You found our list of fun corporate party entertainment ideas.
Corporate party entertainment ideas are fun activities you can use to appreciate your team and lighten the mood during an event. Examples include photo booths, magic shows, and celebrity impersonations. These elements aim to offer guests a memorable experience, improve brand image, and make a lasting impression on attendees. With the wide variety of party entertainment ideas, you must select activities that suit your event’s theme, venue, party goal, and brand image.
These ideas can be entertainment for office parties, corporate holiday parties, employee appreciation day events, and customer appreciation day events. These options are similar to conference entertainment ideas.
This list includes:
- outdoor event entertainment ideas for corporate parties
- interactive entertainment ideas for corporate parties
- unique party entertainment ideas for corporate events
- evening entertainment for corporate events
- corporate cocktail party entertainment ideas
Here we go!
List of corporate party entertainment ideas
Corporate party entertainment activities can propel your brand to unexpected heights. One of the most vital aspects of a corporate party is offering your guests the right entertainment. However, selecting activities your guests enjoy remains a big challenge for party planners. From circus shows to aerial bartenders and escape rooms, here is a list of the best party ideas that you can use to entertain your workforce.
1. Talent Shows
If you are looking for corporate cocktail party entertainment ideas, then try a talent show. Talent shows are an inexpensive and easy-to-plan activity. You can ask willing employees to list activities to perform to the entire team. For instance, you may get dancers, musicians, and comedians in your workforce who are eager to showcase their skills. Then, set up a staging area with a mic and allocate each performer a time slot. Finally, you can encourage your workforce to participate in future talent shows by offering participants a present as a thank you gesture.
Here is a guide to employee talent shows.
2. Live Music
While an audio speaker may work just fine to provide party entertainment, you can make your event more catchy by booking the services of a live band, singer, or DJ. You could even surprise your team by inviting a renowned singer or a DJ for dance-themed company parties. Hired performers bring incredible energy to create a memorable party for your workforce. However, selecting the right band or musician for your team is important, as the wrong choice can kill off the party’s mood. For instance, rock bands are ideal for a large audience, while jazz bands are perfect for small parties.
3. Photo Booths
Available in various sizes and shapes, photo booths are a staple in any fun corporate party. These entertainment options create keepsakes for guest to treasure long after the party ends. Besides photo booth cubicles, you could also use a Polaroid camera or a selfie mirror. Your team can create memories by snapping funny pictures and recording the fun evening party. Photo booths will also encourage groups to interact and laugh work stress away. If you do not want to rent a photo booth, then you can look for an event space with a booth area or DIY a photo station.
4. Cartoon Artists
Cartoon artists are a great pick for companies looking for unique party entertainment ideas for corporate events. For this humorous activity, you can book several cartoon artists depending on the number of guests. The cartoon artists will draw each employee, and you can let teams share the final results. You can even offer the artists branded themes such as the company logo, strategic message, or slogan that will thrill guests. Be sure to allow time for the cartoon artists to sketch all participants. Your guests will have a fun time looking at the comically exaggerated drawings and take home a lasting memory of the party.
5. Magic Shows
Magic performances are some of the best ideas to captivate corporate party attendees. You can have a ‘mix and mingle’ show where the magician will entertain participants in small groups at a time. The ‘mix and mingle’ idea is ideal for businesses with workers from different demographics where universal shows may not appeal to all employees. For example, if throwing a corporate dinner party, then you can let the magician perform at tables between dishes or after dessert. Another fantastic idea is staging a universal magic show with all attendees seated. Other than the cost of hiring a comedian, magic shows do not require an ample space or heavy setups.
6. Mixology Class
Mixology classes top the list of corporate cocktail party entertainment ideas. Rather than offering your guests pre-made drinks, you can have a two-hour mixology class at the onset of your cocktail party. Then, group attendees into teams of five to ten. Each group will then make a cocktail and offer other team players to taste. If you have a small group of fewer than ten attendees, then you can let each participant make their own drinks. For large parties, you may need a huge setup to accommodate all guests. You can host the mixology class at the same venue where attendees will mingle and dance the night away.
