How to...

It’s beginning to look a lot like summer out there! With the arrival of the warmer months, minds start turning to what can be one of the highlights of the year – the staff summer party.

A staff summer party can be great for keeping morale up during the summer quarter, rewarding and driving strong results, and helping your people unwind, soak up the sun and spend quality time with their colleagues.

 Talk to Us about Your Staff Summer Party Now!

Whether you’re planning on booking a sun-trap park or a roof terrace bar for a small team, or bringing a large, widely dispersed sales force together at a country estate, there are a few top tips that will ensure you deliver an unforgettable event, and drive real value from your investment.

Find the Right Space

A buzzing rooftop bar in the city might offer great views, a summery atmosphere and packages for private groups, but they’re often limited on space. Perfect for a staff summer party for 20 or so, less so large groups.

Remember who/what else you might need space for too – are employee’s partners invited? Are you booking a keynote speaker, a street magician or a dance troupe as entertainment? Is the catering and AV equipment you need built in, or will you need space for extra gear and access for vendors?

If you’re booking an indoor venue, check that it comes with outdoor space. Nothing says ‘summer party’ like your group spilling out onto the lawn, Pimms in hand to watch a world-class speaker – and nothing feels worse than sweating indoors in a business hotel when the sun is shining.

Have a Back-Up Plan

Book your venue hoping for sunshine and cocktails on the lawn, but remember that the great British summer might have other plans…

Choose a venue with an in-built contingency plan, like an events room with the space and facilities to accommodate your event – it’s a bit of added value that many venues can offer, and can help avoid weeks of worrying about the weather in the run up to your staff summer party.

Ask About Summer Packages

During the warmer months there are plenty of great package offers on the table from venues trying to snare staff summer party traffic.

Ask venues what they can offer for staff summer parties – many will have cocktails or Pimms reception deals on their books as standard – before pressing for more specialist extras. Some venues offer excellent merchandising tie-ins, and it pays to keep things summery – think branded bunting, sunshades or deck chairs, summer hampers for attendees and other seasonal treats.

Leverage Summer Events

Festival-themed summer parties are always popular, particularly for leaders with younger sales teams. It's easy to see why, with casual dress codes and opportunities for great themed extras (wristband entry and lanyards for restricted access areas, anyone?).

Or host your staff summer party at a real festival, and benefit from an immersive, money-can't-buy summer atmosphere. With VIP tickets including glamping and backstage access options, consider booking a private area for daily talks / group sessions before letting your people cut loose.

It’s not just festivals either – some of the summer’s most exhilarating high-profile sporting events offer excellent opportunities for staff summer parties, with bookable private areas for talks and celebrations, VIP terrace access and many more extras to choose from.

Think Theming

If you're planning on hosting your own event, theming can transform a staff summer party into an unforgettable event that boosts morale and gets talked about for months to come.

Garden tea parties can be great fun, with lawn games to get your staff’s competitive juices flowing – think giant chess, Jenga or a tug o’ war.

Or go to town with a desert island or Wonderland theme – many venues will be able to recommend party dressers and companies for hiring theming and decoration packages.

Talk to Us about Your Staff Summer Party Now!

Partnering with an established events partner with real insight, experience and buying power can make all the difference for a staff summer party that goes off with a bang.

We'd love to talk about how we can help you deliver a staff summer party that aligns with your business objectives - drop us a line via our Contact page, or call 0161 498 3311 to get the ball rolling.