18 Company Party Event Ideas to Celebrate Your Team

Here is our list of the best company party event ideas.

Company party event ideas are activities planned to celebrate office events. Examples include a funny photo booth, potluck dinner, and disco party. The purpose of these activities is to celebrate events with full spirit and promote camaraderie through workplace collaboration and appreciation.

Company party event ideas are similar to employee reward ideas, open house ideas, and community-building events. You can work with event planning companies and read event planning books to find the best event planning tips.

This list includes:

• annual staff party ideas
• annual staff party ideas
• office party ideas
• employee party ideas

Here we go!

List of company party event ideas

Company party events should have an element of laughter and fun to foster the celebration spirit. As these events usually celebrate success and appreciation for employees, fun games and activities will enhance cohesion. Here is our list of some of the best ideas for a company party.

1. PJ Party

You can take casual Friday to a whole new level by hosting a pajama party! To use this theme, encourage your team to wear their comfiest PJs to your event. Folks might even get creative and wear onesies or outfits with crazy prints.

If you want to gamify the attire, then you can treat this event like a costume contest. To get started, have participants model their outfits on a catwalk. Then, have judges select winners! You can offer prizes for winners in several categories, like Best Onesie or Tackiest Colors.

In addition, setting pajamas as your event attire pairs well with other cozy activities, like watching movies or playing board games.

2. Boss Roast

Hosting a roast can be a lighthearted way to poke a little fun at your manager or CEO.

To run this event:

1. Ensure the boss is comfortable with the roast.
2. Consider hiring an MC to ensure the event remains workplace friendly.
3. Create a sign-up sheet for a limited number of participants.
4. Set some parameters for the jokes, like keeping them focused on funny quirks rather than character flaws.
5. Set a time limit for each presenter, around three minutes or less.
6. Set up a stage with a seat for the roastee and a microphone.
7. Tell jokes, and have a great time!

A roast is a great way to involve your boss in the festivities and get the whole room laughing.

3. Inflatable Obstacle Course

For a great summertime event, consider renting out an inflatable obstacle course. These courses range in size and difficulty, so you should be able to find one to suit your team.

First, ensure you have enough outdoor space for your chosen course. If not, you may be able to rent out a park for your get-together. Once you finish setting up the obstacles, employees can race head-to-head or form teams. You can have volunteers time the participants, then give prizes to the fastest racers!

An inflatable obstacle course pairs well with other warm-weather activities, like pool parties, barbecues, or office Olympics.

4. Pet Show

A pet show is an out-of-the-box idea that adds a unique element to an office party. If you want to take your office party to an exciting track with a different activity, then a pet show can be a great choice. In this show, all employees will bring their pets to the party.

To run this event:

1. Have pet parents dress up the pets in fancy outfits and other decorative accessories.
2. Organize a walk where owners will come on the stage and walk with their animals.
3. Employees without pets will act as judges.
4. The pet with the best costume wins!

A pet show will also help you learn about your coworkers’ interests. Folks share a unique bond with their pets, and bringing them to the office party and introducing them to others will reveal a lot about colleagues’ personalities. In addition, such activities tend to promote healthy relationships among coworkers.

5. Disco Party

A disco party at the corporate party will help you break the norms of boring events. Such employee party ideas tend to relax the audience and give them a break from their hectic work routines.

Here are some tips for organizing a disco party at the office:

1. Decorate the workplace with disco lights and a disco ball.
2. Create a disco music playlist, with songs such as “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees and “Car Wash” by Rose Royce.
3. Have colleagues come to the party wearing their best disco-inspired outfits.
4. Encourage the audience to dance by playing top disco hits.

This party will have your employees saying, “Far out!”

6. Wine-Tasting Competiton

Parties and events are incomplete without a sip of wine or other drinks. You can gamify the classic wine-tasting experience at your office party for employees to compete and share their views.

Here is how to organize a wine-tasting competition:

1. Order wine kits, and hire a sommelier.
2. ​Create an answer sheet with a list of the selected wines.
3. Set tables and chairs for groups of four or five. Provide pens and answer sheets as well.
4. The sommelier will introduce the wines the audience will taste in the session.
5. After the introduction, servers will give one drink to each employee.
6. Participants will taste the drink, discuss it in groups, and write the drink’s name they think they just tasted.
7. In the end, the group with the most correct answers will win.

