsite safety management will ensure that all attendees, staff members, and volunteers will know what to do in the case of an emergency. Clear exit signs and management must be available to ensure safety at all times.

When all the administrative and technical tasks are completed, the company can focus on advertising and promoting the event to the public. The foundation is laid down and the team can now build the perfect conference by allowing attendees to see their hard work. Promoting the event can be done in multiple ways, all having their benefits. The team must determine the best strategy for their conference.

How To Promote a Conference

The promotional content represents the first point of contact between the company and its target audience. It is critical that this content be of high quality so that clients and customers recognize the company’s brand and commitment to improving their lives. To maintain clear communication regarding the nature of the event, it is critical to highlight the difference between a summit and a conference in promotional content.

Before the business can focus on an event promotion plan for the upcoming event to any potential attendees the team must first identify their event promotion goals for the promotion and ensure that all sales and marking teams are informed and aware of them. This will allow the entire business to know exactly what to do and how to ensure they reach their promotional goals.

Know Your Conference Promotion Goals

Creating promotional material for the event promotion plan without setting marketing and promotional goals will leave the team with material that will leave the audience guessing and the team missing their conference goals.

As with events, promotional material will have more impact if the business knows the promotional goals. The team must answer the 4W’s in setting the goals. Why, what, where, and when. By clearly stating the promotional goals, the entire team can create and advertise accordingly.

The team must keep the audience, the team members, stakeholders, and ultimately the entire conference goals in mind when determining the promotional material and goals. These factors will provide the team with clear guidelines on what to promote and how to promote to their target audience.

Align Your Sales and Marketing Teams

Aligning the two parts of the business will play a key role in not only the conference’s success but also in determining the business’s success. These two teams must work hand in hand to ensure that the business advertises to its audience and that the sales team can sell and provide income to the entire business.

The business must ensure a clear funnel that will produce clear and accurate data. The data will then be used to ensure that the marketing team adjusts its strategy to build and reach a wider audience. Even though only 27% of leads from the marketing team will qualify or are set to buy. Most companies struggle to convert even a few customers from the 27%.

By aligning the sales and marketing team, the company can increase its sales numbers, return on investment and improve its marketing strategy. This will lead to the company hosting multiple successful events, meetings, and conferences.

Ways To Promote A Conference

There are many methods to promote a successful upcoming event. Companies must however not attempt to use all these different styles and methods to reach their audience. However, they must determine which social media strategy provides the biggest return, and focus on the primary distribution that will be seen by their customers and clients.

Improve your site SEO

Improving the website to ensure that clients and customers find the business website at ease. This will allow the business to be represented at the top of the log when customers are looking for specific solutions.

There are many ways of improving Search engine optimization on any event site. The primary aim must be to optimize and determine precise headings. By using keywords and phrases that the business acknowledges the customers are searching for.

A website must be updated regularly, with new ideas, updated prices, and when new products or services are created within the company. Most sites will be customers’ first contact with their clients, thus ensuring a high-quality and descriptive website will provide them with all the information they need. This information can be in the form of blog posts or other forms of information. 

The company can use the website to promote and advertise their conferences and events. This will provide customers with information that there is more value to the website than solely buying or browsing products. The better equipped the website is, the more traffic and tickets it will sell for the conference.

Hold a Contest

A contest or a giveaway is a great method of activating word of mouth through any social media platform. The online era has provided companies with the ability to grow their audience through the use of a giveaway.

Customers that follow the business will spot the giveaway. This will then be advertised and sent to all the customer connections, ensuring a wider reach for the business. A contest will allow the customers to share; through this method, the organization can spread information about their conferences.

The marketing team must, however think deeply about the precise giveaway or contest to run. Not all products and services will be enjoyed by the entire customer base. The team must determine which type of contest will provide the best return and will allow the customer to share the amazing contest.

Offer Incentives for Attendees

Incentives are rewards given to an individual or team for their performance, outcome, or work that they have done. Incentives reward a desired outcome. Promoting a conference through the use of incentives is a great method to advertise that attendees will receive incentives before or while the conference is running.

There are many different conference incentives companies can offer. The event can incentivize early registration, online registration, or refer others to the conference. There are many ways to incorporate incentives into the conference. Some reward participation or just small incentives to ensure that the attendees focus and concentrate on the valuable information being shared.

There are incentive options for all types of conferences. Online and virtual conferences might take a bit more effort to determine the best incentives. These types of incentives, however can be sent to individuals. Hybrid and in-person events must include incentives to ensure the success of the conference.

Make The Registration Process Easy

The conference registration process can make or break the event. Conferences require attendees to register for the event. Even though registration can refer to a paid conference, this is not always true. Registration is used to observe the audience that will be present. The company can use this information to state whether its conference marketing strategy has worked or not.

With the online era, registration has mostly moved to online. This can be of great value if companies use this correctly. Individuals can be frustrated if the registration process takes too long, or have too much admin detail connected to it. And due to it being online, the individual can close the browser and forget about the event.

Companies must trial-test their registration process. This will provide them with the necessary problems to fix to ensure an easy process for future conference attendees. A quick and easy process will set the stage for all the work and enjoyment the attendees will experience on the day of the event.

Promote In Social Media

With all the social media platforms available to companies today, the question will rather be which platforms to target and where to access their perfect audience. Social media is one of the best locations to target the company’s customers.

There are multiple strategies the company can follow and adjust to suit the specific platform they want to target. The focus, however should not be to find what suits the company best, but rather focus on determining which platform is used by the customers and clients.

By determining which social media platform the clients use, companies can adjust their strategy and find the most effective method to advertise to their ideal customers.

Have a Conference Social Handle

A social media handle refers to the name and social profile of the page the company use. The name of the social handle sound is directly linked to the name of the conference or at least represents the business. The handle will allow attendees to access pieces of information through social media.

The handle will allow individuals to find what they are looking for, without needing to search for the information. A handle must be short and have a direct link to the theme or name of the conference. All attendees will use the handle on their social media platforms, thus advertising and promoting the conference for you.

Create a Hashtag For The Event

There are many benefits to using a hashtag at any conference. The event hashtag will expand brand awareness and assist the team in tracking the audience. The hashtag will provide all the conference followers with direct content access and assist the business with a community and network.

According to the statistics, posts with specific hashtags receive 12.6% more engagement. This shows that hashtags will increase the awareness of the company conference. The hashtags must place focus on topics or awareness within the conference, to ensure that it draws attention back to the main marketing plan, the conference itself.

Use Influencers with Audience That Fits Your Target Market

Influencers are well known for impacting and advertising specific pieces of information and products to a certain audience. Companies can have access to the audience by allowing an influencer to post and advertise the needed information to their social base.

Influencers will post information and promote the company conference to ensure the entire social following is informed about the event. The key to using an influencer is to determine which influencer fits with the target audience. The influencer must have access to the company’s target audience, to ensure that the target market has the information and access to the event that can influence and add value to their life.

Use of Email Marketing & Newsletter

Email marketing is one of the underrated and misunderstood methods of marketing that a business has access to. Email marketing campaigns allow the company to send informative marketing and event information to customers that follow the business. Email platforms allow the team to provide email updates and enticing content to draw the audience from readers into the conference. 

The email list will display all customers that have signed up for informative information the company has to share. The individuals on the marketing and newsletter subscription are there to follow the company, thus sending conference information will be of great benefit to the company and the followers.

Promote events through email signatures

An email signature is used to showcase the receiver who is sending and contacting them. By displaying the employee’s name and job description the receiver can consider questions that the specific employee will have knowledge to answer.

The signature will allow the receiver to perceive the email as a credible source due to the signatures and brand that must be connected to the email. Statistics show that for every 1$ spent on email marketing companies can expect a 36$ return on their investment. This display the need and strategy change companies must go through to add email marketing to their conference marketing strategy.

Use AI Content Tools To Streamline Promotion Content Creation Process

Open AI has been an amazing addition to the business world. And while many are doubting its presence, some are taking advantage of the tools and abilities it presents to the business world.

Adding AI to the tools to promote a conference can ensure that the company creates content that will be audience specific. The marketing team can use AI to create content at a rapid rate that will be used to engage with the clients. And while some only use AI for ideas, others use the program to generate and create posts, blogs, and all content for the conference.

AI has its benefits and strengths and while companies tap into these benefits the team must remember to use it accordingly. Some content can be created and streamlined, while other content is better in the hands of humans. Content creators must remember to take the information from AI and adjust it. This personal flair can add value to all content creation within the business.

Check Out Using A.I. for Content Creation | Midjourney, OpenAI & HitFilm:

Use Industry Listings and Publications

Industry listing and publications are some of the best tools businesses can use to distribute and promote content and information. Publications will produce and advertise content on its one website or magazine that will inform the audience of new information, conferences, or products that have come to light.

Companies can either pay a small fee to insure that the publication lists their company as an event. Or the content and creative team within the business can write and send multiple pieces of information to the publication to showcase the importance of the event within the industry.

These industry leaders will display and advertise only important and impactful information. This ensures that the publication is a reliable source. As soon as the publication post-conference details about the conference, all readers will deem it credible. Thus having a bigger impact and wider reach than other forms of promotion.

Leverage with Sponsors & Speakers To Increase Reach

Companies can team up with industry leaders in the form of speakers and sponsors. By simply allowing guest keynote speakers into the conference, their following will follow to hear their role model speak. This will bring a broader audience that is untouched to the summit.

Determining the best speaker might take some evaluation. The team must evaluate the goals and aim for the conference, and then decide on a speaker that falls into that category. If woman-owned businesses are the focus, companies can acquire a strong female figure with a successful business to lead and inspire the audience.

Keynote Speakers and sponsors must align with the business. This will ensure that the right audience attends the conference. Sponsors must be picked carefully. This will draw a specific crowd, and by the same token must be potential clients or customers for the business.

Get a Conference Planner

Conference planners not only have specialized knowledge derived from their expertise in the sector but also have a large network and the time required to methodically create and manage an event that aligns flawlessly with the company’s objectives. They add numerous benefits to a company. They have exclusive access to possible keynote speakers and popular social platforms, which can dramatically increase the reach and success of the event.

