20 Summer Corporate Event Ideas to Boost Company Morale

Summer has just begun! The sun is shining and people are in a happy mood because of it. Which means, now is the time to bask in the sun. Here are some ways you can positively impact your company culture by hosting a company summer party.

Follow our 20 tips for corporate summer party ideas that you can implement this year for a memorable experience.

Why Corporate Summer Events Make a Difference

While summer parties are a lot of fun, there is a method to the madness. These types of events make a difference for your company culture and employee morale. Recreational activities and parties help to serve as team bonding and team building activities among your staff.

By getting people out of the strict work environment, people are able to loosen up – to feel more free. In turn, this allows for more open communication and collaboration among your team. This is also a great chance to encourage cross team communication. People are more likely to talk to others outside their wok bubble at an event like this.

Creating these stronger bonds outside work can positively impact their morale, performance, and overall connection to the company. Parties and summer corporate events like this can help build trust among team members and colleagues.

Show your colleagues, team and staff that you appreciate them. Invest in their happiness by hosting a summer corporate event. Happy staff, happy life as the saying goes. This increased happiness can lead to better employee retention and satisfaction in the long run.

20 Company Summer Event Ideas

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about how you can host an event that people will remember.

Party Themes

Beach or Tropical Theme

We are starting strong with this classic and a great summer party theme. Consider decorating your summer party venue with all things bright and colorful. Encourage your guests to wear Hawaiian shirts, colorful clothing, and flowers in their hair.

▷ Party favor idea: Welcome each guest with a can koozie to get into the spirit.

Decade Themed

Do you want to shake your groove thing in the 70s? Do a gnarly workout in the 80s? Or be the bee's knees like in the 20s? Well, you don't have to decide on one decade anymore! Tell your guests to wear an outfit from any decade they choose.

▷ Party favor idea: Consider giving everyone a fanny pack. They go with every decade, right?

Outdoor Events

Outdoor Team Building Event

Take your colleagues out into the world with an outdoor event. Consider activities like a ropes course or a hike. Keep in mind that not everyone will have the same physical ability, so it should not be anything too strenuous.

▷ Party favor idea: Let everyone take home some of these outdoor games once the event is over.

BBQ & Cook-Off

Let your culinary coworkers showcase their skills. A great option is hosting a cook off for your team. As the host, you can either choose the dish (examples could be chili or burgers) or let everyone decide for themselves.

▷ Party favor idea: Let all the contestants take home a piece of the action with their own BBQ set.

Beach Day

If you live close enough to the water, think about bringing everyone to the water. Whether it is the ocean or a lake, your staff will be happy to get out and enjoy the sun a bit.

▷ Party favor idea: Give everyone a towel for them to sit and relax on during the event.

Food & Drink Activities

Cooking Class

Host a cooking event where everyone can learn a new recipe. Hire a professional chef to come in to walk your guests through an elaborate (or not) cooking course.

▷ Party favor idea: If any special kitchen tools for the event, consider giving everyone some kitchenware.

Company Picnic

Host a company picnic. Choose between catering the event or having your guests bring something to share. If you choose the second option, then consider creating a signup sheet in advance to make sure you have all types of food covered.

▷ Party favor idea: A perfect picnic event needs picnic blankets, of course! Buy enough to let everyone bring one home after.

Food Truck Festival

Food trucks work great if you have a large parking lot on location. Otherwise, you can find an event location where a variety of trucks can park. Give the gift of choice to your attendees with this fun summer company event idea.

▷ Party favor idea: Let people take home their leftover food in lunch box containers.

Wine Tasting

Calling all your amateur sommeliers! This is a great summer company event to get people relaxed and open to talking to other guests. Also great to support a local winery, if possible.

▷ Party favor idea: Hand out small notebooks with pens to guests so they can take notes on what each wine tastes like.

Brewery Tour

Much like the wine tasting, bring your crew to the brewery. Hire a local brewery to come to your company in a food truck type of event.

▷ Party favor idea: What's better than getting a nice cold beer in a plastic stadium cup? Maybe one that you can also bring home.

Ice Cream Social

Host a fun ice cream social event for all your staff and colleagues. Buy enough ice cream for everyone, then provide a variety of toppings people can add. Otherwise, you can hire an ice cream company to hand out custom ice cream cones to all.

▷ Party favor idea: Keep all your ice cream cold before your event with a selection of coolers.

Adventures & Challenges

Trivia Night

Bring out the friendly competition with your colleagues for a fun trivia night. Create fun and unique questions that relate to your business model. Or go totally crazy and make it a random event with a wide variety of topics. Consider topics everyone (or at least most people) would know to ensure everyone can play along.

▷ Party favor idea: If you choose teams names in advance, consider branding them onto commemorative pens or pencils.

Scavenger Hunt

Explore the city around you with a city themed scavenger hunt. Or create your own scavenger hunt with unique clues that lead to a funny ending.

▷ Party favor idea: If you are collecting items, give everyone a drawstring bag to wear as they play.

Escape Room

Look for escape rooms in your area for an added challenge. Watch out though, it might get heated in there. If you are brave, then consider creating your own escape room to host your staff and employees.

▷ Party favor idea: For surviving an event like this, consider handing out special awards or plaques to everyone. Or maybe just the winning team.

Music & Entertainment

Live Music Event

Consider hiring some live entertainment for your work summer party. This can include musicians, magicians, or a comedian. Or consider opening the floor to everyone in attendance by making it an open mic night.

▷ Party favor idea: Make sure everyone can attend by handing out wristbands printed specially for the event.

Boat Cruise

For those companies located near water, consider renting out a boat service. Everyone can relax and enjoy the views, especially if you book a sunset cruise for everyone.

▷ Party favor idea: Keep everyone safe from the sun out on the water with colorful hats and caps.

City Tour

Why not become a tourist in your own city for a day! Book a city tour to get insights to all the places you probably have never been to, despite living in your city. This is also a great chance for one of your staff to consider hosting the city tour themselves.

▷ Party favor idea: Since you will be outside for a lot of it, shield yourself from the sun with bright and classic sunglasses.

Karaoke Night

Bring everyone out of their shells with this hilarious event. Consider booking a venue or if you have enough room, set up your own karaoke night as a summer office party. Make it random or blind karaoke night for even more added laughs.

▷ Party favor idea: Give everyone a tote bag to remember the epic night you all had singing your hearts out.

Volunteer Day

Give back to your community by hosting a volunteer day. Choose a cause close to your heart. Giving back is a great way to keep your employees and colleagues engaged and active in the local community.

▷ Party favor idea: Keep everyone hydrated while they volunteer with a water bottle.

Charity Auction Night

Another great way to give back is by donating money. Host a charity event with various items up for auction. Then all the proceeds go to a charity of your choice. Giving back to others can make you feel just as good as the donation itself can do.

▷ Party favor idea: Gift sets are great, not only for using as an auction item, but as a fun goodie bag.

Things to Consider When Planning a Corporate Summer Event

How can I plan the best summer staff party? This will take a bit more work, as there are many key components to hosting an event. Make sure you take these things into consideration when planning your next event:

• Budget - Once you have your idea in mind, be sure to think about the budget. How much money are you able to spend on things like the venue, catering, goodie bags, and entertainment. Read more about how the budget can affect your party being tax deductible.
• Location - Choose a location that is large enough for all your attendees. Depending on the type of event, you will need to choose a specific location.
• Event date - Pick a date far enough in advance so everyone has time to plan accordingly. Send out reminders to make sure everyone is able to attend.
• Needs and preferences - Take your attendee's preferences into consideration. That can include adapting the food menu to allow for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. Send out a survey in advance to gather this information.
• Gifts - Curate specific items and products that relate to the event. If you are hosting a company picnic, then consider branding picnic baskets or blankets for the guests to take home. Or fill colorful tote bags with some summer favorites, all printed with your logo.

Frequently Asked Questions About Corporate Summer Events

Here are some of the most common questions with regards to summer work party planning:

Is my company party tax deductible?

Generally yes, with a few guidelines to follow.

1. You can deduct the cost of your summer company party if it is open to all employees. You can also include partners, spouses, and family members in the invites.
2.  The overall cost must be reasonable. Costly or small parties may not qualify for the same tax deduction.
3. Be sure to keep records of all expenses for the party. This might include food and drink, any rental fees for the venue or catering. It can also include any staff or promotional gifts you might hand out.

You can host a tax deductible party, but you must meet these guidelines and specific criteria. (Source: TurboTax Intuit)

What is the best way to distribute my corporate gifts or promotional goodie bags?

This depends on the gift. If it makes sense to include the party favor in the event, then hand out the items at the beginning. Otherwise, for products meant as a gift or memento after the company party, then hand them out at the end.

For more tips on topics we talked about today, such as how to use promotional products effectively, click here. Or dive more into the business etiquette of corporate gift giving here. 

Final Thoughts on Summer Corporate Events

In the end, it does not matter what you choose. As long as your employees and staff know they are appreciated. This will go a long way with your company culture. Show your appreciation with a corporate summer party this year that no one will be able to forget.