You’ve found our list of the best corporate event theme ideas.
Corporate event theme ideas offer decor and dining motifs for business-based dinners, ceremonies, and parties. Examples of these themes include Wild West, casino night, and groovy ’60s. The purpose of corporate event themes is to create an enjoyable atmosphere based on fun concepts.
Corporate event theme ideas are similar to virtual event planning ideas. You can attend event planning courses that will make planning corporate events even easier. Additionally, consider incorporating attendee gifts and conference swag to use as gifts and giveaway bags at your event.
This list includes:
- creative corporate event themes
- motivational themes for teams
- corporate event theme names
- organization theme ideas
- fun themes for events
- company party themes
Here we go!
List of corporate event theme ideas
From the farthest reaches of outer space to a starlit night on the streets of Paris, here are some inspirational theme ideas for your next corporate event.
1. Beach Party
A beach party theme for a corporate event sets an instant vibe of fun and frivolity. Your invitation can announce beachwear attire for your guests. Additionally, decor can include fun touches like inflatable beach balls and brightly colored plastic buckets used as tabletop centerpieces. Surf music playing in the background will get the room in the right frame of mind for a seafood-themed dinner served with tiki drinks.
2. North Pole
For corporate events held during winter holidays, a North Pole theme captures both Christmas and cold weather in one motif. You can lean into the holiday vibe and create Santa’s Secret Workshop, complete with elf attendants and a designated Santa. The holiday team can hand out candy canes while Christmas classics play through the sound system. A Christmas-dinner-themed menu with ham, turkey, stuffing, and traditional holiday side dishes will make the occasion merry and bright.
For a more winter-oriented concept, decorate your space with cool blue and white ornaments and serve fondue and hot chocolate to warm up your attendees. With elegant classical music filling the air and twinkling light displays scattered about the room, you can bring the festive folly of winter to your event while keeping the evening nice and cozy.
3. Luau
With a luau theme, tropical fun is on the menu for your corporate get-together. The dress for the evening is Hawaiian-print shirts, of course, though the more daring guests can opt for hula skirts if they wish! Attendees receive leis and tropical drinks as they arrive, drifting to their tables to the strum of ukulele music. A full luau-style spread complete with roast pork, spam and eggs, and pineapple skewers will add true Hawaiian flavor for your colleagues to savor.
4. Sports
You can bring the excitement of game day to your corporate event by using your favorite sport as the theme. Guests can wear jerseys or colors representing their favorite teams, while screens replaying highlights from classic matchups or current playoff games light up the space with head-to-head action. A selection of tailgate foods, such as hot wings, mac and cheese, and seven-layer dip, will provide a feel-good menu for diehard fans to sink their teeth into.
If your evening includes an award ceremony, then be sure to announce them with exciting sports-style entry music to maximize one of the more motivational themes for teams!
5. Fire and Ice
As one of the most creative corporate event themes, this dueling duo creates an unforgettable party. Bringing together two competing elements can create a chilled-out corporate event that generates real heat. With a fire-and-ice-themed party, guests choose to wear either red or blue attire, choosing the fire or the ice side of the spectrum. Decor mirrors the color scheme, with cool and warm lighting creating visual excitement. A menu featuring a mix of spicy dishes and cooler-flavored foods such as cold soups or salads provides an intriguing, on-brand dinner. For dessert, cocktails like spiked iced mochas served with treats such as cherries flambé and fried ice cream will thrill the crowd.
6. Outer Space
Choosing a space theme lets you incorporate decor and effects to take your event into the stratosphere. Colorful mood lighting, galactic projections on the ceilings, and dramatic music can help set the cosmic tone, while smoke machines and dry ice will provide a fun atmosphere. Attire can be cosplay or bright, galactic-inspired colors. For a sophisticated take on outer space, bring in a chef specializing in molecular gastronomy to create dishes featuring flavored smoke and flash-frozen desserts. A more down-to-earth version of a space menu might include more familiar dishes, with packets of astronaut ice cream for guests to sample during dessert.
7. Exciting ’80s
Dayglo polos and a synthpop soundtrack add kitschy ’80s charm to a corporate event. The decade offers an array of decor possibilities, from vibrant splatter paint backdrops to Miami Vice-style pastel graphics and table settings. Guests can dress up as their favorite ’80s figure or mix and match fashions to create their own take on popular looks. With a DJ rolling the best hits from Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, and Madonna, your corporate event will be tubular to the max!
