20 creative corporate event ideas for 2023

Corporate events are important. Not only are they a chance for team members to get together (either physically or online), but they’re also one of the basic building blocks of company culture. 

Here’s the issue: Organizing a company event is hard. Whether you’re trying to raise team spirit or celebrate a big industry win, your gathering needs to be fun, engaging, and memorable. As an event planner, that responsibility falls on your shoulders.

If that sounds like a lot of pressure, don’t worry—you’re not alone! We’re here to help. In this guide, you’ll find 20 corporate event ideas that are sure to impress your employees and take your corporate party planning to the next level.

Corporate team building event ideas

Team building is an essential part of any successful business. In fact, highly engaged team members are 23% more profitable and 18% more productive than those who aren’t engaged (or even completely disengaged), according to Gallup.

That’s where a team building event comes into play. Hosting this type of gathering is a great way to improve cohesion, break down barriers, and increase team spirit.

Not sure where to start? Here are five of the best corporate event ideas that encourage teamwork:

1. Host a professional development workshop

What better way to re-engage your employees than by challenging them to learn something new? A professional development workshop does exactly that.

Invite your guests to sign up for the workshop of their choice during your corporate event. This gives them the freedom to expand their horizons on their own terms while also keeping them engaged with an equally educational and fun activity. Topics can vary depending on the scope of your business, but what’s important is that they encourage everyone’s participation.

2. Put your heads together during an escape room

An escape room is a fun task that challenges participants to collect clues, solve puzzles, and work toward a common goal. No wonder why it’s such a popular team building activity!

Whether it’s at your event space or an off-site location, an escape room is a great way to get team members collaborating and thinking critically. You can even tailor the activity’s theme to your liking, namely something relevant to your business or employees’ area of interest.

Better yet, challenge attendees to complete the escape room as quickly as possible. Then, hand out prizes to the winning team as a reward for their effort. After all, who doesn’t love a good prize?

3. Start a friendly scavenger hunt

Hosting a friendly competition like a scavenger hunt is a great way to gamify your team building event and take excitement to a whole new level.

Plus, this corporate event idea is easy to plan. Simply task your attendees with retrieving certain items around your event space (either individually, in pairs, or as a team). As participants progress through their hunt, you can showcase their points on a leaderboard for all to see. In the end, reward the winner(s) with something worthy of their hard work. Gift cards are all well and good, but how about a more creative idea? 

4. Run the tables on casino night

Flip your event space into a casino—at least for one night—and invite your guests to play their favorite games. From roulette to blackjack and everything in between, casino night is a chance for everyone to put on their best poker face and have some fun. 

You can play for real prizes, charity, or just for fun. Either way, it’s a creative idea that turns your company event into an unforgettable experience.

5. Get artistic with a paint and sip

Sometimes event planning is all about knowing how to break the ice, especially when you’re organizing a team building activity. One simple solution? A nice, relaxing paint and sip. 

A paint and sip is a fun activity wherein participants try their hand at painting while enjoying some tasty drinks. This is great for two reasons: First, it’s an easy way to let loose and reduce the anxiety of meeting your colleagues outside the office. Second, it’s an educational session that invites participants to step outside their comfort zone and try something new.

Corporate holiday party ideas

With many people returning to in-person events in 2023, office holiday parties are poised for a major comeback. Once a staple of corporate company culture, the holiday party is a great chance for team members to get festive and spread some seasonal cheer. 

Need a little inspiration? Here are five holiday party ideas that will rock your next holiday season:

1. Hand out holiday gift bags

Did you know that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite a lack of employee appreciation as their reason for leaving? In other words, recognizing employees for their hard work is a critical part of a positive company culture. What better time to show your thanks than the season of giving?

Here’s an idea: Hand out a small token of appreciation to your team members during your next holiday party. The possibilities are endless, but a gift bag is a foolproof way to express gratitude and get your corporate event started on the right foot. From company swag and gift cards to bonuses and more, gifting can have a significant positive impact on the overall event experience.

2. Spread some cheer on holiday karaoke night

Take a break from training sessions and workshops and loosen up that singing voice. Hosting a karaoke night at the end of a long day is a fun corporate event idea that gets people out of their comfort zone, especially during the holidays.

Participants can get together to sing their favorite classics and share a few drinks. If you have the budget, you can go the extra mile and hire a live band to play the music. Social Media Marketing World, for instance, includes a live karaoke night on the final day of its annual corporate event

3. Host a secret gift exchange

Whether you call it Secret Santa or not, an anonymous gift exchange is an exciting tradition that doubles as a team building activity. Why? Because it invites your guests to think long and hard about what type of gift might wow their fellow employee. 

Have your team members randomly select a colleague, then ask them to shop for a gift within a certain price range. If you have the budget, you can even give every employee a small stipend to spend on their peers. During the event, you can hold a big reveal where everyone unwraps their present with the rest of the team.

4. Treat yourself at a holiday baking contest

Up for a little competition? The holiday season may be about coming together, but nothing gets people excited quite like a friendly contest. 

One creative idea is to host a holiday bakeoff during your company event. Participants can spend time baking their favorite holiday goodies before the showdown. Then, a panel of judges (i.e., your team members) get to taste-test the results and crown a champion. The contest is fun in and of itself, but the baked goods? That’s icing on the cake.