Furthermore, employing sophisticated techniques, the planning team is capable of making striking promotional videos, ensuring effective advertisement. In this context, the difference between an event planner and an event coordinator should be noted: although a planner is primarily responsible for the event’s overall planning and design, a coordinator often handles the logistical aspects and assures seamless execution on the day of the event. Both responsibilities are critical to the success of the event.

Event organizers have the knowledge due to their expertise and the connections and time to plan and organize an event that will suit the company’s goals perfectly. Planners have many benefits that they can provide to a business. They have access to keynote speakers and social channels that can lead to great success. The planning team can also create promotional videos to ensure a successful advertisement through their valuable tools. 

Event organizers will have the equipment and experience to ensure that the conference succeeds. From planning to hosting, the team will have all systems in place to ensure the success of the event. Some planning teams will provide the organization with after-conference data. This data can be used to adjust the future events and goals of the company. These teams have the ultimate guide and event planning tips to ensure a successful event. 

Remarket

As in business, the team must take every step of the process as a learning experience. After the event, the team can set up post-meeting evaluations to gain data and information based on their marketing. 

Questionnaires or other data-gathering systems will allow the team to obtain a key perspective of multiple attendees. The benefits of remarketing are that the team can learn where they missed the mark, and find solutions to ensure that future conference marketing strategies are an improvement to the previous events.

The team must, however take the information as a guideline and not as complete truth. Not all attendees experience the conference in the same way; however, the information provided can be used to justify a change in strategy.

The team must strive to improve and adjust the strategy from the previous event. This will provide the team with the steps to ensure that the pursuit of excellence is in place.

FAQs

Conclusion

There are many reasons for companies to create and host a conference. Most companies face problems not with the planning but with the promotion of the conference. A business’s best strategy is to evaluate and identify its target market and then focus on advertising to them on its most used platforms.

A conference can only be seen as a success if the company achieves its goals and reaches the audience that will pursue or buy its products. Through the use of promotion and advertising, the entire company can benefit. The focus should always be on the attendees and what they want to see.

A successful event is more than a high attendee rate. There is so much more to events and conferences that tally to the success rate thereof. The company must have set goals and objectives in place to ensure that the event reaches a set number of attendees and get a group of individuals that can be seen as new potential customers.

So the question is what are sponsorship activations and is it truly needed? Event sponsorship activation is a process where the host of an event will allow other companies to promote and advertise the event through their companies. The sponsors are allowed to advertise their business and connection to the event by simply displaying their involvement in the event.

There are many ways to use sponsorship activations, and all of the methods differ. The main focus is to allow all participating companies to advertise to their customer base to grow the entire event’s attendees. Companies will have certain rights and obligations when signing sponsorship activations, where all of the objectives and tasks must be met. The major sports events are all well-known for their suitable sponsorship partners. 

What is Sponsorship Activation?

There are many options for sponsorship contracts. This concept is well-known in the industry of sports, however, can be used in any industry that wants to promote or launch an event or conference.

A sponsor is a person or organization, that assists an organization with an advertisement, finds funding, or provides handouts that can draw a set group of people. This will allow the event to reach a broader audience and draw more attendees due to the sponsors that are involved.

A sponsorship activation, on the other hand, allows companies to advertise the event on their platforms. The sponsor however are allowed to add their logos and create their material for the special event.

This will allow both companies to attract new customers outside of the event. With their visible logos and advertising rights, companies will allow sponsorship to advertise directly to their customer base to raise awareness of the event or conference.

What Are The Benefits of Sponsorship Activations?

There are many benefits to using sponsorship activations. The first is building credibility. Most companies do not have a strong name that will draw attendees solely by displaying their logo and name. By adding a sponsor and allowing the corporations to use their logo, customers and potential attendees will add credibility to the event solely based on the organizations that are sponsors.

Another benefit is that the event or conference will reach a wider market. Other companies will share the event on their social platforms, which their customer base will see. This will allow potential attendees and new customers to spot the event, and due to the sponsor being present at the event, drawing them to attend.

The company that draws up the paperwork for the sponsorship activations has the benefit of setting the terms and conditions for the sponsorship. This will allow the hosting company to set boundaries, requests, and conditions for all information that is shared by sponsorship companies. This will prevent sponsors from obtaining the limelight or sharing confidential information.

Lastly, the biggest benefit is having a famous or organized company to assist with any problems or barriers that are present. With the assistance of big corporations, smaller companies can host events, and while they are new to the party, well-established sponsors can assist in the necessary ways. These companies must provide promotional activities, which is another benefit of the sponsorship action. 

How to Plan Sponsorship Activations

Planning sponsorship activations is the key to success. The company must spend time evaluating what they want to achieve through sponsorship. The plan will provide the team with clear goals and direction. Planned activations must be created and displayed on paper to ensure that both parties know exactly what is expected and needed from them.

Know How You Will Activate

The activations part of a sponsorship deal refers to the legal and active part of the sponsorship. The placement of all logos and the size that may be used are a form of activation. The activations also include the financial support the company must provide to allow them to display their logo and company name at a set event.

Define Your Success Indicators

A company that can clearly state its indicators are bound to launch a successful event. The indicators can be seen as goals. The company must clearly define what they want to achieve through the sponsorship.

These indicators must be set up in a SMART way. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, relative, and time-bound goals. These goals and indicators must be used towards working with other companies, to ensure every part knows the directions of where the partnership is headed.

Implement

When all the planning and contracting for sponsorship is done, the companies can move forward to implementation. The contract and direction will provide guidelines of what all businesses should follow, however, the implementation allows the company to see exactly where and how the sponsors are using the guidelines.

There are many different methods of implementation and some companies prefer the hands-on method. This is when they want reports and images that provide them with clear evidence of the guidelines being followed.

Other methods of promoting a conference can be followed, however, the main focus should be to ensure that all parties follow the guidelines and rules stated. The sponsorship fee must be clearly stated to ensure that the company understands the level of sponsorship that is required. 

Rights and Permissions

The right and permission of specific content and data must be cleared before any party can use it. This states that if the hosting party draws up content that can be used for advertisement, the sponsorship party may not be allowed to edit or add anything to the content.

This does differ from companies, thus sponsorships must confirm all the rights and permissions that are connected to the company. These rights and admissions can change between events, and while some sponsors are allowed the freedom to be creative and create their material, some companies forbid it. This will allow for the maximum impact of the sponsorship activities that will be allowed. 

Check Out How to Create Activations That Sponsors Love!:

How to Activate Using Social Media

Sponsor activation on the best platforms is determined by simply identifying the goals and the indicators of the company. Social media is a powerful platform if used correctly. Companies must identify the best platform that will advertise directly to their customers or potential clients.

This is linked directly to the sponsorship. A sponsor without the necessary social media platforms might decrease the company’s opportunities to advertise directly to their target audience. Focusing on the target audience will provide the business with the best-suited social media platforms.

Using Experiential Marketing in Sponsorship

Sponsorship allows companies to experiment with new marketing techniques. A business has set marketing strategies, and experimenting with something new might be outside of the company’s policies.

When working with sponsors, companies can allow sponsorships to experiment with new strategies, which will provide the team with vital information. The success rate can be identified, which will allow the team to either use it in the future or adjust their strategy to ensure future success.

How To Have a Brainstorming Session with Your Sponsor

Brainstorming refers to a method of determining new ideas. Adding a sponsor into the mix of deliberating and conversing on new ideas, will allow the company to open their opportunities to outsiders, which might bring innovative and creative ideas.

There are many reasons and tips for brainstorming on the web, however once a third party joins the conversations, companies can increase their opportunity to identify better strategies for all areas. Brainstorming is a great method of finding problem areas with solutions.

Brainstorming is a great connecting tool for lifetime sponsors. The major sponsor will be allowed to raise questions and add sponsorship activities to the table. Both parties will be allowed to create an event together. This will include determining the sponsor goals and event hashtags. 

Examples of Great Sponsorship Activations

There are many examples of companies promoting a conference in the business world. Companies can use the examples that all sports teams use. These businesses use sponsorships as a tool to advertise, broaden their reach and attract business through the simple process of sponsorship.

FAQs

Final Considerations

Sponsorship activation is a great tool to use. Companies can ensure that other sponsors will follow their guidelines and rules. Both parties will obtain the benefits of the marketing and social strategies.

Sponsorships can increase a company’s reach and audience. The negative can occur when companies hurt their brand, by connecting and allowing certain sponsors that do not follow any guidelines and rules. Thus being tentative and processing all potential sponsor candidates are crucial. Companies must only work with sponsorships that have similar goals and ideas as the business itself.

Every year companies spend billions on corporate event sponsorships, providing smaller organizations with financial support for their events, brands, and teams. In 2022, it was estimated that well-known corporate brands spent more than $68 billion in sports, entertainment, social cause, and event sponsorship properties. 

The purpose of getting sponsors for any event helps to increase brand loyalty among businesses and customers. It can introduce a company to a completely new marketplace, helping them increase its brand visibility and recognition. Getting sponsors requires companies to effectively partner and collaborate with financial partners through branding and marketing efforts, and has become a massive part of any organization’s marketing strategy. 

From small 20-person events to hosting a marathon or music festival – attracting sponsors is about creating a valuable return, and providing companies with an attractive reward through brand awareness. The better a company can offer these types of benefits and rewards for sponsors, the more likely they are to receive more lucrative sponsors in the future.

Types of Sponsorship for Events

With a variety of event sponsorships to choose from, companies that seek financial assistance for their events from third parties will need to ensure they acquire the right type of sponsorship for their event. 

1. Financial Sponsorship

The first, and perhaps most common event sponsorship type is direct financial support for an event. These sponsors are provided in cash to a company or event planner. Providing organizations with financial sponsorship allows them to direct the funds toward purchases needed for the event. 

Typically a company will already have a financial officer who delegates the sponsorship procedure and transfer of funds. Cash is typically the easiest form of event sponsorship, and some corporate companies use their sponsors as tax incentives. 

2. In-Kind Sponsorship

Another well-known type of sponsorship is in-kind event sponsorship, where companies provide goods and services as prices for an event. 

A typical example of this is companies sponsoring vouchers or physical prizes as an award to a company that’s hosting prize giving or award ceremony. Often companies offer in-kind sponsorship as it provides them an opportunity to market a new product or service to a new marketplace of consumers. e

It’s important to know that both financial sponsors and in-kind sponsors are not considered charity giveaways, as there is typically some commercial agreement between companies. 