8. Wild West
Cowboys and saloon girls take over the scene when you go with a Wild West theme for your party. You can go simple with your decor by rounding up canvas tablecloths and simple settings, or go whole hog and stage your party at a dedicated Old West event space. Attire for the occasion can be a mix of casual and dressy, with attendees deciding what best suits their vision of Old West fashion. Serving up a spread of burgers, ribs, and countryfied sides will complete the theme in delicious style.
9. Roaring ’20s
Gatsby, flappers, and tiny champagne glasses add up to a Roaring ’20s-themed corporate event that transports your guests to a wild bygone era. The attire for this theme is black tie, and the decor is over-the-top glamour, setting up the space for a decadent good time! You can get creative with details, such as having the bartender only serve guests once they give the appropriate speakeasy password. You could also stage a dance contest featuring steps like the Lindy Hop and the Charleston. Jazz-age music from a live band or a sound system will get the joint jumping!
10. Glamour Red Carpet
You can capture the energetic fun of a Hollywood premiere by giving your corporate event a glamorous red-carpet theme. Creating a red carpet layout in your event space for your well-dressed guests will provide memorable showbiz photos, no matter your industry. A few hired photographers flashing their paparazzi cameras at the crowd can capture exciting moments to share on social media after the event.
11. Disco Night
The white pantsuits and bell bottoms come out of storage when Disco Night tops your list of fun themes for events! Mirrored disco balls add sparkle to the space, while a steady stream of classic disco-era tunes from the ’70s and a dance floor transform the evening into a high-energy night on the town. A menu of fun bar foods from the era, such as Swedish meatballs and sliders, will give busy dancers something to nibble on. Your DJ can toss out disco and movie trivia to keep attendees guessing as they undergo a new bout of Saturday Night Fever.
12. Casino Night
Casino nights are popular organization theme ideas that entertain the crowd with gaming-style activities and mock gambling. You can turn your event space into a replica of a high-stakes casino, complete with poker and roulette tables, funny money for placing bets, and an array of exciting cocktails to serve your busy gamblers. Buffet-style service is ideal for presenting your dining options with Las Vegas flair to keep the theme rolling throughout the evening.
13. Murder Mystery
A staged murder occurring in the middle of your corporate event sets the tone for a thrilling night of detective work for your guests to enjoy. This dinner theater-style idea provides an interactive theme that puts attendees in the middle of the mayhem. You may find staging companies in your area that specialize in presenting whodunnit-type parties. The firm’s representatives will help you time your dining and entertainment activities and may even provide a host detective to help conduct the investigation between dining courses.
14. Fiesta
From the fabulous food to the colorful attire to the spirited decor, planning a fiesta-themed corporate event is a blast from start to finish. You can decorate with bright colors and traditional decor to enliven the hall and play exciting mariachi and thrilling tango music as a backdrop that keeps the energy high. A self-serve taco or tapas bar will allow guests to enjoy an array of authentic Latin dishes, with a dessert spread that may include churros, flan, and pan dulce.
15. Prom
For a crowd with fond memories of their high school years, a prom-themed corporate event is a fun opportunity to recapture the magic of youth! You can treat the occasion with reverence and use authentic decorations, or play to the silly side of prom culture and choose wacky decorations to keep your guests laughing. A dancefloor provides an appropriate centerpiece for attendees to test their best moves to a multi-generational playlist of beloved prom night tunes. The event’s chosen principal can crown a Prom King and Queen to ensure the night ends triumphantly.
16. Cinematic Adventure
When planning a cinematic adventure-themed corporate event, think Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and the suave, swashbuckling heroes from the Golden Age of Film. A Pan-Asian or Indian menu is a great choice for capturing the globetrotting spirit of these movies. You can decorate the tables with elegant silk tablecloths, bamboo place settings, and fun artifact props serving as centerpieces. Thundering background music from some of the best-known films in movie history will keep hearts pounding and the action rolling as the evening unfolds.
17. International
You can take your guests on a global voyage by choosing an international theme for your corporate event. If your space includes tables with assigned seating, then designate each table as a different country. Guests can choose to be Citizens or Tourists and play the part as they interact throughout the evening. A menu featuring Italian, French, and Mexican dishes will provide a feast for your global attendees to sample.
