5 tips for planning a successful summer outing

While the office holiday party is an old standard, the office summer outing is becoming an increasingly popular choice for companies. After a holiday party, morale tends to be high and employees feel a sense of camaraderie with their peers. But after six months of hard work, the moral dips, and is typically in need of a boost.

According to a report from the Boston Consulting Group the top two reasons for job happiness are “appreciation for your work” and “good relationships with colleagues.” So what better way to show your appreciation and help build relationships among employees than with a fun summer event?

We’ve consulted with the event experts here at Kapow and pulled together a few tips for planning a successful summer outing. Check ‘em out.

Ask for input

Employees are more likely to have a good time at your event if they have a say in planning it. While they don’t need to be a part of the entire planning process, voting on a few options will allow them to feel involved and valued without asking too much of them. This is incredibly simple with Kapow’s event marketplace. Send employees links to a few experiences and let them vote for their favorite.

Get outside

We’re willing to guess that by the 4^th of July, your employees are spending half the day looking out the window, wishing they were outside. So give them the opportunity to soak up some Vitamin D with an outdoor event. They’ll be grateful you did, and the change of atmosphere will lead them to bond in new ways that can’t be achieved in the office. And lucky for you, there is no shortage of outdoor options. Book a boating event, a baseball game, a golf event or happy hour on a rooftop or patio.

Invite families

These days, work and personal lives tend to be tightly intertwined. Summer corporate events give employees the chance to bring family and work together. Inviting spouses or families shows your employees that your company values a work/life balance, which has a huge impact on company culture and workplace happiness. When employees feel that an employer values their personal time, they tend to be more productive during working hours.

Add a team-building component

Beyond showing appreciation for employees, summer events often have a secondary goal of encouraging better working relationships between employees and teams. So skip the happy hour and add a team-building activity to your event. It will help your team form bonds that might not typically occur during their day-to-day routines. Try a scavenger hunt, a rock-climbing event, a room escape or a live role-playing theater experience. These activities help level the playing field for introverts and extroverts, and the activity provides a natural icebreaker for attendees. Not only will guests stay for the entire event—you can duck out of a happy hour, but not a murder mystery game—but after the event, employees will be excited to grow their new relationships back at the office.

Consider transportation

While choosing a cool activity or venue is hugely important, the location of your event is equally significant. If your event is happening during the week after work, which most do, is the venue within walking distance of your office? How are your guests planning to get home? Does the venue have significant parking or is it near public transportation? If you’re serving alcohol, do you have a plan for getting guests home safely? If the venue is not easily accessible, it’s probably in your best interest to provide transportation to encourage attendance. If you’re looking for events near your office or in a specific neighborhood, browse events using Kapow’s map feature.