3. Media Sponsorship

Companies that require advertising or media exposure for their event can acquire a media event sponsorship, as this will help to expand their media coverage either through printed media or digital format. 

The form of distribution and coverage will typically depend on the company that provides the media sponsor. Companies that require a media sponsorship package will in return receive marketing exposure for their event, by the sponsor posting about the event online, on their website, or social media. 

The media agreement will usually outline the type of distribution and for how long an event will be advertised. Media sponsors are a great way for brands to receive increased recognition, not only for their events but for their companies as well, helping to establish an authoritative influence in their existing marketplace and among new consumers. 

4. Venue / Virtual Event Sponsorship

Depending on the size of the event and requirements, often companies will go into agreements with event sponsorship for an event or location at which they can host their event. Some corporate companies own commercial property such as stadiums, arenas, and theaters that can be sponsored at a discounted or free rate for an organization. 

A venue sponsor can help a company save a lot of money, as venue hire typically takes up a majority of the event budget. Depending on the agreement and venue package, companies will often require that their branding is displayed across the venue or designated as the main sponsor for the event. 

For virtual events, which grew in popularity during the height of the pandemic, virtual sponsorships can help with pre-event exposure and media coverage. 

On top of this, these sponsors are considered an important component of the planning process, assisting organizations with virtual venue costs, or allocating funds for specific event requirements such as paying for marketing, event branding, or even guest speakers. 

As more companies recognize the benefits and practicality of virtual events, the more virtual sponsorships will grow in popularity. 

5. Merchandise Sponsorship

Another well-known type of sponsor is through merchandise, where companies provide organizations with either financial capital or physical merchandise for their event. These types of sponsors are typically companies that operate within the textile or retail industry, such as clothing brands or corporate workwear businesses. 

Organizations seeking merchandise sponsors are usually those that seek branding for their event personnel or to help boost recognition for their event. Merchandise is often seen as an affordable and easy way to increase the exposure of a brand or event, and is often seen as free marketing for events. 

In some cases, companies provide merchandise sponsors to help increase marketing awareness for new products or services, including these items along with prizes and giveaways as part of the event. 

Merchandise sponsors help with brand awareness, both for the event and the company providing the sponsor. Due to the nature of the exposure, companies are often more inclined to provide merchandise sponsors for small and large events. 

6. Promotional Sponsorship

Although people often confuse promotional and media sponsors, there is a strong difference between the two. For starters, promotional sponsors are typically individuals such as influencers or prominent media figures that have a massive social media following or fan base. On the other hand, media sponsors are companies or organizations that can provide media coverage for an event. 

Promotional sponsors have grown in popularity, as the rise of social media influencers become an increasingly crucial part of digital marketing strategies. Promotional sponsors will typically be approached by the company hosting the event, in hopes of the person sharing the event with their following. 

Nowadays companies are spending millions on influencer marketing, as consumers are more likely to purchase products or services that have been recommended by an authoritative individual. Consumers will often associate themselves more with brands and influencers that partner or collaborate on events, helping companies increase marketing efforts, return on investment, and attract more potential event attendees. 

Check Out How to Get Sponsors for an Event:

Examples of Event Sponsorship

With thousands of companies seeking event sponsorship today there is a near-endless list of examples of event sponsorships that have forever inspired companies and organizations. 

These sponsors have helped add value and credibility to events, and those organizations that support them. It potentially helped cover event costs and raise awareness targeted at specific interests helping to bridge the gap between the company and different types of consumers. 

The first example is GitHub which provides event sponsorship through its lucrative list of network connections and consumer-centered data. GitHub helps organizations with event sponsorship packages by providing companies access to demographic data, consumer trends analysis and estimates, and further exposure to well-known corporate companies. 

Another example of event sponsorship is FinCon, a hybrid event for financial professionals. FinCon sponsorship includes different areas of expertise, all focused on raising guidance for companies by providing them with information and data related to organizational operations. FinCon makes it straightforward for companies in the financial sector to increase exposure for their services and products, and attract the right attendees to events.

INBOUND has become a globally recognized digital marketing event that is hosted online and is an event sponsorship that provides companies with impactful conversion rates. INBOUND events have grown to more than 70,000 attendees annually and provide both small and large companies with a platform through which they can connect with corporate partners and increase marketplace awareness. 

Not all event sponsors are the same, and organizations will typically look for sponsors that relate to their industry. Through this companies can network with potential sponsors and help build better brand recognition among consumers. 

How to Get Corporate Sponsorship for an Event

Before an organization secures a sponsor for their event, they need to consider whether they need a corporate or business sponsor. While both can provide financial support for the event, it’s often possible to secure sponsors at different levels of the event. 

Corporate sponsors are typically companies that are leaders in their industry, have an authoritative influence, and see millions divested into annual sponsorships for events. While corporate sponsors can provide bigger and more lucrative sponsor packages, they tend to be the most difficult to secure as so many organizations are seeking support and guidance from these companies. 

To secure corporate event sponsorship, here’s a look at some of the things you can do. 

Select Companies That Align With Event Objectives

One of the first things to do while researching for corporate sponsors is to look for companies that have similar values and company objectives as that of the organization and the event. 

While corporate sponsors may have the finances and industry influence, it’s often difficult to find companies that support the same objectives as your organization or event. For example, it would be a business faux pas to partner with companies that are operating in the exact opposite direction of your business. 

It’s crucial to research different companies and select a few you’d like to approach. Take some time to get to know the companies, who their target audience is, and what their influence in the industry is. Corporate sponsors may have the influence, but this can either be a positive or negative outcome for your event. 

Provide Incentives

Companies may be open to providing sponsors, but what will your event give back to them in return for the support? To ensure you can foster a lasting relationship with specific sponsors, ensure that you have something to give them such as consumer exposure, market influence, or potential business opportunities. 

Often, companies seek a return on their investment, and in most instances, this comes with increasing their market exposure. Organizations in this case can provide their sponsors with online consumer metrics, and impressions their company receives in specific untapped market categories. 

It’s important to provide something valuable in return that corporate companies can benefit from in the near term. Startups and smaller companies can potentially benefit from corporate sponsors, but so do these companies as they can provide them with innovative tools and services for long-term growth. 

Have a Clear-cut Proposal

The last thing companies want to deal with is proposals that are not written, and provide little to no objectives. It’s important to compile an event proposal that gets straight to the point and delivers useful information that can help support your application. 

Think of it as applying for a job, only this time you’re asking a company for money and support. Be clear in your intentions, and have a well-detailed event plan. 

Additionally, don’t beat around the bush about what you require for the event. If you need a financial sponsorship, clearly state the amount required and how funds will be used to put the event together. If it’s a merchandise or media sponsorship, provide the basic information, and how these sponsors will help to increase exposure for the event. 

Take the time to compile a proposal that focuses on the important aspects of the event, and how corporate sponsorship will help increase event visibility and company exposure. 

Conduct a Follow-up

Once you have submitted your proposal, and have gone through the different phases of acquiring the sponsorship, it’s important to follow up on the process. Often companies will approve a sponsor proposal, only to take several weeks, even months to divulge the necessary resources for the event. 

Establish a clear line of communication from the start, as this will ensure both parties will remain informed throughout the progress. Have a designated employee or individual in the company that can constantly liaise with corporate sponsors about the process and what the organization can expect in terms of sponsorship status. 

It’s typically during this phase that companies establish firm and healthy relationships with their sponsors, to concretely inaugurate a partnership. 

Check Out How Sponsors Evaluate and Measure Event Sponsorships:

How to Get Businesses to Sponsor Your Event

Business sponsors for events are often different, but can also provide organizations with financial support and guidance. Although their sponsors might be smaller, in terms of monetary value, these relationships are typically important for organizations looking to improve their influence within a given industry or sector, while at the same time growing their consumer support. 

Here’s an overview of how an organization can secure a business sponsor for their event. 

Establish an Asset-based Relationship

One of the important elements that will help to secure a business sponsor for an event is to establish an asset-based relationship. Businesses that provide sponsors for events do so based on the principle that they want something out of it in return. 

When approaching businesses with a sponsorship proposal, be clear about the potential value the event will bring to their business and clients. Unlike corporate companies that already have teams of employees researching target audience demographics, and creating predictive models or psychographics, smaller and medium-sized businesses will often lack these elements within their structure.

If your event can provide them with better insight into these facets, clearly indicate it in the sponsorship proposal and provide them with the necessary feedback they are seeking. During the planning process, identify unique incentives that can help to distinguish you from any potential competitors. 

Request Different Sponsors

Another way to secure a business event sponsor is to request more than one type of business sponsor. Start by creating different sponsor packages that can cover a broad range of assets such as finance, merchandise, promotional, or media coverage. 

Perhaps you may approach a business for a financial sponsor, but they are unable to provide significant financing. Instead, offer an alternative that you can leverage to your advantage. 

Make sure that the businesses you approach can provide the resources you’re looking for or need for your event. It will be redundant to request sponsorship from businesses that are unable to provide any type of sponsor, despite your event offering them several incentives.

Promote the Sponsor

Although the event is predominantly about your organization, it’s crucial to properly promote the business or sponsor it as well. Make sure to include business names and logos in all advertising material, online content, and at the event. 

If the business provides promotional material, such as banners, flyers, and posters for the event, be sure to include this as much as possible to ensure they are receiving the necessary exposure they expect. 

Make sure you know what the sponsor wants, and how you can fulfill these needs as much as possible. Negotiate as much as possible throughout the process, this way you can assure the sponsor and yourself that both parties will benefit from the event. 

Negotiate Terms and Conditions

It’s often easier for organizers to negotiate their terms and conditions with business owners compared to corporate sponsors. Seeing that event organizers will often meet face-to-face with owners, and not necessarily a large team, it becomes effortless to negotiate what your organization wants, and what you can provide the business. 

It’s always better to meet a business halfway and to provide them with alternatives when needed. Consider both the sponsors’ needs and requirements, and align that with the event objectives. 

If you’re unable to provide them with what they are asking for, devise a plan that can ensure the business will benefit from the event, and the organization will still achieve its goals. 

Sponsorships for Virtual Events

Sponsorship for virtual events is still a relatively new territory many companies are busy exploring. Unlike in-person events that can provide a direct line of communication between organizations and event attendees, hosting virtual events often requires companies to have tailor-made experiences that can help achieve the best possible results for their sponsors.