Here is a list of online mixology classes with kits.
7. Circus Show
Circus shows are corporate party entertainment ideas that will provide memorable twists to your event. Whether you are holding a holiday party, an achievement celebration, or an outdoor event, all you need is a safe space for the performers. You can choose ideal styles for your team with a wide variety of circus performance options. For instance, you can select between freefall trust exercises, hula hooping activities, or juggling shows. With safety measures in place, you could also let willing attendees try different performance styles. If you want to enhance the circus show, be sure to be on the lookout for performances featuring interactive aspects such as LED characters and living décor.
8. Roast Session
A corporate roast session is a perfect entertainment idea to lighten up a party. Your team will love to watch the gentle ribbing of the CEO and other team members. You could also dedicate the roast session to employees who offer outstanding services, a retiree, or workers who are celebrating birthdays in the month. To reduce the possibility of hurt feelings, you can start with sincere heartfelt words and close with the same earnest sentiments. Also, alert participants not to cross the red line on sensitive topics and to remain respectful to all guests.
For inspiration, here is a list of online comedians.
9. Body and Face Painting
Body and face painting are interactive entertainment ideas for corporate parties that you can use to enhance your event. If you want your guests to network, then you can let attendees paint each other. To encourage interaction, you could also write the names of all guests and let each participant randomly pick one name. Participants can then follow the painting theme or opt to be creative with their themes. You can also hire professional face painters and let attendees choose an ideal theme. Some of the painting themes your team could try include animals, flowers, Halloween, or sunsets. Be sure to provide all face and body painting essentials, including washable paint, clean water, paper towels, and wipes.
10. Graffiti
If you have a large space in your party venue, then consider bringing a graffiti artist to do a mural. Your team will watch the transformation of blank space into an exciting and thrilling piece of art. Rather than getting a wall space, you could consider using a large canvas. You can even have a charity session where willing participants will play ruffles to take the piece of art home or add to the art. A corporate graffiti entertainment idea will appeal to art lovers in your team.
11. Murder Mystery
Murder mysteries top the list of unique party entertainment ideas for corporate events. Professional entertainers will guide your workforce through hilarious turns and shocking twists in an interactive show. By combining scripted theatre, mystery, comedic improvisations, and audience interaction, murder mystery events will offer an unforgettable party. You can pick your murder mystery theme depending on your worker’s interests and the theme of your party. A murder mystery entertainment activity will light-heartedly teach your team creative thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Check out this list of virtual murder mystery games.
12. Celebrity Impersonations
Celebrity impersonators could spice up your corporate party and offer guests an unforgettable event. You can select celebrity impersonators depending on the demographics of your group and your brand image. For instance, younger workers may enjoy impersonations of celebrities in the same age group, while older workers may love mimicking old-school entertainers. You can also request talented impersonators from your workforce to volunteer and entertain other team players. Another exciting idea is giving your workers the stage to mimic senior management personnel and other workers.
13. Dueling Pianos
Dueling pianos is a performance where two grand pianos sit on a stage with a professional entertainer playing each piano. The entertainer also sings and involves the audience in the show. You can have your team request songs that the entertainers will play or let the entertainers fully take the stage. You can even have a karaoke session where the pianists play alongside willing team players. The dueling pianos entertainment idea requires a lot of space and may not be suitable for companies hosting events in small spaces.
14. Aerial Bartenders
You will love the aerial bartending idea if you are looking for evening entertainment for corporate events. For this activity, high-flying bartenders will serve your guests specialty cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere. To enhance your event, you can also get bartenders who will perform interesting movements while serving the drinks. Given the risks involved with aerial bartending, ensure you put all safety measures in place. Rather than setting up an aerial bartending event in any event space, you can look for clubs with aerial bartending facilities.
