According to research on event trends by Splash, in-person corporate activities are poised to make a comeback. In 2022, 50% of companies are planning to host more in-person events, although the virtual and hybrid formats will be here to stay as well. Around 38% of companies increased their event marketing budgets, and the social event landscape is trying to balance aspects of the new normal to create memorable experiences for attendees. With in-person social events ramping up again, we have the chance to change the way they’re framed. Gone are the boring cocktail parties that only management enjoys; now, work socials are all about genuine empathy, compassion, and self-awareness. In a write-up on building relationships from LHH, SVP Frank Congiu describes these as “high-touch” moments — face-to-face meetings that allow people to interact with each other, so they can build trust and confidence. High-touch moments are effective to connect employees with your message as a company. Here are three tips to make your next in-person work event a high-touch one for employees:
Find the purpose for your event
Firstly, employees need to understand “Why” things are happening, beyond the “What” and “How” of the event. There has to be a clear and obvious reason for hosting this social. For example, you’re going on a team-building retreat. It should be known to everyone that the goals of the excursion are to connect, deepen trust, and recharge. From here, you can better streamline ideas and concepts. Secondly, having a purpose can increase feelings of belonging for employees. As a feature on belonging and retention by INC points out, belonging is a human emotional need for acceptance, inclusion, and connection in a group.Research suggests 51% of people leave their jobs because they didn't feel like they belong in the organization. You can integrate a sense of belonging into your events by finding a common cause employees can rally around. Hosting a charity fundraiser is great for fun and for corporate social responsibility efforts, while also letting your employees do something for a cause they care about. TAG Art’s on-site entertainment for fundraising can definitely support you in this. Instead of auctions and raffles, we create experiences with stationed artists spread throughout the event that generate hundreds of dollars in a single night. TAG Art mimes can be quite convincing when it comes to charity.
Listen to your team on what they want
A study on employee initiative cited by Business News Daily found that if you want employees to take a more active role in the business, you need to listen to what they say. When decisions are made without their input, employees tend to hold back ideas and take less initiative to make improvements. So before you dive into planning, ask questions on what the employees want, including:By getting a read on employee needs, you can better tailor the experience for the whole group. One important tip: organize a committee to take charge of employee social activities. The committee members should not be part of management, so they are in the best position to plan around genuine team preferences. For instance, if your employees want a family day with their kids, our company can ensure children have a good time. We can organize meet-and-greets with TAG Art princesses and TAG Art superheroes to keep kids amused throughout the day.
Embrace creativity for the new normal
At the height of the pandemic, companies needed to work hard on digital events and discover new methods of digital interaction. Now that we can have face-to-face meetings, we can afford to be a bit more creative than usual, while still adhering to covid-19 safety protocols. We have a chance to establish our own version of what normal is, whether this involves expanding, diversifying, pivoting, or rebooting. It’s very easy to stick to pre-2020 traditions, with a same-event-as-last-time formula. However, your employees deserve something fresh and memorable. Tweak some aspects, such as the format and attendee experience, so it’s a surprise even if the venue remains the same. Why not hire a team of TAG Art professional performers, TAG Art face painters, and TAG Art caricature artists? Together, we can ensure all your employees have a fun and memorable time at your event.If you’re looking for ways to keep everyone entertained in a creative way, TAG Art has plenty of services to offer. We have our own unique ideas, but we’d still love to hear what yours are. Contact us today to learn more.