How corporate events can boost culture and engagement

Corporate events are typically filled with food, fun, laughter and music – but employers should not forget the business side of the festivities, according to one expert.

For one, these events offer connections among workers, says Mark Santourdiajn, founder, ONQ-Live Entertainment, in talking with Human Resources Director Canada.

“Corporate events, generally, [are] a great opportunity to have your staff come out together outside of the ‘work environment’ where they're used to interacting on a professional level. 

“At the event, they're able to be themselves a little bit more and break down the barriers that hold them to that corporate/professional lifestyle. Because they are a family – they see each other more than they do see their own families at times – these events give them a great opportunity to be themselves and to form better and stronger bonds outside of the workplace.”

That “enhances” the return on investment in the workplace because “there's greater camaraderie that's built from that,” he says.

The ‘great detachment’ is taking over Gen Z workers at many workplaces, according to a report. And that’s largely because of the remote work setup, finds a previous Gallup study.

For employees, these events offer a chance to expand their network within the company, says Santourdiajn.

“It's a great opportunity for them to see what other opportunities there are within the organization to advance and enhance their careers.”

In a regular workday, workers “never really have an opportunity to speak to managers or people in other departments and divisions that could also be new connections,” he says.

The trust gap between senior executives and employees is widening, and it’s hurting the bottom line, according to a previous report.

Trend in corporate events planning

In the year 2024, there are a number of trends that are taking over the corporate events world, says Santourdiajn.

• Event planners give guidelines for vendors to show what they’re doing for the environment.
• There’s greater focus on diversity, equity and inclusion – making sure that all demographics and communities are represented within the event.
• A big push for indoor/outdoor events, where the goal is to “cross pollinate” – share ideas, create a sense of community – across the organization.

And don’t forget the music, says Santourdiajn.

“Music is very important, specifically that Canada is a multicultural center globally,” especially with Toronto rated as one of the most multicultural cities in the world, he says.

“A lot of times in the past, music's been something that people want to stay safe… What we've seen lately is a big shift with diversity and inclusion, where they want us as a music agency to bring them world music, which then caters to diverse employee cultures and backgrounds and shows that everybody is one. Everybody's together.”

What are the best ways to plan company events?

For employers to get the best out of these corporate events, they must put a prime focus on budget, says Santourdiajn.

“They have a financial obligation. Some of them are publicly traded companies, so they can't just throw money around.

“They have to have justification. So, having a budget is very important; being transparent with your partnered vendors about the budget and what you can and cannot do in your allocations are very important.”

Employers should also survey their workers about what they want for the corporate events, and survey them again post-event to know if there are things that their workers want them to change for future events.

Recently, Apparel manufacturer Gildan launched its inaugural Global Employee Volunteer Month this August.