Virtual events can offer organizations and their sponsors more qualified-lead generation, consumer relationship building, and brand awareness online – it’s important to communicate these possibilities in the sponsorship proposal. 

Types of Virtual Event Sponsorships:

• Digital marketing templates on websites and online stores. 
• Banner ads and pop-up ads on mobile apps or the sponsor website. 
• Video ads that can be published on social media posts. 
• Virtual breakout and discussion rooms. 
• Algorithmic provisions and virtual meet-up booths. 
• Branded virtual meeting rooms before and during the event.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Finding an event sponsor is a tedious process that comes with a range of challenges. While companies allocate millions each year to organizations as event sponsorships, these dollars will need to translate into a valuable return for the sponsor. 

Organizations need to seek sponsors with similar values to their company and support event objectives. It would be pointless to secure a sponsor if the business is unable to support the event, either financially or through marketplace influence. 

In the same breath, event organizers need to provide companies with attractive benefits that will help them increase their exposure to a new group of consumers and promote their products or services. 

Ultimately, event organizers want to partner with companies that share the same prospect regarding the industry and the consumers and can establish a valuable relationship with one another for the long term. 

The benefits of events have changed over the last few decades. Companies can now use events to reach a wider audience and have a bigger impact on their target market by simply hosting and running events.

Events can come in multiple forms and sizes. The types of events can be determined by taking certain elements and factors into consideration. The type of audience or location can play a role in deciding on a certain event. Another factor is the aim or goal of the event. Events such as educational, corporate, entertaining, and sports events can ensure growth within the company.

Companies and event managers can spend hours determining what event type would best suit the goals and objectives of the company. However, they can speed up this process by knowing what events exist. All events produce networking opportunities, and companies can ensure that their event produces more than what we expected. 

Events have taken a different form in the last few years. Companies can now make use of a virtual event, in-person event, or hybrid event. Each of these options provides different benefits thus, choosing the form can impact the audience and reach or the format of the event. Event planners have created the template for team building events or business events through their event management software to ensure that the events industry fulfills everyone’s goals and achievements. 

Corporate Events: Boosting Business Success 

Corporate events are an effective way of communicating or connecting with either employees or customers of the business. This will ensure direct communication with the target audience, which can be done virtually or in person. 

The goal of a corporate event can change from company to company. The first objective can be to communicate straight with the employees. This can be board members, sales teams, or other forms of employees. 

Objectives such as introducing a new product or service, adding more value through the company, or dealing with conflict among staff members. A corporate event is a great way to connect with the team. Individuals can learn and grow into a team through the use of events. 

A corporate event ensures direct conversations with current and potential customers. 

Companies can advertise, communicate and find feedback by hosting events. There can be a variety of goals both internal and external. The company must identify and set the goal to ensure a successful event. 

The benefits of a corporate event are to boost sales and revenue or to create a deeper insight into the company for clients and customers. Within the company, some benefits are the creation and improvement of company culture or team building. There are multiple benefits to corporate events. A team-building event can come in various forms. However, leaving the employees with memorable experiences will allow them to build new skills.

Determining the event to use is of key importance. Some businesses decide on a conference to provide insight to the customers, while other companies choose trade shows and or seminars. For internal meetings and events, businesses can choose between team building and retreats, smaller educational conferences, or incentive events to ensure a strong and motivated event.

Social Events: Bringing People Together 

Social events are to come together of a group or individuals, invited by a host to celebrate or socialize at a set time and date. These events create a time when individuals can communicate their likes and hobbies. 

These types of events can be used to bring awareness to a social circle of a certain problem, a traditional topic, or a certain occasion. These events are a practical way of bringing people together to communicate or celebrate different achievements. 

There are multiple events to choose from. The organizing team can use these events to connect a group of individuals based on a desired outcome. 

Social events are playing a crucial part in society today. With the online era among us, and online occupations taking its place, humans have less time to socialize and connect. These types of events ensure that people have time to relax and connect with others.

Social events can be used by corporate businesses. A social event will allow the team to let their hair down, and enjoy outside-the-office conversations. It will create a space where employees can get to know each other on different levels. Which will enrich team culture and build teamwork.

Check Out Event Design Ideas: Playing with Opposites:

Fundraising and Charity Events: Making a Difference 

Fundraising and charity events’ primary aim is to raise awareness of certain problems or solutions that an organization faces. These events show the difference the company wants to bring into the world. A fundraising event also aims to raise finances to fix certain problems or build up solutions that the organization can do by itself. 

The benefits that fundraising and charity events bring can have an impact on the company and organization. The first benefit is raising awareness and building a network that will support the cause of the organization. Planning these networking events is some of the events industry’s toughest due to the variety of guests that attend.

The event will ensure that individuals, groups, and other businesses can see the clear objective and goal that the charity presents. Another benefit is that the event shows the organization’s commitment to the cause. Others will observe the passion and goal, which would encourage a commitment and connection to the goal. 

There are a variety of ways companies can incorporate charity and fundraising events. By simply observing the target audience’s hobbies, the organization can host an event in line with it. These events can be as simple as a golf day, or as complex as a running event. These events can occur online, or in person, depending on the target audience. 

Sports Events: Engaging Fans and Athletes

A sports event refers to a competitive event where teams or individuals compete for a prize. Corporate bodies use these events as a gathering for groups to ensure an outing where they can enjoy teams competing. 

Not all sporting events are solely based on competition. Companies can host an event that focuses on a friendly group of people enjoying different sports without crowning a winner at the end of the day. This will allow attendees to dust off their sports shoes and enjoy a day out refreshing their high school skills.

The primary goal of a sports event is to bring people together. Sport is still one of the top events that will connect groups. Individuals will stand together, supporting their teams through the ups and downs.

Organizing a sporting event can be a difficult task; however, if the goals and objectives are clearly stated, and all the other administrative work is in place, companies can host a successful event.

These types of events consist of any sport, either a group or individual competitor, that plays or competes for a trophy or fun. Golf events, fun football or baseball matches, or charity tennis matches are all examples of sporting events. 

Entertainment Events: Showcasing Talent and Creativity 

Companies can make use of entertainment events to provide teams, organizations, or customers with entertainment. This can be through a performance by an artist or an event where the team members can showcase their talents or creativity.

Corporate organizations can capitalize on these events when they want to provide the team with downtime or treat clients to a concert to show their appreciation of commitment and dedication to the company. These events can have multiple goals but the customers or audience determines the success.

These types of events must have clear goals. The aim of the event must be set before the planning can start. Event goals can be as simple as treating the audience to a relaxing time out. Or bring awareness to a certain topic or idea that will ensure company growth. 

Entertainment events have more expenses connected to them due to the mere fact of simply hosting entertainment. These types of events can promote ideas and awareness. However, the main focus and aim should be to ensure that the audience or guests feel appreciated for their support and loyalty to the business. 

Educational and Training Events: Empowering Minds 

The educational aspect of events can have a negative connection to them. However, companies can make use of these events for two main audiences. The first focuses on employees and empowering them with new methods and products. Or educational training for customers to better understand certain products, company values, and insights. 

There are 8 types of different educational learning events that corporations can make use of. The type of event that the organization decides on, is determined by the goal. Using guidance or imitation will allow the audience to reach success through the use of similar methods or tools. 

While this can work for some parts of the audience, another method is to allow them to experiment and use their creativity to build an understanding of the content of the event. While the content is important, organizations must emphasize how they share information and education.

The primary aim of training sessions is to ensure that the audience leaves with valuable input and information. The focus should be placed on the audience at all times. And if the company can plan and organize the event around the audience, the opportunity for a successful event is higher. 

Hybrid Events: Combining In-Person and Virtual Experiences 

Hybrid events focus on the benefits of both in-person and virtual events. This is to ensure that customers all around the world can join in on the event. Even though hybrid events can cost more financially, the benefits are great. 

Companies must adjust their events to fit with the virtual competition that the 20th century adds. The business can use hybrid events to set itself apart from other competitive companies in the same industry. 

Benefits such as availability and sustainability are attractive to any company. The amount of data that companies have access to, rises drastically with hybrid events due to the number of customers and their demographics of them.

Tips for Choosing the Right Type of Event for Your Needs

The type of event can have an impact on the goals set by the business and what the expectations are from their customers and attendees. Thus, deciding what event will best suit the idea and objectives can save the business time and money.

Companies can start by viewing available venues. The venue must accommodate the audience and type of event. Sports events, will need a different venue than a business conference. 

Another tip for choosing an event is to observe the necessary services and vendors needed to host an event. Some events require food options while others a set of music or a stage for entertainment. The services and space must be adequate for the event. The correct services will ensure that hybrid and online events run as smoothly as possible.

The theme of the event can be the deciding factor on which event to finally decide on. The design and concept of the event must fit the type of event. The company will choose a theme to best advertise its goal and company brand. The theme will ensure that the audience knows exactly why they are attending. 

Lastly, companies can consult corporate event planners. An event planner will know the best event that will suit the planned goals and desired outcomes. The event planner has the connections and the event management software to ensure that the business events will be created to their desire. This can be virtual events, team building events, or any other community events the company wants to host. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Planning and hosting an event can create stress for a corporate team, however, once the company identified the goals, the type of event will reflect itself. This will release stress and planning since the decision should reflect the goal and the type of event. 

Companies can use corporate event planners for any of their events. This will ensure that the business saves money and time. Leaving the planning and building of their ideal event up to the planners. While event planners can save the company time and money, allowing internal staff to create major events will empower them. Events will have an impact on your customers and staff members, thus using them will leave every attendee feeling inspired and ready to add value to the company. 

From corporate businesses to small startups, make use of events. These events can come in all forms and sizes. A small online event to a big celebration of a corporate company with over 1000 employees, all classified as an event. 

Instead of planning, arranging, organizing, and hosting this event from the company itself, companies and small businesses can hire an event manager with a team that will do all the hard work for them. An Event manager will be in charge of building an event from the ground up. The company can set goals and provide guidelines while the event management team creates the perfect event according to these standards.

Event managers take most of the stress that comes with the planning of the corporation. The management team will do everything connected to project management for the company. Companies can use the time to focus on important tasks while the event is being created in the background.

