Do you want to offer a fun, dynamic and, above all, unforgettable company dinner? Check out more than 25 creative ideas for a company dinner. Sometimes it doesn't take much to make your employees happy.

Workers attach more importance to company dinners than people think. For them it is a plus to the emotional benefits that the company offers, as it demonstrates concern and attention for employees.

It can even be seen as a differentiating factor in relation to other companies that do not invest so much in social events.

If the objective is to reinforce the team building and creating engagement, company dinners are the ideal environment for this. This type of dynamics offers moments of relaxation and lightness that help to strengthen relationships and improve worker motivation.

It is always good to also take advantage of these events to recognize professionals and motivate them to take the next steps. Remember: appreciated workers are happy workers.

And now, where to start? Check out our creative ideas for a truly memorable company dinner that will leave your employees looking forward to the next one:

Where to start? Creative ideas for an unforgettable company dinner

1. Activities to strengthen team spirit

How to plan an interesting meal? The idea here is not to organize a dinner where no one talks to each other and the focus is exclusively on the food. Therefore, it is necessary to add some component that makes people interact, also taking the opportunity to create a little team building. Some activities and creative ideas for a company dinner could include:

• Bingo

Games that serve to break the ice and, at the same time, offer rewards, promise excitement and relaxation.

• Talent show

There are more talents hidden throughout your organization than you might imagine. And not just talents at a professional level. It would be fun to discover that there are collaborators who sing very well, others who would be perfect to appear on the show Idols and make the audience laugh with their out-of-tune voices, and others who do a perfect imitation of actors like Schwarzenegger.

• Apocalypse Scenario

Ask everyone to imagine an apocalypse scenario and write on a piece of paper how they would spend their last day alive on Earth. Then each team must choose a paper and guess who wrote it. It's a good way for your employees to get to know each other better and have a good laugh at the answers that may arise.

• Startup Game

An exercise that combines fun and creativity. Challenge your employees to create a startup in 10 minutes and present the idea to the rest of the group. You can divide them into pairs or larger groups.

• Question Quiz

How about a quiz with questions involving interesting facts about the company or a new product about to be launched? To make the challenge more interesting and incite a little competitive spirit (healthy, of course), you can also award prizes to the winners. Prepare all kinds of random questions to encourage the team so that no one is at a disadvantage.

2. Themed dinners

Events that stand out for their detail and originality are sometimes the ones that leave the most impression on us. They are also the ones that require the most work, it is true, but the results achieved end up making up for it.

Have you ever thought about how your employees would react if you organized a night of disguises, like a masquerade ball, or with themes dedicated to superheroes, the 80s and Hollywood characters? That dinner would certainly remain in their memories.

Another creative idea would be to take advantage of the occasion to celebrate a birthday, celebrate holidays (such as Halloween, Magusto, Carnival, Egg Hunt at Easter, Barbeque in Summer), or to reward employees through some Company Oscars.

3. Bet on entertainment

A little entertainment never hurt anyone. In fact, it is recommended if the aim is for people not to spend the entire dinner on their cell phones. Here are some suggestions to make the evening more lively:

• Karaoke

The idea is to destroy inhibitions and get a good laugh. The more colleagues are able to loosen up with each other and leave aside the formalities of the work environment, the more empathy and bonds are created.

• Stand-up Comedy

Nothing creates more relaxation and affinity in a room than a good burst of jokes to laugh at.

• Live performance

To start the dinner with a bang and in a good mood, why not host a live music or dance show? It's almost certain that those present will be excited to be there.

4. Conquest by stomach

It must be admitted: food and drinks always play a central role in these types of events. To spice things up a little, you can try dishes of different nationalities. Perhaps a dinner dedicated to Japanese cuisine, or Mexican, Indian, Nepalese, Thai, there are several options to choose from – ask your employees what they prefer or surprise them.

Another idea would be to make a food fair, with rollers and stalls, where you can even invite a musician or artist to entertain.