5. Giving is receiving at a holiday charity event

The holidays are an opportunity to help those in need, give back to the community, and demonstrate your company’s commitment to charity. According to research from America’s Charities, 71% of employees think it’s important to work for a business that supports giving back and volunteering in the community.

Organizing a special event is exactly what your team needs to scratch that charitable itch. The beauty of this idea is that there’s almost no limit to what you can do. Whether it be a fundraiser, auction, giveaway, or toy drive, you’re motivating the whole team to work together toward a good cause. 

Corporate event entertainment ideas your guests will love

Let’s face it: Corporate events can get boring. Lectures, keynote speakers, and sales kickoffs may be important, but nobody wants to sit through an entire day’s worth of work-related activities. 

If you want a successful corporate event where everyone stays engaged, you’ll need to spice things up with a little corporate entertainment. Here are five corporate event entertainment ideas that can add some fun to your next company event:

1. Hit the stage with live music

Some ideas never go out of style. Music, for instance, is something that everybody can appreciate. Book a live band or singer to play at your next corporate event. If you have the budget for a big name artist, why not make a splash? Popular musicians are sure to get your audience excited. 

That said, it’s easy to find a great local artist that won’t break your budget. Pro tip: You may even have a few talented people on staff ready to take the stage.

2. Step into a virtual reality

Event planners are always looking for fresh ways to deliver immersive experiences, especially at corporate events. Virtual and augmented reality are the perfect solution. 

These technologies give attendees the chance to get on their feet and engage with your content rather than just sitting and listening to it in an auditorium. Virtual reality can take the form of anything from custom training sessions and workshops to fun scavenger hunts and adventures. No matter the route you choose, hands-on experiences are a creative way to keep attendees entertained throughout your event.

3. Host a happy hour mixology class

Corporate events have a certain ebb and flow to them. It’s an event planner’s duty to find those special opportunities to inject a bit more energy into the crowd. And one of the first places they look? Happy hour.

This is a great idea because it’s classic. Almost everyone can appreciate a good drink after a long day’s work (or work-related team building activities). A creative way to level-up your happy hour is to pair it with a hands-on mixology class. All participants can learn how to mix up their favorite cocktails while they network with their fellow team members.

4. Laugh out loud at a comedy show

Take a break from the serious corporate world and book a comedian to perform a set at your next company event. Comedy, like live music, is a powerful entertainment idea because everyone can enjoy a good lighthearted laugh. 

Pro tip: Look for a performer whose content appeals to your target audience (i.e., your team). You don’t want someone cracking jokes that don’t land or make sense to your attendees, so be sure you do your research and find the perfect match.

5. Make the moment last forever with a photo booth

Events are all about making memories. And, if you want a memory to last a lifetime, the best thing you can do is snap a picture. Sure, guests could easily use their smartphones, but stepping into a photo booth is an experience in and of itself.

Set up photo booths throughout your event space so that attendees can capture the moment wherever they are. Encourage your guests to share their pictures on social media, then repost them to showcase your team for all to see (with their permission, of course).

Creative corporate event ideas for your virtual attendees

Gone are the days when corporate events were exclusively in-person. Nowadays, hybrid and virtual events are a common fixture in the modern workplace. Here are five fun virtual event ideas for your remote audience:

1. Play a round of virtual trivia

Trivia is the perfect way to bring colleagues together, even virtually. Hosting a trivia night over a virtual event platform allows you to bridge the gap between your remote team members. Plus, you can keep everyone engaged and excited as they test their knowledge and compete for prizes.

It’s all the fun of an in-person team building activity with the comfort of staying at home. What could be better?

2. Raise a glass at a virtual wine tasting

Virtual events require a little creativity. One idea is to send your remote employees a few bottles of fancy wine. Then, everyone can participate in a virtual wine tasting session during the event. With virtual breakout rooms, attendees can easily network and continue getting to know each other even after the activity is over.

3. Recognize hard work at a virtual awards ceremony

Employee recognition is important, but it’s not easy in a remote work environment. Hosting a virtual awards ceremony is a fun and glamorous way to show some gratitude for your remote workers. 

Invite everyone to dress up for the ceremony, then hand out awards as recognition for employees’ work. Winners can even take a moment in the spotlight to deliver an acceptance speech in front of their colleagues.

4. Arrange a virtual scavenger hunt

Why should in-person attendees have all the fun? With a virtual event platform, your activities can easily translate into an engaging digital experience, including a scavenger hunt. 

Participants traverse the virtual event space looking for items and solving puzzles before time runs out. The winners walk away with prizes, but you can also go the extra mile and showcase their big victory on a leaderboard for everyone to see. 

5. Start conversations on a social wall

A social wall is a live content feed where people can share their event experience. Attendees get a chance to post pictures, comments, and other content relevant to the event. It’s also a great way to encourage attendees to network with one another, interact with sponsors, and keep their conversations going long after the event is over.

Pro tip: Hosting a hybrid event? Run a live display of your social wall on screens at your venue to bridge one more gap between your two audiences.

Get creative with Webex Events

Now that you have 20 creative corporate event ideas to work with, you’re almost ready to get started. The next step? An event management platform.

With Webex Events, you can leverage a comprehensive suite of engagement features, networking tools, and other capabilities that will raise the bar at your next corporate event.