The wine-tasting event will encourage group discussion, and the employees will learn about the history and tastes of different kinds of wines.

7. City Tour

The activities in an office event can expand beyond one location. You can make your party unique by offering employees a city tour. This idea suits both in-person and virtual settings and is especially great for smaller groups.

For an in-person city tour, you can choose the best places in the town and take your group for a visit. For example, you could visit museums, galleries, restaurants, or walking tours. The employees will get to explore their city’s hidden places, share experiences, and make memories.

A professional website can also help you conduct a virtual city tour, which suits remote office parties. The host will guide the members via Zoom, where all participants will come together to visit different places.

8. Field Trip

A field trip works best if your employees want a break from work. A field trip suits a small group best but can also work for large groups if you split into teams.

The biggest benefit of this trip is it works for all budgets. For a smaller budget, a trip like a picnic at a local park works best. You can prepare meals beforehand and take the group to the field. Surrounded by nature and calmness, the employees will feel relaxed, and their minds will feel more at peace.

Conducting physical activities and games is a great idea to make the trip more fun. For example, you can play cricket, football, or other sports. A field trip on a hot summer day would suit a water fight, but ensure employees bring extra clothes.

If your budget is more flexible, then you can also opt for a full-day trip with different destinations and planned activities.

Here are some examples of activities for a full-day field trip:

• Cricket match
• Fishing
• Sightseeing
• Jamming session
• Lunch or dinner

Such activities will freshen up employees’ minds and give them a break to delve into nature while sharing memories with their coworkers. After playing games, the team will eat a delicious lunch together.

9. Murder Mystery Dinner

A murder mystery dinner is an excellent idea for a night office party. The thrill, excitement, and actions associated with this game have made it an important addition to office events.

You can consult a professional to host the murder mystery game and decorate the workplace according to the theme. Actors will perform to explain the plot, and teams will work to find the murderer. Optionally, you can set a time limit of 30 minutes, and the team that finds the culprit first will win the game. After the game, all groups will sit together and enjoy dinner.

A murder mystery game promotes collaboration among employees and tests their critical-thinking skills, both of which are essential for team building.

10. Potluck Dinner

Food is an important part of an office get-together, so hosting a potluck dinner is a great activity. Such ideas bring coworkers together as they bring food and eat it with their colleagues.

To host a potluck dinner:

1. Send out a sign-up sheet, and have participants sign up for their dishes.
2. Arrange tables, plates, silverware, and outlets for CrockPots.
3. Colleagues will sample the various foods and chat.

This is an especially great activity for folks belonging to different cultures because they can share their unique traditions and meals.

11. Movie Night

A movie night at the office is a great idea to celebrate an event with coworkers. Setting up a movie night with a large screen and projector will give the impression of watching the movie in a cinema.

​You can conduct a survey regarding the type of movie your employees would enjoy watching. The film can be fictional, animated, or comedic. Picking the audience’s favorite category will encourage them to have fun while watching. To make the evening more exciting, you can also include add-ons like popcorn and snacks for the audience.

The best time for watching a movie is the end of the event. Employees will sit together, relax, and enjoy the film while sharing comments and opinions.

12. Awards Show

An awards show is among the best annual staff party ideas. These shows tend to give a sense of appreciation to employees by recognizing their individual efforts and promoting respect in the workplace.

You can focus the whole event on the awards show with a red-carpet entrance and dress code. Another idea is to conduct a small event at the end of the party to give away the trophies.

Here are examples of titles you can award to coworkers:

• Top Performer
• Most Dedicated
• Best Attendance
• Best Mentor
• Most Helpful

Also, consider incorporating some more silly awards. Adding humor to the awards show can make the audience laugh.

​Here are some examples of funny award titles:

• Super Snacker
• Office Master Chef
• Office Clown
• American Idol
• Office Prankster

Apart from these ideas, giving out awards for completing tenures of five, ten, 15, and 20 years is also a great idea to appreciate employees’ hard work.

13. Talent Show

A talent show is among the best office party ideas. This activity can help unveil employees’ hidden talents and help you understand your coworkers beyond the workplace.