25 Original and Easy Ideas for the Next Christmas Dinner at your company

Do you want to offer a different Christmas dinner for your team? The end of the year is the time for parties, for the Christmas spirit that reflects positive energies, solidarity and comfort.

Many of your workers are waiting for this opportunity to have a good time and be rewarded for good performance.

To help you with this task, we have prepared a list of 25 creative ideas for a company dinner which promises an unforgettable night, and without having to exceed your budget!

1. Office Decor

First of all, why not start the evening with everyone decorating the office using Christmas decorations? This way, your employees will feel more involved in the event, not just as mere spectators or recipients, but also as an integral part. This is a practice that fosters unity.

2. Christmas Tree Decorating Competition

To incite everyone's competitive spirit, taking the opportunity to entertain them with something fun, another idea is divide the team into groups and make them decorate small Christmas trees. You can offer the decorations or notify them in advance so they can be prepared. The works will then be evaluated and the best will be awarded a prize.

A tip: use the decorated trees to decorate future Christmases.

3. Secret Santa  

Exchanging gifts is a well-known custom at Christmas. But isn't it more interesting when the gift you receive is a complete surprise? Randomly draw a Secret Santa for each employee and task them with buying them a gift (You can set a limit price or leave this option open). In the end, all you have to do is open your gifts and have fun with the creativity of the chosen gifts.

4. Christmas Hamper

A treat for your employees could include offering a basket of food and other products that make sense, such as creams, lotions, perfumes, Christmas decorations, scratch cards (why not?), and even company products. The idea is also to be able to share these products with the family.

5. Pet party

And why not also have a party with the workers’ pets? Many organizations invite families to participate in these meetings, but forget about pets. This would be a good time to meet the cat your colleague talks about so much.

To ensure everyone's safety, we recommend that you hold a separate party for cats and dogs, or with the animal that most employees have. There are also suggestions for prepare snacks and toys for pets, organize a best dressed pet competition, and still make a photo session with pets, owners and the figure of Santa Claus.

6. Animation for children

In addition to inviting your employees’ families, you can also prepare activities for the children. Face painting, playing with balloons, games and even a visit from Santa Claus, will provide moments of entertainment not only for children, but certainly for their parents as well.

7. A dinner that everyone contributes to

Sometimes it doesn't take much to throw a party. Basically, the happiness of these events arises from conviviality, sharing and good humor. For your next Christmas dinner, why don't you try it ask your employees to contribute food, drinks or decorations to the party?

Companies often do not have enough funds or have had a more difficult year, but it is still important to remain optimistic and demonstrate the intention to celebrate another year.

8. Goals and wishes for the next year

What are your goals and desires for next year? Have your collaborators say them out loud to everyone, or alternatively, write them down in time capsules to be saved and read at next year's event.

9. Ugly sweater night

Who has the ugliest, tackiest, most out-of-fashion sweater hidden in their closet? Have your employees bring it and organize a worst dressed competition. For added fun, encourage them to wear accessories like fake mustaches, hats and glasses.

10. Gratitude exercise

Practicing gratitude is an incredibly powerful exercise. The brain feels it as a reward, because you suddenly realize all the good things that are part of your life, everything that makes you happy, gives you pleasure and motivation to continue.

So, take advantage of the end of dinner and bring together all your employees to talk about the last year of work and the events and opportunities that marked you and for which you are grateful.

11. Team building games

If the objective is to reaffirm employees as a family and promote teamwork, games and activities to intensify competition and, at the same time, cooperation are a great option. Some ideas: quizzes, mime games, treasure hunts, hangman games, blind drawing and other strategy games.

12. Solidarity Christmas

In addition to being a time dedicated to family and friends, Christmas is also time of sharing and solidarity with others. Actions as simple as helping NGOs, visiting nursing homes and hospitalized children, distributing food to the homeless and needy people, or raising goods and funds for animal organizations, make a world of difference.

13. Photo booth

Adding a photo booth to your event could be the touch you needed to make the moment more symbolic and offer a future memory for your employees. If you don't want to spend money renting a cabin, you can set up a specific photo zone, with someone handling the camera, or using a cell phone set to auto-shoot.

