11 Fun Activities for Corporate Networking Events
Food and drinks are normally a given at a corporate networking event. The harder question is what you can provide that actually gets people interacting with each other.
A good networking event should give guests a reason to move around, start conversations and spend time with people they don’t already know. Adding an activity or some form of entertainment can make that happen — and can also turn an otherwise fairly conventional corporate reception into a memorable event.
If you’re planning a corporate networking event in Montreal (or anywhere else), here are 11 ideas to consider, from live entertainment and games to creative experiences that give guests something to take home.
Live Music
Live music is one of the easiest ways to add atmosphere to a corporate event.
Depending on the type of event, that could mean anything from a solo guitarist or jazz trio to a full band, DJ or more unusual musical performance.
For a networking event, the music doesn’t necessarily need to be the main attraction, and it often works better when it provides a backdrop to the event without making conversation difficult.
A jazz trio during a cocktail reception, for example, can create a very different atmosphere from a DJ and dance floor later in the evening.
Music can also help mark different stages of an event too: something relaxed during the networking portion, followed by more energetic entertainment once dinner or formal presentations are finished.
Acrobats and Other Circus Performers
Here’s an idea that will immediately catch people’s attention: consider bringing in acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, tarot card readers, or other circus performers.
Unlike a traditional stage performance, these acts can sometimes be incorporated into the space around the guests, making them particularly effective at large receptions where people are moving between different areas.
They’re also highly visual, which makes them fantastic subjects for event photography.
Aerial performances, in particular, can transform an otherwise ordinary venue into something much more spectacular — and provide guests with something they are likely to photograph and share themselves.
Magicians
A magician walking around a networking event can do more than simply entertain people.
Close-up magic gives strangers an immediate reason to interact.
Instead of two guests standing beside each other wondering how to start a conversation, a magician can bring them together for a trick. Suddenly they have something to discuss.
For that reason, roaming magicians can be particularly well suited to networking receptions. They don’t require everyone to stop what they’re doing and watch a performance, and they can move between different groups throughout the evening.
Photo and Video Booths
Photo booths have come a long way from the enclosed booths and props that were once a staple of weddings and parties.
Corporate events can now feature everything from professional portrait booths and GIF booths to slow-motion video, 360-degree video and branded interactive experiences.
The advantage is that the activity gives guests something tangible at the end. They get a photograph or video they can share, while the company gets an opportunity to incorporate its branding into the experience.
A photo booth can also work particularly well when the event has a theme or a strong visual identity.
And if you’re hiring an event photographer as well, a booth doesn’t have to replace professional event photography. The two serve very different purposes: the booth creates an interactive guest experience, while the photographer documents the event, people and atmosphere as they unfold.
Board Games and Video Games
Not every corporate event needs to feel formal.
For a more relaxed networking event, board games, arcade games and video games can provide an easy way for people to interact without having to make conversation the entire focus.
You could provide classic board games, giant versions of familiar games, tabletop games, retro arcade machines, racing simulators or multiplayer video games.
The best choices are usually games that people can understand quickly and play in relatively short sessions. You don’t necessarily want guests disappearing into a complicated game for two hours.
Instead, think of games as conversation starters.
A small group gathered around a foosball table or arcade machine is already interacting. The game simply gives them something to do together.
A Casino
Casino-style entertainment can add a little friendly competition to a corporate event.
Roulette, blackjack, poker and other casino games can be set up using play money or tokens, allowing guests to enjoy the experience without turning the event into actual gambling.
Casino tables work particularly well at larger evening events because they can operate throughout the night rather than requiring everyone to participate at the same time.
They also create natural groups of people who can interact around a table.
You can even incorporate prizes for the people who accumulate the most points or tokens, giving guests another incentive to take part.
Karaoke
Karaoke isn’t going to be everyone’s idea of a good networking activity — but that’s precisely why it can work so well for the right event.
It’s particularly suited to informal corporate parties where the objective is less about conventional business networking and more about giving colleagues and clients an opportunity to relax.
You don’t necessarily need everyone to participate. A karaoke area can become one option among several, allowing guests to choose how involved they want to be.
And once somebody gets up and starts singing, there’s a good chance the rest of the room will start paying attention.
Team-Building Activities
If the purpose of your event is to get people actively interacting rather than simply socializing, a structured team-building activity can be a good option.
There are countless possibilities, but the most important thing is to choose an activity that fits your audience.
A team-building exercise doesn’t necessarily have to be an elaborate corporate workshop. Sometimes something simple and fun can encourage much more interaction than a formal networking exercise.
A Perfume-Making Bar
If you’re looking for something a little different, consider a perfume-making bar.
Guests can experiment with different scents and create their own fragrance, often with the opportunity to take a bottle home afterwards.
It’s a good example of an experiential activity because it combines participation with a physical souvenir.
It also works well for networking because guests can compare the fragrances they’re creating, ask each other questions and share the experience without being forced into a structured team-building exercise.
The same principle can be applied to plenty of other creative activities: give people something interesting to make, and you’ve automatically given them something to talk about.
Table Football and Other Simple Games
Sometimes the simplest activities are the most effective.
A foosball table, pool table, ping-pong table or similar game doesn’t require much explanation and doesn’t require guests to commit to a lengthy activity.
People can play for five minutes, wander away, come back later and invite someone else to join them.
That flexibility is particularly useful at networking events, where guests should be able to move freely around the venue.
These games can also be a good way of breaking up a large room. Rather than having everyone standing around the bar or cocktail tables, strategically placed activities give people another reason to move through the space.
Raffles and Prize Draws
A raffle or prize draw might not sound like entertainment in the traditional sense, but it can be an effective way of adding a little anticipation to a corporate event.
The prizes don’t necessarily have to be extravagant. Depending on the event, they could include restaurant vouchers, experiences, technology, travel-related prizes or products supplied by sponsors.
Prize draws can also encourage guests to interact with exhibitors or visit different areas of an event. For example, guests could receive entries for visiting particular booths, completing a challenge or participating in an activity.
And announcing the winner near the end of the event gives people another reason to stay until the final moments.
How Do You Choose the Right Corporate Event Activity?
With so many possibilities, the challenge isn’t finding something to do. It’s finding something that suits your particular event.
Start by considering the purpose of the event.
If you’re organizing a formal business networking reception, background music, roaming entertainment or a photo experience may work better than a highly structured activity.
If you’re organizing a company party, something more energetic — such as karaoke, games or a casino — might be appropriate.
You should also consider the number of guests. An activity that works brilliantly for 30 people might not work for 500. For larger events, it’s often better to have several smaller activities distributed throughout the venue rather than one activity that everyone has to participate in simultaneously.
An aerialist needs considerably more space and technical planning than a foosball table. A live band needs an appropriate performance area, while a perfume-making station needs tables and somewhere to store supplies.
Finally, think about how much participation you actually want to demand from your guests.
Networking events work best when people have choices. Some guests will happily get on stage and sing karaoke. Others would rather have a drink, watch a magician perform a trick and chat with someone they’ve just met.
Providing several different ways to participate allows everyone to find something that suits them.
Don’t Forget the Photography
Whatever activities you choose, remember that they’re also creating moments that are worth documenting.
A corporate event photographer can capture the obvious elements — speakers, sponsors, branding and group photographs — but some of the most useful images often come from the activities happening around them.
A magician bringing a group of guests together. Colleagues competing at a foosball table. Someone discovering the fragrance they’ve just created. Guests laughing during karaoke. An acrobat performing above the crowd.
These photographs show what an event actually felt like, rather than simply documenting who attended.
They can then be used for future event promotion, social media, internal communications, websites, annual reports and marketing.
If you’re organizing a corporate networking event in Montreal and need an event photographer, I’d be happy to discuss what you’re planning and how I can help document it.
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Montreal Networking Event - TMXAuthor
[…] The event provided a fun, lively setting for guests to meet, connect and enjoy the atmosphere. With the World Cup providing the theme, the evening had a distinctly international feel, combining corporate networking with a more relaxed and social environment, which was enhanced by the prize-draw and foosball table. […]