​Some talent examples include:

• Cooking
• Singing
• Dancing
• Impressions
• Photography

It would be best to ask employees about the talent they will showcase beforehand to make necessary arrangements. Employees will be free to participate and choose the activity, and they will perform live on stage. However, for activities like cooking, the participants can bring precooked dishes and let audience members taste them while sharing the recipe.

A talent show is a great party idea for small groups and can help employees understand the talents they usually ignore in their busy routines. This activity will also encourage employees to focus more on personal growth and value their hobbies.

14. Funny Photo Booth

A funny photo booth will bring your office party to the next level. This activity also adds humor and laughter to the event as all members dress up in silly or cool outfits.

Apart from setting a funny dress code, you can also provide employees with props and accessories like wigs, large sunglasses, pom poms, colorful hats, and umbrellas. In addition, you can decorate one large photo booth or spread some around the event.

In the end, all employees will gather to take fun group pictures in front of the booth. The goal would be to look funny with the accessories and pose.

A funny photo booth is a great activity to keep the memories alive and enjoy the moment with your coworkers.

15. Paint and Sip

Employee party ideas like paint and sip can make an office event more fun. Such activities take your party off the traditional route and encourage participants to try new skills.

In this activity, you will provide employees with cavasses, paint, and drinks. The members can either work in groups or compete individually. Participants will get 30 minutes to sip and paint any picture they would like. In the end, the group or artist with the best painting wins a prize!

While some artists in the team may paint quickly, the activity will encourage others to try a new skill. Apart from showcasing the artistic skills of your employees, the activity will relax your team.

16. Happy Hour

A happy-hour session during office events can bring employees together and encourage them to bond. Combining a happy-hour session with food and icebreakers will also promote team building and camaraderie among coworkers.

In the session, you can gather employees to discuss nonwork-related topics.

Here are some tips for organizing a happy-hour session at work:

• Pick a theme and venue.
• Send invitations and reminders before the event.
• For a remote setting, gather employees over a Zoom call. If you opt for an in-person session, then keep the equipment and other necessary items ready at the event.
• Play games and icebreakers to encourage discussion among members.
• Let employees sip their favorite drinks.
• After the fun activities, ask all employees to come together for food.

Happy-hour sessions mostly comprise informal games and activities that can help employees learn more about each other. For example, you can also host a cocktail-making or chocolate-tasting session. In these classes, employees will get kits to make their favorite cocktails or taste chocolates. Apart from that, workplace trivia, paint and sip, and charades are great games to include in a happy hour.

17. Secret Gift Exchange

A secret gift exchange can be a great activity for an office party. Such activities mostly suit holiday celebrations like Christmas. However, you can still give gifts to your coworkers as a gesture to thank or appreciate them.

To host a secret gift exchange:

• Choose a specific price range for gifts.
• Put all employees’ names in a hat.
• Each participant will draw a name from the hat and buy a gift for that colleague.
• Participants will take turns opening their gifts and guessing their gift giver’s identity.

All the coworkers will have their secret gifts at the end of the event. This activity will also reveal how much coworkers know about each other. If some employees do not know much about their coworkers, then a gift exchange will also help them learn about each others’ interests. Such activities help strengthen workplace bonds.

18. Scavenger Hunt

Incorporating a scavenger hunt game in your office party is a fun way to share laughter with coworkers.

Here is how to play the game:

1. Make a list of items, and hide them in the search area.
2. Divide members into teams.
3. Give the list to teams, and give them five minutes to find all items.
4. The team that finds the most items within the time limit wins.

A scavenger hunt will suit both indoor and outdoor settings. Larger groups should opt for an outdoor setting where you have plenty of space to hide more items. The more hidden items, the more time teams will take, making the game competitive.

Conclusion

Company parties are a great way for businesses to develop brand awareness and celebrate internal successes. Games and activities add excitement and challenges to company parties. In addition, focusing the event on fun activities builds bonds between coworkers. By incorporating icebreakers and fun themes in your office party, you can create lasting memories and make the event enjoyable for the attendees.

After your company event, you can give out swag items, such as swag bags, conference swag, and event swag.