The Role of an Events Manager: Demystifying the Profession 

The criteria for an event manager can differ between companies; however, the base of the event planner is to create and organize any type of event, such as social parties, celebrations, corporate meetings, or conferences to name a few, to the satisfaction of the company’s set goals and objectives. 

The event manager’s team of planners and executioners will bring the business idea to life. The team will use the connections built through relationships to ensure the event is successful. The team will also take responsibility for evaluating and obtain data to observe whether the event was a success or failure. 

Key Responsibilities of an Events Manager 

The responsibilities of an event manager are based on the company’s guidelines for the event. Most event managers will be provided with the goal of the event, and from there it falls into their hands to bring this event to life.

The event manager must research to ensure they know the target audience. After clearly stating the audience and setting an event budget, the manager sets a date, chooses a venue, and decides on a theme that is suitable for the event. 

After deciding the date, key responsibilities will be creating an advertisement and marketing strategy. Building a website, and an app and creating a social presence will play a key role in the success of the event.

More responsibilities closer to the event date are communicating with the rest of the team to set up the theme in the venue, setting up sound and technology, and ensuring the caterers prepare the correct meals. 

Lastly, the event manager must host and run the event on the day. Ensuring that everything runs accordingly. If any problems do occur, they must solve them without causing a problem for the attendees. 

Skills and Qualifications for Successful Event Management 

Skills 

There are primary skills that every event manager must have. These skills will empower them to take charge, make difficult decisions, and lead a team toward a successful event. This does not mean that all managers are the same type of person; however, they do need the following skills to be a contender for a great event manager.

The manager must have organizational skills and interpersonal skills. The individual must be able to organize information when it comes in. The supervisor must place all the information in the correct categories, which will ensure that no planning gets lost. 

Communication and problem-solving play a key role in large-scale events. The managers must be able to communicate clearly to their team and the business leaders as to what is happening, what needs to be done, and where they are going. If a problem occurs, it is their responsibility to use their connections or creativity to solve it quickly and effectively. 

The event managers must, lastly, have the mindset of the client first. This ensures that when a decision is made, it focuses on the needs and wants of the various clients. The event manager must be able to be objective and place the emphasis on what the client wants. 

Qualifications

There are many different ways of becoming an event manager. By simply focusing on specific areas of the event and building knowledge, the individual can grow. Courses in marketing, financial management, evaluation, risk assessment, and social courses such as psychology can all be stepping stones towards being a great event manager. 

Event Planning Process: Stages and Best Practices 

All event planners have their methods for success. However, the 5 main stages of event development are to set a goal, determine a budget, design and plan, coordinate the day of the event, and measure the success of the event. 

In the first stage, the planner must identify and obtain clear goals to set the event’s foundation. The goals will determine the feel, theme, and overall approach. The business must set these goals, but the event manager can ask directed questions to ensure that they know where to go. 

Step two will be to create a budget. This will provide guidelines that will display where the manager can spend the finances. This will prevent the event manager from running out of money or spending too much on a certain area. 

Stages three and four focus on creating the event and ensuring that everything goes according to plan on the day. The planning focus on bringing the goals and theme to life. Here the manager must build the exact idea that the company has in mind. The team will need to focus on event marketing, advertisement, and tenders to ensure success. The event schedule and pre-event planning will take place here.

The last step is to evaluate the success of the event. This is important because it will assist the event manager in areas that could have been done better or differently. It will ensure a successful event in the future.

Different Types of Events Managed by Event Professionals

There are two main types of events. The first is corporate events and non-corporate events. Corporate events are conferences, team meetings, ceremonies, team buildings, and company parties. 

Non-corporate events include weddings, festivals, exhibitions, charity events, sports, and competitions. These are more social events with less marketing skills and networking needed.

The Growing Importance of Event Management Software 

The software used for planning an event can have a great impact. If all the planning and communication only happens in person, the team will have wasted time in between meetings. Thus having an app, or meeting room online, will ensure that all the information can be clear and precise to whom it needs to be.

This software can create a space where the team can have virtual meetings. This will save the team time and traveling money. There are multiple benefits to using software but the main assistance is that the entire team is on one platform. Communication can happen on one app which will be seen by the entire team. 

How to Become an Events Manager: Career Path Insights 

The career path of an event manager can take time and will need a lot of hard work and sweat. Individuals wanting to pursue this direction can start by doing courses such as marketing, financial management, and other industry-specific courses. 

After completing the courses, the individual must find a team or manager they can shadow. By following and learning from someone that has been through the process, the individual will understand what decision to make and what to avoid. An internship at an event management company can quicken the learning experience. 

Check Out Events Manager Career | What to Know Before Choosing this Career:

The Future of Event Management: Industry Trends and Opportunities

Event management has a bright future in many industries. In the online era an event planner can place focus solely on virtual events. This trend will allow customers and clients to join in from across the world.

While virtual events are upcoming, event managers must refine their skills on in-person skills. Companies enjoy the quality time they can spend with the team and potential customers. Here are some trends all event coordinators must know.

What is an Events Manager: FAQs

What is an Events Manager: Final Thoughts

Event managers can have a long-lasting impact on any event they put their hands on. The event manager and team can create a memorable night or week that will not be forgotten for years to come. 

This industry is growing, and the individuals pursuing it must know that it comes with a cost. The event manager must make use of courses, skills, and learning experiences to build their management repertoire. The individuals that define themselves as event managers are saving some industries time, money, and stress. 

The process of producing a highly effective, productive, and well-performing team, whether it’s in-person or remote teams, requires business owners and managers to link performance with a range of team-building activities. 

The benefits of team building are nearly endless, and the list seems to get longer each year. In most instances, team exercises help employees understand, appreciate and develop skills that can be directly linked to their productivity. In addition to this, employees become more engaging with one another and customers, helping to increase performance and affect profitability, productivity, and lower absenteeism. 

In fact, companies and organizations that have high levels of employee engagement are 21% more profitable. Having a unified group of workers that are able to innovate and perform under pressure in a collaborative spirit not only helps companies improve their top line, but it creates a more positive work environment and can be linked to a balanced work-life experience. 

Increased Communication and Collaboration

For any business to thrive in a growing marketplace and a competitive environment, it must foster strong communication and collaboration efforts among employees. 

These connections are not only vital for the sake of business operations but can be reflected in how employees communicate with clients, stakeholders, and one another. 

Through several team-building activities and exercises, it’s possible to boost employee engagement. While these activities help with several elements, ensuring that employees can create more established relationships with one another is one of the crucial factors to consider. 

Once a team member can bond more effectively and increase their communication performance efforts, only then can there be better collaboration on work and projects. Communication, whether it’s verbal or non-verbal, can break down barriers that exist within the workplace, allow employees to become more comfortable with one another, their direct managers, or supervisors, and allows them to connect with their employer. 

Improved Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills

To ensure employees can thrive and grow in fast-paced environments, having the required problem-solving and decision-making skills is crucial for their professional development and the performance of the business.

Through a team building activity, team building games, and team challenges it’s possible to create more engaged employees that can contribute to the organization’s success. 

While some employees are naturally able to resolve issues or disputes, others will require some form of training or guidance. Effective problem-solving can help employees, at any level of their career, identify and analyze problems, assess the situation, and establish a solution on the available information. 

If information about the given task or problem is limited, employees will in some instances be left to their demise, having to make critical decisions based on their expertise and knowledge. 

In this case, decision-making plays a big role in the outcomes. It’s not always possible to fully see what the end results or outcomes will be, thus it’s important to have thorough training and mentorship that can help boost employee confidence and develop crucial decision-making skills. 

In part, it’s also important to remember that problem-solving and decision-making skills can be directly tied to employee communication. If there is a well-balanced level of communication between employees, customers, managers, partners, and stakeholders, it’s possible to achieve better results.

Listen actively

Active listening can result in establishing a mutual understanding between employees and managers; and managers and employers. Once the link has been created, individuals will become more aware of their position in the company, the role they play, what is expected of them, and how they can align their performance with company culture objectives. 

Bringing active listening into the workplace, more so into team building activities can result in employees becoming more engaged and aware of their surroundings. More so, active listening is a skill that sees workers taking a brief, understanding the outline, but only focusing on the more important parts thereof. 

On top of these qualities, active listening also helps to establish a line of trust among individuals in the workplace. Additionally, it can create a feeling of community among workers, helping them value one another, and create a sense of being heard and valued. 

While employees need to understand the importance of active listening to one another, it’s also vital that leaders, managers, supervisors, executives, and business owners practice the art of active listening. By doing this they will understand the needs of their employees, their customers, and stakeholders. 

Think analytically and creatively

Benefits of teambuilding events in the workplace is helping workers think more analytically and improve their levels of creativity. 

There are several examples of how analytical thinking can help businesses. One of the best examples is perhaps taking every setback or failure as a possible opportunity to grow or expand understanding about a given topic. Using analytical thinking skills will mean that teams and managers can incorporate different experiences, knowledge, and valuable key points to find a logical solution. 

The idea here is to get to the heart of the problem and see whether it’s possible to create viable outcomes from past exercises and present knowledge. This way when employees are faced with a problem outside of their expertise they can analyze the problem effectively, and make a decision based on the potential outcomes. 

On that note, it’s not possible to talk about analytical skills without mentioning creative skills or creative strategies. 

Breaking the norm could be one of the first steps to help employees get out of their routines. Another method would be to create more hands-on activities that can help teams express their creativity. This is also another avenue that can help employees uncover hidden talents, and relinquish team building benefits. 

Having a creative outlet ensures that employees remain sharp-thinking and that they can develop the necessary abilities to resolve internal issues such as conflict, deal with unsatisfied clients, and produce more creative methods that can directly have a positive impact on their work. 

It is possible to have employees that are more creative than others, and while it’s something that can come naturally or be learned over time, at best, employers and managers should consider how creativity in the workplace can not only improve employee satisfaction but also boost productivity. 

Check Out Team Building Events: Why, What, and How?:

Come Up With Innovative Solutions

In a separate branch, developing innovative solutions requires both analytical thinking and a creative approach. Although this might be considered a different entity on its own, in the workplace all three of these elements are closely connected and interlinked with one another. 

Think of it like this, a new product cannot enter the mainstream consumer market, without first coming up with a new concept, the creative process, and then analyzing success and market acceptance, the analytical process. 