Another suggestion would be to offer accessories (such as Santa hats, reindeer ears, Christmas lights, hats, beards and mustaches), or install an application on your cell phone so that these effects and props appear in the photos.

14. Cookie Decorating Workshop

Christmas dinners usually feature a variety of delicious desserts. This year, instead of simply arranging the sweets on a table, why don't you teach your guests how to make these desserts?

To organize this activity, You can hire a baker to demonstrate in a workshop how to decorate Christmas cookies, or even how cakes, pies and cupcakes are decorated with this theme.

15. Themed meals

For an immersive and out-of-the-box experience, there are several themes around which you can organize your dinner. And if you want to make the task easier, without spending time thinking and organizing everything, you can also turn to specialized companies. There are several options they offer, here are some creative ideas for a company dinner:

• Mystery dinner – A dinner that takes place while the mystery of a crime is solved.
• Escape room – In this challenge, the meal only starts after all the riddles and puzzles have been overcome. Players are tasked with discovering a final code to escape the themed room.
• Toy factory – Participants become helpers and build, with previously selected materials, personalized toys to deliver to children and institutions.

16. Silent party

This year do you want to do something a little out of the ordinary? How about a silent party with a Christmas music theme? For spectators outside, the room is completely silent, but in the meantime the participants dance to their favorite Christmas songs.

Typically, in these activities, participants are offered earphones or headphones that work via Bluetooth and play songs selected by a DJ. However, if this option is not viable for you or exceeds your budget, you still have the option of ask your guests to provide their own equipment and create a playlist or live stream.

17. Movie night

Christmas classics never fail. “Home Alone”, “The Sound of Music”, “Skyscraper Heist”, “A Christmas Carol”, “Grinch”, there is no shortage of options. There are even films for those who don't like Christmas which can be really fun to watch. Enjoy a fun movie session with popcorn, a simple activity that is still good for socializing.

18. Pajama Party

Instead of setting a formal dress code, why not try something more fun and certainly more comfortable? Consider organizing a slumber party.

This season comes the desire to curl up on the couch in warm, cozy pajamas. The idea is that dinner conveys this atmosphere, especially if your company is in the habit of encouraging a more informal and casual environment.

19. Magic show

Christmas is magic, so take advantage of the end of dinner to entertain your employees with an interactive magic show, where everyone can participate and have fun.

20. Outdoor activities

One tour of a tourist city, or something simpler like activities autumnr (it could be a treasure hunt around the city, or overcoming various challenges and riddles outdoors), it is a different alternative to the typical Christmas dinner.

21. End of year lecture

A lecture for enhance positive attitudes, showing that each person defines their own success and that the company is a means of achieving their dreams, is a good way to end the year and turn the page to the next.

22. A surprise for everyone

You already know that your employees are happy with special attention, so one of the creative ideas for a company dinner could include preparing a end of year gift for all. Some ideas: wine, King cake, perpetual calendar, umbrella, gift card, personalized mug, lunch box or thermos, postcards or thank you cards.

23. Gifts for children

It is often said that Christmas is for children. A nice gesture from your organization could be offering gifts to your employees' younger children, such as soft toys, toys and school supplies. In addition to showing that you care, you will create positive memories in your employees’ families.

24. Video with images of all employees

Another idea could be to make and show a video featuring the entire team. Something with a title like “The faces behind company x”, which shows the routine and commitment of its employees. This is also a way to generate recognition and awareness.

25. Invite an organizing committee every year

How about delegating the task of organizing this event to a chosen team at the end of each year? The idea is to pass on the money that can be used for the next event and invite different people to plan it.

Last tip

Be sure to involve all members of the organization in these events. This is the ideal occasion to strengthen ties with newly hired professionals and more introverted employees. Social interaction has the power to lower defenses and help create intimacy, through shared memories and the discovery of common interests.

Now that you've been inspired by our creative ideas for a company dinner, all that's left to do is start planning your next event! Find more ideas to motivate and retain your team at work at Employment Exchange blog.