By Brooke Chaplan

Company events tend to be known for their ability to bore employees. But you don’t want your event to be like all the rest. You want it to be a memorable experience that all your employees will be talking about for years to come. This is especially important as the holidays are coming up, and your employees will be hoping for some seasonal cheer. Here are five tips that you can use to create that amazingly memorable company event.

Do something no one else does

While this may seem like an obvious way to make your event memorable, so many managers get this step wrong. They try to think about memorable events they’ve been to in the past and include the same activities in the event that they’re planning. Instead, focus on including something that you’ve never heard done before. Whether it’s giving glow bands with company logos or entertaining a live band to introduce your keynote speaker, do something totally out of the box.

Showcase customer testimonials

One great way to bring your entire team together during your corporate event is to include some customer testimonials in your speech. These will evoke emotions within your employees to continue to do their best work. Sometimes it can be easy to forget about how they make a difference in customers’ lives, especially for those who work behind the scenes. Customer testimonials will bring that sense of purpose back to life for all your employees.

Provide enough good food

Fancy up your corporate outing with some unexpected food choices from a corporate restaurant delivery service. Some examples include a taco bar, gyro station, and a seafood bar. You’ll be sure to surprise your employees with out of the norm food choices that will have them telling everyone they know about how awesome your event was. Even if you use typical fare like sandwiches and pizzas, organizing properly with a catering or delivery service company will make sure you don’t have embarrassing shortages or quality problems.

Pay attention to the season

Employees love the chance to decorate, dress up, or relax for the holidays. Consider how you can take advantage of the season, whether it’s Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Some companies will plan office movie nights and pay for tickets for the latest blockbuster, others will let their employees compete in costume-making and decorating. Let your employees contribute to seasonal activities as a way to make them their own, such as having a white elephant gift exchange or a costume party.

Plan some team building activities

One surefire way to help employees create lasting memories at your next event is to have them do some simple team building activities. When people have a general purpose to work towards something, they tend to create enjoyable memories. Some examples include a scavenger hunt and an obstacle course. Depending on the size of your employee base, you may want to split your employees into multiple teams that compete against one another.

Planning a memorable company event may be a task that is stressing you out. You don’t want your event to be one of those boring days where employees are just waiting to go home. Rather, use the tips above to ensure that your employees have a memorable experience at your next company event.

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Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She recommends buying used heavy construction equipment for sale. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan.