Top tips to Hosting a Festival Themed Corporate Event

8 July 2024

The unique atmosphere of festivals makes them especially memorable and suitable for a wide variety of events. Whether it’s a sales kickoff, product launch, or conference, there are so many original ways to combine the feel of a festival with your business strategy.

What are the benefits of a themed event?

Festival themed parties and events are proven to be popular with staff, especially Millennials and Gen Z, with 44.5% of festival goers being between 18-30 years old according to Statista. This makes them a great motivator for work forces made up from those groups.

Start with the venue

When you start planning your festival themed corporate event you need to start with the venue. You want enough space for all your guests together with facilities for any stages or attractions you might want to include.

Check-out our list of some the best outdoor venues which are perfect for a festival themed corporate event - here!

Make it themed

The world’s your oyster when it comes to how to deck out your festival themed event. There are hundreds of different ways to add extra theming to your festival to make it the standout event of the year. Whether it’s garden parties or carnivals, wild west or Arabian Nights, there are many ways to create a unique event.

Once you’ve made your decision it’s time to look at décor. You can transform your venue with flags or bunting, lighting, and props centred around your chosen theme. You can also designate spaces for fun games and activities that link in with your theme like polo, ring toss, or zorbing. We will cover activities and entertainment more next as well.

Another idea, which is great for product launches and sales kickoffs, is to incorporate your company branding. This offers a great way to not let your company’s involvement be lost in all the festival fun, but keep it summery with branded bunting, hats, fans, or even a beach ball.

Pick your entertainment

Festivals open up a world of choice when it comes to entertainment. The obvious choice is to organise some live music or a DJ, but that isn’t the only option available.

You could have walkabout entertainment such as silt walkers, magicians, dancers, or fire artists. There is also the option of stalls for face painters, caricaturists, drop-in craft workshops. And, it’s a great idea to have interactive games that guests can participate and compete in together, including scavenger hunts, outdoor escape rooms, or go all out with an inflatable obstacle course. Or let your staff be big kids with fairground favourites like dodgems, rides, and stalls.

Keep your entertainment in line with your theming to keep the cohesion and craft a truly unique festival. One example of this is if you host a western themed festival try a mechanical bull and line dancing lessons, but the possibilities are endless, and we can help craft the perfect event from beginning to end.

Set Up Catering

No event is complete without food and a festival is no different! The right catering can really elevate the event experience for your guests. Food trucks and pop-up stands make a festival and you can go for a wide variety to give your guests a taste of the world or focus on food options that best suit your event. Alternatively, many venues will also offer catering like buffets or BBQs which can be tailored to your festival.

When it comes to drinks you can’t go wrong with Pimm’s, craft beers, or fruity ciders. Our supplier network means we can craft the perfect drink package, or even organise a mixologist stall to provide cocktails and mixes for your guests. We can also work alongside your chosen venue to arrange a drink reception for your event.

Be ready for the Great British weather

When it comes to any outdoor event the one thing out of anyone’s control is the weather. But while we can’t control the weather, we can make sure we have a backup plan.

From marquees to retractable roofs, or even the option of being able to dash indoors should the weather turn sour, there are many ways to protect against the weather. We can advise the best ways to weatherproof your event and ensure the weather won’t put a dampener on your festival.

No matter how you want to shape your next festival themed corporate event, Inconnection can help create the perfect atmosphere for your employees and partners to enjoy themselves and connect with each other. Contact us now and we will craft the festival event of the year for your business.