Innovative solutions, whether it’s a new product, service, or even something that can help teams manage their work more effectively, requires them to understand how to think and strategize more adequately. 

Innovation can often come from the most unusual places, and in the same breath, it’s not possible to constantly experience innovation in a company where employees are disengaged, unsatisfied, stressed, burned out, or even underpaid. 

The better employees are treated, the easier it will be for them to develop innovative thinking skills and abilities. At the same time, those employees that already house these abilities will need to feel valued, appreciated and their work recognized. 

Only after following this guidance will it become possible to operate a company culture that’s at the forefront of industrial innovation. 

Communicate Effectively

As already mentioned, team-building activities can help establish or increase successful team communication efforts. Here we see not only employees that are more engaged with one another and their managers, but it can also filter through to other aspects of the job. 

Effective communication is just as important to help resolve ongoing disputes and issues in the workplace. Employees that have grievances with one another, or a manager should feel comfortable enough to voice their opinion in a respectable, yet professional way. Through these channels, internal problems can be resolved without the need to involve additional parties. 

Then there is cross-departmental integration, which is often more seen in larger corporate companies. Through communication, different branches of the business or company can easily collaborate on projects. On top of this, it helps to establish internal relationships and can help to give birth to some new ideas. 

For every person in the business to know exactly what is going on, and what is expected of them every day, it’s important to make better communication an essential element of every highly productive team or business. 

Make Decisions Confidently Based on Evidence

Office team building exercises and events are a way for staff members to develop more confidence. The understanding of confidence can be both personal and professional, and in the workplace, confidence ensures that employees are respected by their peers, and build a brand or company culture reputation that is authoritative.

Confidence can be the key to helping improve workflow, come up with new ideas, increase trust among employees, and establish more independent-working employees. 

In instances where employees are left to make decisions by themselves, or resolve important matters without the assistance of their colleagues or a manager; confidence can be a guiding factor in this case. 

Not only can successful team building exercises help employees become more confident in their decision-making, but it’s also a way for them to learn how to take responsibility for themselves, their work, and the important contribution they have to the company. 

Confidence can be taught, though it requires the necessary individuals to take lead at times. On top of this, the ability to be more confident in their work helps employees become more engaging through the means of sharing insight, ideas, and knowledge with one another. 

Work Together as a Team

The best team building activities is to ensure that all employees can work together as a team. It’s one thing to have a team of staff members collaborating on the same project or work when in reality they tend to be more disconnected from one another. 

Team building exercises can be one of the most effective methods to build stronger teams that can work together on challenging ideas, come up with solutions, deliver results and increase company productivity. 

Additionally, once employees can collaborate more freely, it’s possible that managers could see team members take on more responsibility where necessary, eliminate micromanaging, and promote a culture of innovation. 

There’s also the understanding that if employees work together as a team, they can lighten the workload on one another, lower absenteeism, and impact retention. 

All of this can be directly impacted if individuals feel that they are being supported in a safe yet positive working environment. 

Enhanced Trust and Cooperation

With team building activities and team activities, employers and managers can develop trust among themselves, and among employees. When employees feel that they are being trusted, they tend to be happier and feel less pressured to constantly perform. 

Not only is it a good thing to have created a sense of trust between management and staff members, but also among peers and colleagues. 

Knowing that peers can trust one another reflects a working environment where employees feel safe to share their work and ideas, ask for help when needed and rely on their colleagues for guidance. 

On the back of this, trust can help improve decision-making and judgment, not only on an individual level but within a team as well. 

Bringing trust exercises into team building exercises allows teams to understand one another better, learn the strengths and weaknesses of their colleagues, and help to contribute a deeper connection with one another. 

Increased Motivation and Productivity

We’ve already mentioned quite a few times how team-building activities and events can help improve employee motivation and productivity. It’s only once employers and managers understand how to present these events in a way to boost performance that real change can be experienced within the company. 

A lack of motivation can lead to an increased number of disengaged employees, and according to a Gallup study, only 13% of employees are engaged at work. Keeping employees motivated requires employers and managers to understand workers and their needs. 

In line with this, it should be said that employers should often recognize employees for their work and reward them, either through monetary or non-monetary means. 

When employees feel that they are being valued, and listened to and that their work is making a difference, it’s often that they feel the inherent need to do more or go the extra mile.

While this isn’t always the case, and shouldn’t be the primary resolution to boost team productivity, it’s essential to see how workers can become more productive through the use of team-building events. 

Teaching them how to think more analytically or providing them with logical solutions, or even perhaps giving them a platform to express their creativity will help their morale, and boost motivation which can then be linked to employees being more productive within their personal capacity and with other team members.

Check Out Benefits of Team Building: What Are the Benefits of Team Building?:

Advantages of Team Building

Now that we have an understanding of the benefits that come with team-building activities, it’s time to look through some of the basic advantages these events can have and how they can positively impact employees. 

Problem-solving Skills

The American Society for Quality defines the process of problem-solving as follow: 

1. Define the problem 
2. Generate alternatives
3. Evaluate and select alternatives
4. Implement and follow up on the solution

Using team building exercises, managers can develop activities that will test employees’ abilities. More so, it will help them understand current problems within the workplace or their work, and select an alternative solution. Once they can effectively understand the alternatives and the outcomes thereof, it’s only then possible to witness the results in action. 

Innovation

Together with creativity, innovation can help employees set themselves aside from other competitors which can be tied to professional growth. Additionally, for the company or organization, more innovative employees often see a higher level of satisfied customers and better performance. 

For employees to remain innovative, it’s important to give them access to the right resources and materials they might require throughout the process. For the employees who are unable to innovate more naturally, at best it’s advised for managers or employers to come up with viable strategies that can spark their ingenuity. 

Personal Growth

Yes, team-building events can help with personal growth as well. For starters, these events test and develop a whole range of skills and abilities. 

This enables individuals to learn what their strengths, weaknesses, and failures are. Additionally, it can show them where they might improve, and through what channels they can use to boost their personal development. 

Happiness

Research shows that happier employees are more productive, almost 12% more productive compared to those employees who are unsatisfied with their job. 

Keeping employees is never an easy job, as it requires employers to constantly be aware of what employees need and desire in the workplace. 

Taking the time to develop activities and events that will help employees express any desires, teach new skills, and help them to develop professional abilities can reflect in their work, and how satisfied they might be in the workplace. 

Less burnout

Employee burnout has always been an issue, and over the pandemic, a growing number of workers realized how their jobs contributed to their stress and anxiety which ultimately lead to increased levels of burnout. 

More than half – 59% – of American employees currently experience some moderate levels of burnout, an increase between 2021 and 2022. Burnout results in employees feeling unsatisfied with their jobs, leading to more quitting, increasing employee turnover, costing companies more money, and resulting in slowing productivity. 

While corporate team building activities might not directly resolve employee burnout, they can however help employers connect more with the workers, managers can better understand their teams, and employees can safely voice their needs and concerns.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Team building exercises require managers and employers to coordinate activities that will help bring teams closer, connect employees, and help them develop the necessary skills they need to improve performance. 

While not every team-building event can develop the same range of skills, leaders must decide on events that align with company objectives and employee needs. These events were created to not only establish new relationships but also to help employers recognize where there may be faults within company structures. 

The more efficient teams become over time, through communication, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving, the easier it will be for the company to set itself apart from competitors, and become a thought leader within the industry. 

A healthy and positive work environment – among other workplace benefits – is but one of the prerequisites aspiring employees and job seekers are looking for. So much so, that a report by consulting firm, Robert Half found that nearly half, or 46% of American workers plan to look for a new job in the next six months.

Keeping employees happy and engaged can become a tumultuous endeavor if managers and business owners lack the ability to drive culture, innovation, and bonding through corporate team-building activities. Establishing a healthy culture, and ensuring employees foster lasting relationships with their colleagues can often spring from corporate team-building events that help employees engage with one another, and put their skills to the test in creative ways. 

Having more engaged employees not only improves overall team morale, company loyalty, and performance – but it often leads to greater productivity which can directly be translated into better revenue and profits over the long term. And with more than 32% of full-time- and part-time employees feeling less engaged than ever – an incline from before 2022 – it’s crucial that business owners and managers focus their energy on how to bring employees together and establish a fluid working environment. 

Types of Corporate Team Building Activities

With a plethora of choices, and with the internet at your disposal, it’s easy to quickly find a plethora of team-building activities. Although there are some interesting, yet primitive options available it’s best to choose activities or events that will directly contribute to what your team requires and how their skills will be tested in a challenging, yet positive way. 

From standard icebreakers to the well-known “trust fall,” these exercises add little value to the overall qualities you may be looking to bring out in your team. Instead of focusing on what you already know, or might have encountered in the past, consider a few exciting activities that can help improve things such as communication skills, leadership abilities, and analytical reasoning, among others. 

Here’s a rundown of different office activities that can take employees, and leaders on an adventurous experience as they seek to bring workers together and boost team office synergy. 

Outdoor Activities

There is a time and place for everything in the office, and while some team-building activities can be enjoyed indoors, we’d think this list is definitely suited for those companies that want their workers to enjoy something more adventurous. 

1. Adventure Challenges

For an all-out type of experience, that will truly put employees’ skills and endurance to the test, adventure challenges can see a range of different outdoor activities compiled in a less-than-conventional way. 

Outdoor adventure challenges can range from rock climbing, target practicing, bridge building, Jeep track challenge, or even a go-kart race. While some may argue these activities seem more like leisure than testing employees’ skills and abilities, it’s possible to see workers use their lateral thinking to overcome exercises they often don’t encounter in the workplace. 

These challenges are designed to bring individuals together, either working in teams to overcome a difficult task such as building bridges with minimal resources or beating opposing teams in completing outdoor assignments in the best and most innovative manner. 

There are a few ways to look at it, and not only will these activities test employees’ endurance and physical abilities, but they will encourage all-around communication, engagement, and active listening – crucial elements that can be used in the workplace.

2. Ropes Courses

Employee teams can either participate as a group or individually, but we’d suggest pairing workers together to create a more engaging experience. For starters, individuals are harnessed and provided the necessary safety gear such as helmets, gloves, and cable hooks to help them maneuver around the ropes course. 

