Planning a Company Event for 500 Employees: What Are Your Best Ideas for a Memorable Night?

Dear All,

We are planning to organize a company-wide event for around 500 employees. We request all of you to please share your valuable ideas that can be incorporated to make this event a success. We would really appreciate your suggestions on the theme for the award night, the programs that should be included in this event, etc.

We are looking forward to your suggestions.

Thanks.

Regards,
Akshita

Dear Akshita,

The message is not clear if it is an awards night. The managing director, directors, and one or two more heads address the gathering and share their expectations and achievements of the company, followed by awards distribution. Sharing the experience of the awardees is followed by dinner.

If you want to make it more memorable, invite the family members to the event. Ten days in advance, organize some sports meets and distribute prizes to the winners and runners. If you are okay with inviting spouses, then organize one or two games for spouses and children. If you have time, organize a talent show featuring music, dance, mimicry, etc., and reward the best performances.

Based on the financial position of the company, you can give small mementos to all employees. An important consideration when inviting family members is to organize transport for pick-up and dropping, security, safety, and first aid arrangements.

To successfully execute all these tasks, involvement from all corners is a must. Identify activities, form teams, entrust responsibilities, and then organize. The teams could cover entertainment, food, safety/security, transport, logistics, help-desk, sports, etc., with one Executive Committee supervising the entire activity.

I believe this plan is suitable for you. If you have anything else to add, please feel free to write.

With best regards,
Kameswarao

Hi Akshita,

Thank you, Kameswarao, for your input. We organized some short skits and a dance performance at the last award night. Do you have any other ideas for programs that we could use? I would like to brainstorm a lot of ideas.

Regards,
Akshita

Hey Akshita...

We had a theme - "Comedy" for our family day in my previous company. We had events for songs, dance, skit, fashion show, and many others - but all of us had to prepare only based on the theme "Comedy." We also had a separate award session - certificates distributed for excellent performance - by our CEO and MD. We also had award sessions for the program - like best performance in dance - and like that. We wrapped it up with dinner.

:icon1:Greetingssss....ahhh..nice to be back here after a week..

Ok..now back to your post..so u are a firm of 500..hmmm an Annual Awards Night..sure it must be a grand memorable event..this is what comes to my mind..

• Since its 500(since its 500 cum awards nite i feel to manage the 500 crowd will be more than enough..but thats again upto ur management)..i'm sure u would have decided a big spacious venue.Send out attractive emails to ur company's group id's well in advance announcing about the event.arrange transportation facitlities(common point drop/pick up),catering.(in the venue after the event)..then u can give out party stuff's like balloons,whistles,some playful/childish stuff at the entrance of venue(put them in an small attractive paper bag with a compliment also)
• then other than officially arranging events (hiring ppl for dance performance etc) u can also give ur own employees a chance for a group dance/solo performance..that would be ur job to narrow down the best..have co-ordinators.representatives.U can also have a fashion show organised involving ur own employees dressed up walking the ramp(trust me ..this will be awesome ..try out if ur ppl r interested).since its an award cum annual nite u will have all the ritual speeches as usual..so need not prolong shows cos u got dinner for 500 too-open buffet
• now coming to theme/awards..have an unformal theme for the nite like "break-out from BAU(business as usual)",”celebrating away from office” etc..etc.. for the awards there can be numerable numbers depending on service,cost saving,excellence,living upto ur company's values,innovative employees,regular one's,champ awards etc..these awards can be announced using projectors/screens like film awards functions etc. n then handover the awards.
• And during buffet simultaneously u can have a soft dance floor with music being played for employees where they can join in for a dance(non-alcoholic pls):-D

note: pls check the funds allocated for the event..and go plan accordingly