18. Groovy ’60s
A throwback party that resurrects the hippy-trippy glory of the ’60s provides a far-out corporate event theme with an instant wow factor. The attire can be as beatnik or as flower child as your guests choose, while the playlist rolls out music from the best bands of the era. Beaded curtains, swaths of fringe, and oversized daisy cutouts in vivid colors will turn your event space into a time machine, capturing the truest spirit of the Summer of Love!
19. A Night in Paris
Including an elegant evening in Paris among your company party themes provides plenty of variety for your corporate event theme. A screen showing artful photographs of iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre will create a backdrop that gets your guests in the Paris mood. Classic tunes from Edith Piaf and even modern singers like Madeleine Peyroux help set the tone. With a gourmet menu filled with French delights and Parisian desserts, you can create a corporate event that celebrates European romance in high style.
20. Backyard BBQ
The most casual of corporate event theme ideas, recreating a backyard BBQ for your guests to enjoy signals a laid-back atmosphere where good times are a given. A thoroughly casual dress code and the best popular tunes are a must for setting the tone. Red-checkered table settings and bright lighting will help recreate an outdoor setting, while burgers, hotdogs, and ribs supply a BBQ spread that is both familiar and celebratory.
21. Cruise Ship
If you are unable to plan your corporate event on a cruise ship, then a cruise ship corporate event theme is a close second! Attendants stationed at the entrance can serve as cruise directors, welcoming guests aboard and showing them to their seats. A display featuring a tropical island or ocean backdrop makes a fun photo op for your “passengers,” and island drinks handed out by ship staff will be a welcome refreshment before the main event.
You can create a cruise-style menu for the occasion by planning several buffet-style selections. Begin with a salad bar, then offer an array of main courses and sides at a dinner bar. For dessert, plan a treat bar where chocolate is a showstopper to replicate the all-night chocolate buffets featured on many cruise ships.
22. Spies and Villains
For a fun, cinematic corporate event, try a spies and villains dinner. This event theme takes a bit of planning, but the results are worth the effort!
Invitations to the event assign each guest status as either a spy or a villain and encourage guests to dress up for their roles. Each attendee receives an envelope as they enter the event space, with instructions for all guests to keep the envelopes sealed until further notice. Guests mingle before dinner, getting to know one another as either a spy or a villain. Spy film themes and jazzy heist tunes will create a fun soundtrack.
As dinner begins, the host announces the theft of Silver Ice, a world-famous diamond on display in a prop glass case in the event space. The diamond is gone, the case is empty, and an event attendee is the thief! The host assures guests that security is searching for the culprit and will find them before the evening ends. The host provides silly clues throughout the evening, letting the guests know how the investigation is going. Because the thief could be any guest, vague and humorous clues will work best.
These clues can get you started:
- Security has identified the culprit as a human being, between two feet and ten feet tall, either with or without hair, and wearing clothing.
- We are uncertain if a villain has stolen the diamond for their own purposes or if an agent has taken it into protective custody.
- Despite having state-of-the-art security systems, the thief was able to evade lasers and cameras by doing seventeen cartwheels in a row, followed by ten backflips and a barrel roll.
The event proceeds with dinner, drinks, and icebreaker games. Before dessert, the host tells the guests that their envelopes hold the final clue to the thief’s identity. Only one envelope contains a note stating the holder is the thief. All other envelopes contain notes that thank the guests for attending the event. As a fun twist, you can give the thief a diamond-themed gift for successfully pulling off the heist.
You can choose some icebreaker games to play. You can even incorporate fun corporate event theme names and call your event Operation: Icebreaker to reference the diamond theft and the mingling guests!
23. Masquerade
Elegant and mysterious, a masquerade theme can transform your event into a dramatic affair filled with intrigue. To make dressing for the event easier, your guests wear semi-formal attire and choose a mask from a supply provided at the entrance of the event space. While mingling, attendees may recognize other associates or may find themselves among new company. The fun activity of the evening is encouraging guests to make as many connections as possible without identifying themselves to the other guests.
Conclusion
Corporate event theme ideas provide a framework for organizing your parties. By understanding your audience and choosing a theme representing the occasion, you can coordinate the work and throw a memorable bash your guests will enjoy. Whether you opt for something light and casual or a more sophisticated and elegant motif, selecting the right corporate event theme is key for bringing together colleagues and clients in an atmosphere inviting fun interaction.
Learn more about creating a successful corporate event by checking out event planning tips and team building games to incorporate into your plans.
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