Winter’s festivities may be round the corner yet did you know this is also the perfect time of year to start planning your company’s summer party? It’s a great chance to get ahead on the venues, suppliers and rates you want, plus deliver an event that will positively impact your organisation’s employees and ensure everyone feels comfortable.
We asked our experts at Reed & Mackay Events for top tips and guidance to planning the perfect company party for summer 2024.
1) Choose the right venue for the event
Picking a venue that suits the event’s purpose and audience size can be a challenge. And it’s the smaller details that may be overlooked. For example, is there a weather contingency option if you’ve chosen to organise an outdoor event? Is there adequate seating and shaded areas if it’s a hot day?
Also consider elements such as accessibility and whether the venue offers ramps, elevators and accessible restrooms. And ensuring your chosen venue has the correct health and safety certifications in place is a must.
2) Know your audience
A summer party can have different meanings for different individuals. Therefore, it’s crucial to collect information about guest preferences, and consider company culture, prior to booking.
Are your guests looking for something more casual? Consider options such as a barbecue at The Tower Hotel London – which offers a marquee with DJ area and gorgeous views of Tower Bridge – or The Grove’s outdoor cinema and pool. If they prefer a more formal summer party, booking a private dining experience at The Langham London, with Culinary Director and two Michelin-star chef Michel Roux Jr, could be a real treat.
3) Consider live entertainment & team building
Bring an energetic vibe to the summer party by including fun event ideas – such as live bands, DJs, magicians, comedians, public speakers or musicians – or a team-building exercise.
Popular team-building activities include:
· Lawn games
· Art classes
· Ice carving
· VR experiences
· ‘It’s A Knockout’ inflatables
· Cookery schools
· Cocktail making
· Talent shows
· Puppy yoga
4) Ensure employee wellbeing is a priority
A few key tips to consider include:
· What time is the event starting and will people require accommodation the night before, or the night of, the event?
· Can you promote physical wellbeing throughout the day, for example, including an activity break, booking a venue with a gym or setting a step challenge?
· Set up quiet areas if running a large event and provide frequent breaks throughout the day.
· Provide healthy food options made with natural ingredients.
· Collate a survey to gather feedback to make sure you delivered on your wellbeing goals.
5) Book the right event catering style
Align your catering style, along with the choice of food and drinks, with your event’s objectives. For instance, guests often enjoy networking when there are food stations or trucks offering dishes from around the world, fresh to order. This type of event catering also helps reduce food wastage.
For something more formal, consider tasting menus or family style catering, which offer variety. And, when considering the venue’s setting/location, ask venues whether they use locally sourced food in their menus.
6) Involve diversity and inclusion champions
To ensure inclusivity and diverse perspectives, form a planning committee for your event. This committee should comprise employees from various departments, levels and backgrounds.
Request the support of team members who are trained in diversity and inclusion. Consider the drinks served at the event; is there a good variety of non-alcoholic drinks, alongside standard water, soft drinks and juices? Why not include a coffee and tea station providing a variety of herbal teas and specialist coffee, plus the option of iced coffee if the event takes place on a hot day.
7) Provide a change of scenery
Is your office located in a city centre? If your employees want a change of scenery, consider choosing a countryside location for your organisation. If you are picking a more rural location, however, does the venue have good transport links or free parking onsite? If people do need to travel by car you could also promote carpooling to reduce CO2 emissions.
8) Keep communication coming
Keep all attendees as well informed as possible about the event. Provide schedules, dress codes and FAQs. For a large event, consider using Reed & Mackay’s in-house Event Tech team, who can a build a bespoke website, registration and event app so you can communicate with attendees throughout the event.
9) Include downtime & networking
As many organisations now embrace hybrid working, there has been huge value put on giving teams the opportunity to network, collaborate and have some down time together. Make sure this is incorporated into the schedule.
10) Bring the fun to the event
Make your event even more memorable by including a game, quiz or challenge. Introduce a summer party theme – try out Hawaiian, Festival or Olympic – and weave the theming throughout the venue, catering and drink options. It all leads to an engaging atmosphere and is a great focal point for attendees.
Why not provide a customised experience through bespoke gifts upon arrival or include a surprise element? That could include a band everyone knows and loves, fireworks, flash mob or mystery guest speaker.
11) Create lasting photo and video memories
When arranging summer events it’s a great opportunity to capture the fantastic culture within your organisation that you can promote at a later date. Having a professional photographer and/or videographer makes all the difference. And sharing these images on your social channels and website can also be a great way to attract new talent to the organisation.
Did you know…?
Reed & Mackay clients are assigned dedicated event managers, who can help with everything from venue finding, entertainment and catering to negotiations with suppliers and in-depth reporting on travel costs, connectivity and CO2 analysis.
Mail hello@reedandmackay.com to discuss all of your meetings and events management needs.