15. Casino Party
A casino party is the perfect entertainment idea for team members to try their luck. Casino games can be great icebreakers for team players and foster healthy competition. Since setting up slot machines, professional dealers, and game tables can be difficult, you can look for companies that will bring fun to your party venue. For a thrilling Vegas-themed company-wide fun, set up different games such as blackjack, soccer, baccarat, and roulette. You can also choose different casino styles such as free-play, educational, competitive, and charity plays.
16. Blind Tasting
Blind tasting is simple yet effective evening entertainment for corporate events. First, team members will blindfold each other. Then, blindfolded players will take a taste and guess the type of food or drink. You can ask your team for food and drink suggestions from their cultures that attendees can guess. You could even set up a drinks area with different wine and beer varieties and let teams showcase the ability to differentiate varying tastes. Be sure to factor in attendees who may be allergic to different dishes.
17. LED drummers
LED drummers are the perfect company entertainment idea that will bring an exciting twist to your party. You can entertain your guests with a 10-minute LED drumming session as guests eat dinner. The brightly-lit drummers will offer an outstanding show through the unique musical arrangements, acoustically impressive drumming, dynamic choreography, and beautiful lighting designs. For a memorable experience, request creative product-themed introductions, an industrial rhythm, customized logo drumsticks, or audience interactions. LED drumming activities are an excellent choice for event planners seeking indoor or outdoor event entertainment ideas for corporate parties.
18. Living Statues
Living statues are performers with realistic statue-like clothing and makeup who pose as mannequins or statues. These performers are a perfect entertainment idea that will lighten a corporate party. You can have a surprise setup with living statues throughout the entire party venue. Then, once your guests arrive, encourage attendees to take goofy pictures next to the statues. You will create memories with your guests’ reactions once the statues move. Be sure to have a camera ready so as not to miss your team’s reactions. If you are celebrating deserving workers or retirees, you could customize the statues to honor the employees.
19. Escape Room Games
As one of the most interactive entertainment ideas for corporate parties, escape room games are a must-try for a memorable company event. The games will challenge participants to solve a series of puzzles and uncover hidden clues before time runs out. You can seek the services of mobile escape room providers where a team will come to your event space and transform your venue into an escape room experience. Escape rooms will foster creative problem-solving skills, collaboration, and communication skills among participants.
Check out this list of escape room ideas.
20. Balloon Popping Games
Balloon popping games are fantastic entertainment ideas for both small and groups. Depending on the demographics of your team and event space, you can hold various fun balloon-popping activities.
Examples:
- Sit and pop- The sit-and-pop balloon game is one of the simplest entertainment ideas. You can start by securing inflated balloons to a chair. Then, have participants stand next to the chair and only sit on the balloon when the timer goes off. The first team player to pop the balloon wins the game.
- Balloon-popping treasure hunt- The balloon-popping treasure hunt is one of the most immersive and exciting entertainment ideas for an office party. You can start by inserting small notes detailing the treasure hunts that participants will win in some balloons. Then, let each worker pick and pop three balloons and reveal the hidden treasure.
- Water balloon sit-and-pop- If you are looking for fun outdoor event entertainment ideas for corporate parties, then you could try the water balloon sit-and-pop. You can secure the water balloons on chairs in an outdoor space. Participants who pop the balloons in the shortest time win the game.
- Balloon stomping- Engaging your team in light physical activities will enhance your office party. You can set a run-and-catch game where participants will stomp on other players’ balloons and save their balloons.
Balloon popping is one of the best company party entertainment ideas for companies looking for inexpensive party activities. However, keep in mind that this activity may upset employees with sensory issues, and consider playing games in a separate room or giving a warning so that sensitive team members can temporarily leave the area.
Conclusion
Corporate parties are an avenue for workers to relax, have fun, and build relationships with coworkers. Whether you have an impressive event agenda, impressive speakers, and mouth-watering meals, you can enchant your guests with some unique entertainment. Whether you opt for free or lavish ideas, incorporating party entertainment ideas is an investment that will benefit your workers and company at large. Be sure to consider the audience and the desired party atmosphere when choosing party entertainment activities.
Next, check out these lists of event planning books and corporate event management companies.
Grace He