Has your organisation ever held a corporate summer party? If so, the people who attended are probably still talking about it. Some corporate summer parties even become legendary, part of a company’s corporate history, a powerful player in their internal brand story.
Why, as a business, would you want to spend hard-earned cash treating your employees to a bit of fun? As it turns out, there are plenty of good business reasons. Here they are.
We all deserve a break from work
If you’ve ever sat in the office looking out of the window at the sunshine and found yourself wishing you were out in it, you’re not alone. The simple act of enjoying fine summer weather outdoors instead of being stuck inside is enough to make your people feel happier, calmer, and more inclined to like and respect the organisation that employs them. It’s all about give and take, about enjoying your common humanity. After all, even important folk like Directors love a sunny day.
The business benefits of treating people well
When you treat the people who work hard for you well, whether it means providing flexitime or buying everyone an ice cream on a steaming hot summer day, they remember it and it makes them feel good. People who feel happier at work are more productive, more likely to stick around, and less likely to cause disruption. A strong, cohesive company culture usually delivers a better bottom line than a company whose members don’t feel like a team and don’t share the same goals.
The amazing power of social interaction
The people we work with can be one-dimensional, which means they don’t always seem quite so human as our friends and families. But when employees are joined together with strong social glue, great teams are made and better human relationships emerge. A corporate summer party lets your people mingle, discover the real human beings behind the corporate faces, make new connections, hatch new ideas between them and collaborate more effectively.
Getting to know the wider workforce
It’s not unusual for people in one department to never meet their colleagues in another department. It might be that everyone’s too busy to mingle, or you’re on different floors or even in separate buildings. But every employee has something special to offer, and as an employee knowing more of your colleagues means you have more resources to tap into. New cross-departmental connections are fantastic ways to generate bright new ideas.
Team building – Do you remember when…?
There’s nothing quite like a shared experience to bring people together. The world of work is artificial, filled with people you might not ordinarily socialise with, and sharing a celebration is an excellent, very effective way to build new relationships that might never otherwise have been built. Once people have formed an alliance at an event like a summer corporate party, it lasts. If Jason from accounts wants something from you urgently and you’ve never met him, it’s less likely you’ll make an effort than if you’ve had a few drinks together or eaten at the same table.
The cost might be tax-deductible
Some of the expenses of holding a corporate summer party are tax-deductible. It depends on whether it’s an annual event, if it’s open to all your employees, whether it costs more than £150 a head, how many events you hold during the tax year, whether any of the employees in question are directors, and how much they are paid. Always get advice from your accountant. More info can be found on the government website.
If you invite your clients…
If you invite clients to your corporate summer parties and they’re great events, they’ll leave feeling they know and trust your business better, enjoy the company of your employees, and feel more loyal to you. It’s clear that inviting customers to celebrate with you, at the company’s cost, has a great many advantages including financial ones. Next time you arrange a work party, make it a summer event.
Speak to our expert corporate event planners who specialise in delivering corporate events London. They can be contacted by telephone on 0207 148 1665 or via the live chat function on our website.
About The Author: Levent Niyazi
Levent Niyazi is a prominent figure in the events industry with a rich experience spanning over two decades. In this time, he has masterminded numerous unforgettable events. As the visionary founder of Good Look Events, Levent has propelled the agency to become one of the UK's fastest-growing event agencies.
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