These courses can range from 20 meters to 50 meters in height, which can seem a bit daunting for those who experience a fear of heights. While there are ways to work around this, it’s perhaps one of the best ways to help employees overcome fearful challenges, and test which individuals are better at motivating their team members throughout the activity. 

A ropes course can take several hours, depending on the size of the group and course, and it’s possible to incorporate other activities with the ropes course. 

The most significant outcome of a ropes course is to see whether employees are in a position to overcome fear and help them develop more confidence. While no one should be pressured or feel peer pressured into participating, it’s essential to highlight what these challenges will test and how new skills can be developed through the event. 

While the ropes course requires a bit of endurance and physical strength, it will be interesting to see which employees use their abilities to help their weaker companions across the course. 

3. Nature Retreats

There’s nothing new about company retreats, and while it can often seem like a paid work holiday there is room for both skill training and pleasure at the same time. 

For companies and organizations with bigger budgets, and smaller teams, nature retreats outside can be a way to bring employees together outside of the office. These retreats can help team members destress, relax and unwind, while at the same time developing new skills which they can use in the workplace. 

Company or office nature retreats nowadays have been designed to test individuals’ skills and abilities in the best way possible. 

From various team building exercises to more analytical challenges that see individuals going head-to-head with each other, there are different ways employers or managers can make these retreats enjoyable while also helping employees develop new skills. 

It’s important that during the planning process, you allocate enough time to different activities, including some downtime for employees. In some cases, employers often organize a company nature retreat, only to make it feel like their employees are back at the office, having to sit through arduous seminars, meetings, or conferences. 

While this time can be used to help staff develop a broad range of skills, while also testing their abilities to their best advantage, use it as a way to recognize teams for their hard work. This activity can be a two-in-one experience, allowing employees to engage with their colleagues, while also enjoying some downtime away from the office. 

Check Out Best Team Building Activities:

Indoor Activities

While outdoor activities and challenges might be the adventurous route to take, workplace indoor activities can be just as enjoyable, yet practical at the same time. These activities provide members of the office with an opportunity to become closer to one another, and our list is a perfect combination for both small and medium-sized groups. 

1. Escape Rooms

While escape rooms are popular among families and groups of friends, it’s also the perfect challenge to bring employees together and put their problem-solving skills to the test. In fact, escape rooms are a way for new team members to get to know each other a bit better, or for established teams to unwind after stressful working periods. 

Whatever it is you’re seeking to gain from the escape room experience, it’s best to consider how these challenges can work to the ability of the employees, and the business at the same time. 

More so, these challenges can be more effective if they are designed in a way that can be linked to work or the industry your business is in. It does mean you need to consolidate with escape room specialist designers to make up an entire experience based around your business or company, but it does give it that personalized experience. 

Grouping individuals together, and challenging them can help develop their collaboration, communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, these challenges will leave teams actively engaging with each other, making it one of the more fun team working exercises. 

Each challenge is designed to test the different skills of different members of the group, and in some cases, individuals will be tested on their stamina and endurance as well, depending on the intensity of the escape room. Another bonus with escape rooms is that they can now be completed virtually, which helps to bring remote teams together as well.

2. Cooking Classes

Another possible option for indoor team building is a cooking class, which can turn into a culinary experience many employees will surely enjoy. From the start, before arranging anything, it’s good to have a look online to see what type of cooking classes are available in your area and choose one that suits the company budget, employee interest, and experience. 

For starters, some cooking classes can range from ice cream making, mixology, a food truck challenge, team cuisine, or even a pasta palooza. Each of these, while they involve food and cuisine can be fun, they often put different skills to the test and will require employees to either work in teams or individually. 

Another thing to consider is how many people on your team will be participating, and whether you want to use this experience as a team building exercise, or something along the line of a social challenge. In most cases, cooking classes can be a way to pair up different individuals with one another, putting their team working abilities and communication skills to the test. 

While the outcome of the challenge is to present a final dish or beverage, the task remains for you to challenge employees in an environment they aren’t used to. 

There’s also space for virtual teams and remote workers to participate as well. The idea of a virtual cooking class might not seem as enjoyable as having to be there side-by-side or in person, but this is yet another way to bring effective team building into the limelight, even when employees are situated in different locales around the world. 

There is a lot to consider beforehand, but for the most part, cooking classes can unite employees, and what better way than doing it through the use of food and cuisine? 

3. Problem-solving Exercises

There have been times when employees and even managers were faced with a tedious issue or problem but had difficulty finding a viable solution. While having problem-solving skills does require teams to have individual analytical and critical thinking abilities, a range of indoor team building exercises can help primarily focus on developing key problem-solving skills. 

When planning problem-solving exercises, consider what is important to the business and the team. If you noticed that there have been some adaptability issues recently, think of activities that will help employees develop ways in which they can overcome challenges related to the problem. 

Another might be that employees are struggling to innovate or think of creative solutions to a current problem and realize that past experiences won’t necessarily help them going forward. 

While it is important to learn from previous mistakes or challenges, new ways of approaching a problem or thinking from a different perspective might just be what a team requires to function effectively.

In the same breath, it’s possible to establish some healthy competition, which is also a great team building exercise for team members willing to improve their problem-solving and decision-making skills. It’s also possible for team members to learn how to work under pressure, and make informed decisions at the same time. 

Once you have a clear understanding of what both parties require, the business and employees, planning for these exercises become a lot easier. Yes, problem-solving activities and events can help teams develop critical skills, but it won’t be worthwhile to orchestrate an event where the outcomes do not meet the desired objectives. 

For the most part, it’s important to clearly state your goals and objectives, and communicate what the desired outcomes should potentially be. On top of this, employees should participate knowing what the expectations are, and how these exercises will help them think more critically, while also helping to boost their creative innovation at the same time. 

Philanthropic Activities

Philanthropy has become an essential part of the modern workplace, as companies both big and small look to involve themselves in more community-oriented projects. 

Aside from the direct influence businesses can have in their community, employees have the ability to drive creative solutions that can help improve existing systems, and reflect more positive company culture.

1. Volunteer Work

Perhaps the most notable of all is volunteer work, and while there might not be a direct monetary incentive for the business or employees, it still provides employees and managers a platform through which they can give back to their community. 

Volunteer work is also needed within the greater sphere of society, whether it’s a food bank, soup kitchen, or even a school or heritage project. While companies can offer monetary contributions such as donations, the real difference can come from the people who are actively participating and bringing change. 

Volunteer work does often require some planning and arrangement such as finding a charity to collaborate with, compiling information about the charity and its requirements, and then having to introduce the brief to the team. From here on out it’s purely how much effort each person can put in that will help make a difference in the near term. 

While it’s possible to put employees’ skills to the test such as communication and teamwork, the bigger picture should be focused on the different employees can make, and how willing they are to participate. 

For the most part, volunteer work tests employees’ ability to work with minimal resources, pushing them to be more creative and deliver projects that meet community needs, while building a more positive company culture. 

Ultimately, several branches of volunteer work can help improve the office team culture, but in reality, we see how these events can bring people closer and help establish a vibrant, positive, and caring environment. 

2. Community Service Projects

Another branch of philanthropy is community service projects, which in some instances would see a company directly helping out at the local food bank, or even raising funds or donations that can be used to upgrade public facilities. 

Community service projects can come in different shapes and sizes, and depending on the level of involvement your business or organization is looking to participate in, service projects help to bring employees closer to their community. 

While it’s possible to plan your community service project, even if it’s a food drive, there are existing organizations that help to execute these projects based on where help is needed the most. It’s best to start networking first, getting to know the people at each organization and collaborating with one that aligns with your company values and objectives. 

Not all employees need to be working on the same project at the same time, which makes it a lot easier to divide employees among different projects. Through this, team members will learn new skills, bond with project members, and learn how to work in a team with their fellow colleagues outside of the workplace. 

Community service projects are about uplifting the community, giving back, and helping to foster a positive environment in which both the company and those directly impacted by the change can work in unity to help promote a healthier, safer, and more progressive society. 

3. Charity Events

Charity events are another easy, yet community-focused philanthropic activity. There are hundreds, if not thousands of charity events that are supported by private companies as a way to give back to society and establish a coalition with their community. 

Charity events, in theory, comprise organizers planning and gathering resources that are then donated to a local charity or hospice. These events involve different members from the neighborhood and can see anyone volunteering to help lighten the load. 

In fact, there are dozens of charities that operate year-round and host different events every season to help raise funds or awareness for specific issues within the community. On top of this, there are a plethora of charity ideas that can help raise more awareness for a specific project. 

Getting employees involved in a charity event can seem like a waste of time, especially if the wrong people are in charge of planning and gathering resources. As a business, hosting a charity event will bring employees together to resolve issues that are perhaps outside of their scope of practice and general expertise. 

Additionally, those that are in charge of planning and executing will be tested on their leadership skills and their communication skills. Teams will have the opportunity to use creative thinking skills to find innovative, and affordable ways, to help make the charity event a reality. 

It takes a bit of planning, and it does require the company to research the available charities in the area to see which are more in need of assistance than others. On top of this, the necessary funds and resources will need to be available to make the event possible, and employees will also be required to put in a bit of effort and extra time for it to turn into a success. 

Check Out Indoor Team Building Activities Ideas and Games for Corporate Employees]:

Team Building Activities for Small Groups

Fortunately enough, there are team building activities for small groups that can help them develop a range of new skills and abilities, without feeling as if they’re missing a few links in the chain. 

Small group team activities can be non-traditional ice-breakers for new team members or a new company. These activities can be conducted indoors and outdoors, and test teams on their communication, listening, and attention skills, on top of seeing which members of the team are natural-born leaders, and which can attend to a problem using analytical thinking. 

Whatever the needs of the company, and the employees as well, you can use some of these activities to help bring your team foster new relationships, but also, it can indirectly be used to find a solution to an existing problem or simply help employees think more outside of the box. 

Quick Fire Office Trivia 

Trivia exercises might seem a bit more like a game than a team building event, but there are ways one can tie this directly with the workplace and the employees. For starters, the office is divided into teams of two and four, and a facilitator will then read a range of questions based on different disciplines. 

This is a perfect game where employees who often don’t associate can work together, and it tests individuals’ ability to perform under pressure seeing as each round of questions can be timed. 

In offices where members know each other a bit better, and have more profound relationships, questions related to the workplace can be curated to help see which employees know each other the best. 

Quick-fire office trivia requires minimal planning and resources, and individuals can participate in person or virtually, which makes it a dual-purpose activity for just about any small team. 

Sales Pitch 

Often more driven and focused on marketing and sales teams, the idea is to allow employees enough time to pitch and sell a specific item or service to their fellow colleagues. 

Items can be anything random, or they can be directly linked to a specific project the office is currently working on. This exercise helps to test employees’ creativity and how they can take an ordinary object and convert it into something that can be sold or bought. 

This is a simple activity, which can be enjoyed in the office or via a virtual meeting or conference platform, making it easy to include remote workers as well. 

The goal is to see how well employees can use their creative thinking, working under pressure, or even with a fellow peer. 

Additionally, you can decide to divide employees into teams, which is a fun way to incorporate healthy competition where teams compete for the most points that can help boost morale among existing and new employees. 

There needs to be a bit of thought behind it all, and additionally, it would require having all members of the team on board or present during the presentations. Ensure to choose a time and day that suits everyone, and make it fun by awarding prizes or gifts to the person who had the best sales pitch. 

Employee Appreciation Activity

An activity that encourages employees to give more positive feedback to their fellow colleagues, the employee appreciation activity sees each employee writing down a few strengths about one of their colleagues. For smaller teams, it’s possible to let employees do this with everyone they work with. 

The idea here is to encourage teams to help uplift one another and inform their peers about the good qualities they bring to the team and the organization. This is a more intimate activity and can be essential for teams that work closely with one another and often collaborate on projects. 

Additionally, this activity is suitable for remote teams, as it doesn’t necessarily require individuals to be present in person. This is yet another way to sharpen up communication skills, and while there may not be a winning team that takes home a prize, this simple team building exercise can definitely enhance teamwork. 

Painting Classes

For something that can be conducted outside of the office, painting classes can help teams bond over creative thinking. This activity helps employees express their creative side, and it doubles as a stress reliever for teams that have been enduring challenging times at work. 

These classes can be hosted by a professional in a studio, or if you’d like to plan the event yourself, and gather the materials it can be hosted at the office. 

For the most part, this activity doesn’t require a lot of planning, and it’s an easy way to bring people together in a stress-free environment, where they can socialize and bond with their fellow colleagues. 

Cookout 

Not so much focused on testing individual skills and abilities, a cookout can be a fun way to bring the office together in a more relaxed environment where they can socialize, bond, and engage in different topics. 

A great way to get the most out of a cookout is to incorporate different team building exercises or team building games that can see employees work together to present solutions for problems or think of different strategies for a given task or problem. 

A company cookout requires minimal planning, and for small teams, this can be a good end to their week, where they can unwind and engage in conversation. Additionally, the team cookout can become a bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly event where everyone from different locales comes together. This way employees from different branches can join and gather and still feel as if they’re part of a bigger team.

How to Plan and Execute Corporate Team Building Activities

In some instances, a team building activity can be planned at the last minute, if it requires minimal notice and resources. Although it is advised to rather plan some team building exercises to ensure that all team building games are well-prepared and every team member have an understanding of what will be expected from them. 

For the team building that do require some additional or upfront planning, there are a few pointers to consider when starting to consider the different goals you’d like to achieve once the activity has conceded. 

Setting Goals And Objectives

Every business and company will have a set of goals they’d like to achieve during the year, and this can filter down to different teams as well. In the same breath, you’d want to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with every team building exercise, to ensure both the company and participating employees will get the most value from it. 

Having goals and objectives will help an activity be as effective as possible. If you want to help employees increase or boost their confidence, then hosting a team building event that tests their physical endurance might not be the most suitable choice. 

Be proactive to look for gaps within the team, and pinpoint where teams might require some guidance. Once you have a target goal, it will become easier to choose different activities, and also have employees be more involved in every exercise. 

Identifying The Right Team Building Activity For Your Team

Now that you know what the results should be, or have an idea of the goals you want to achieve with your activity, it’s time to identify an activity that will suit these needs and that of your team. 

Not all teams consist of the same people, and while you may think that a particular activity will suit your team, there is a chance that employees won’t give it the warm welcome you expected. 

These activities should help promote a healthy environment that can foster a positive company culture. 

Try and stay away from activities that might provoke employees’ insecurities, or don’t align with the company objectives. If you know your team well enough, chances are you will find it a lot easier to plan and execute the right team building activity. 

Planning And Organizing The Activity

At this stage, you should have a clear guiding idea of what the activity outcomes could potentially be, and how workers will gain from it. During the planning and organizing process consider a few factors throughout. 

For starters, what is required for this activity to become a reality, such as materials or resources, can include financial resources too. Next, set up a budget, if needed, and allocate enough financial resources to make the activity enjoyable, yet educational at the same time. 

Following this, you can decide on how each activity or activity will be conducted, where it will take place and in what capacity will employees participate. Here you will also need to clearly communicate the date and time that suits everyone’s schedule, and what they can expect. 

Finally, make sure to set clear expectations, which we’ve already covered. Ensure that employees know that this activity will help them learn new skills, bond with their colleagues, or learn more about themselves in the process. Having clear communication and planning is perhaps one of the key ingredients to a successful team building event. 

Measuring The Success Of The Activity

Once the activity has concluded, it’s time to measure whether these exercises have made a difference to their work, productivity, and overall performance. 

Measuring the success of a team building event requires managers or even employers to do a follow-up after the event, usually a couple of days or a week or two later. Consider having some follow-up questions and getting feedback from employees as well. 

Creating a feedback loop helps employees become aware that their insights are being valued, and that their opinions are regarded as important. 

On top of this, managers will get to know their team a bit better, and it will help them understand what are some of the points they need to focus on in the near future. 

If this style doesn’t suit you, then you can potentially monitor employee performance based on their work and whether it has improved since the last team building activity.

It’s important to have a balance between micromanaging or over-involving yourself in employee productivity to ensure that they are being respected, and guided where any shortcomings might still exist. 

Check Out Team Building Events: How to Organize Team Building:

Best Practices for Corporate Team Building Activities

Part of the process of delivering a well-engaging team through team building events is to have a clear understanding of the best practices that will need to be followed before, during, and after the event. 

These best practices will often align with company values, and what the company looks to achieve with these team exercises.

Creating A Positive And Inclusive Atmosphere

A team building event should be about fostering new relationships, creating bonds, learning new skills, and ultimately motivating employees. There are instances where some team games or exercises might invoke a sense of insecurity, but this should be avoided at all costs possible. 

Understanding the objective of each game will help contribute to the overarching company culture, which in most instances should be a positive, yet welcoming environment where employees feel safe and valued. 

It’s best to plan for everyone, rather than the majority of the team. Perhaps there is something you’d like the team to engage in, but realize that hybrid or remote working might make this a bit more of a challenge. 

Include the needs of every person, and be active at listening to what employees want and would like to see more of in the workplace, this way you can establish an open and inclusive environment for every person on the team. 

Encouraging Participation And Team Cohesion

Next would be to plan and organize activities that would see everyone and not just a handful of employees participate. If you notice from a previous activity or team building event that a majority of employees did not feel comfortable or wanted to participate, perhaps change it up a bit this time to include everyone. 

On top of this, it’s important to make sure activities are fun, this way employees will be encouraged to join in. Providing some incentives such as prizes or snacks and food might be a good way to encourage more employees to join, but this shouldn’t be the basis on which an activity is planned and arranged. 

These activities exist to promote team building and more team cohesion, which in this regard is important for both small and large teams, especially those that work remotely. Make sure that a thorough rundown of each activity is given beforehand and be open to possible suggestions or feedback from the team.

Providing Opportunities For Skill Building And Professional Development

Team building events is not only about employees getting to know each other better but there is also an element that looks to promote certain skills and assist with professional development. 

If you know that your employees are keen to attend a workshop, learn more about a specific topic, or even hone their digital skills, provide them with activities that can improve these shortcomings. 

You also need to make sure that enough time is spent on skills development, and that every activity covers a broad range of different qualities. Through this, it’s possible to see some employees improve their knowledge, while others are exposed to something completely new. 

Think of it like this, the more skills and professional development an employee has, or is exposed to, the better their expertise grows, and the more they are able to put these attributes to good use within the company. This way the company not only helps an employee gain valuable skills, but they are also able to gain from the experience. 

Continuously Evaluating And Improving The Program

A final best practice to consider, and which is often overlooked is to continuously evaluate and improve the team building event. It’s not always to say that one particular activity will work a second or even a first time around, perhaps it wasn’t as successful as you’d thought during the initial trial run. 

Evaluating these activities and programs lets you see where you as an employer or manager need to improve to help build a better connection or relationship with employees. Even more, evaluating these programs will help you notice whether your efforts are driving change or even helping employees develop new skills. 

It’s almost straightforward when you think about how one program can promote a range of skills, while another will simply help team members bond more easily. 

The best way to go about this is to highlight both the pros and cons of each activity and liaise with staff members about it. This way you will be able to get direct feedback from the participants, and by making some adjustments, you’ll be able to improve the program. 

Think of it like this: it wouldn’t be wise to have a team cookout when your team requires assistance or guidance with sharpening up their analytical skills. Team bonding such a cookout is another fun team building activity that helps with communication skills in a fun way that can help create positive memories.

Yes, a cookout might be more of a social exercise, but critical thinking and analytical skills help employees with their problem-solving skills and can lead to them developing other aspects of their professional career which can inherently be directly tied to your business.

FAQs

 Final Thoughts

Creating a positive work environment, while at the same time fostering a healthy company culture that sees employees grow and develop new skills take time and effort to achieve. 

There are many instances where development can happen naturally, but for the most part, employers, managers, and supervisors must have an understanding of how different team building events and exercises can help bring their teams closer. 

Before encouraging employees to participate in any team building exercise, make sure that you have clear goals, and that every activity or event aligns with the company’s goals, and employee requirements. Be proactive in helping employees develop new skills, but also become more comfortable with who they are and the level of contribution they have to the company. 

Team building should drive employees closer to each other and help establish more positive relationships. If you have the right activities and help to promote team building and skills development, this will only help benefit the greater good of the company, employee performance, and overall productivity. 

Think of team building activities as a long-term investment, in both you, your company, and more importantly the employee that makes everything possible.