There are a lot of things to consider when planning a corporate awards dinner.
From deciding the menu to the lighting to the decor, you may begin to feel overwhelmed. All these aspects are indeed important in pulling off a polished event, however, there are certain areas of the evening that should be given some extra thought.
The following three corporate awards dinner ideas will give you something to think about to ensure your event is a success. More importantly, they help keep your employees motivated and productive throughout the year.
Awards
Deciding how to reward the recipients at a corporate awards ceremony can be tricky. Do you want to stick with a plaque or trophy or should you mix in tangible rewards like trips, money, or electronics?
Other alternatives that show recognition, but don’t cost the company extra money include prime parking spots or an office with a view. The key is to find a good balance. Plaques are nice, but people feel more appreciated and excited about physical gifts. Who wants to work hard year after year only to have a dusty plaque collection to show for it?
Also, be sure to use the corporate awards dinner to recognize the truly amazing accomplishments. Create the award categories at the start of the year along with specific milestones needed to reach the achievement. This way the awards are not left up to interpretation or favoritism and people know exactly what needs to be done to receive it.
Remember, this isn’t little league, every single person doesn’t need or deserve a trophy. Over awarding doesn’t make anyone feel special, so why would anyone work as hard next year?
Program Length
Don’t let the night get away from you. Limit speech lengths of award recipients and guest speakers. Let them know ahead of the corporate awards ceremony how much time you have allotted for them.
Try having one person act as a designated emcee for the night. This will keep the program moving at a good pace. Hiring a professional emcee is an option that allows the event to flow seamlessly, while allowing top executives to enjoy the program as well.
The corporate awards dinner is a time to recognize people for their accomplishments and allow them to eat, drink, and have a good time. Listening to ten half hour speeches is not a good time.
Entertainment
This is the most important part of any corporate awards ceremony, so book an amazing act early on. Having fun corporate entertainment can help break up the night, build excitement, and show appreciation.
In a night full of speeches, entertainment is not something you should skip or skimp on. It can take your corporate awards dinner from run of the mill to extraordinary! Hire the right entertainment and you will look like a hero as people talk about the event long after it’s come and gone.
Choosing a high impact corporate entertainer like Speed Painter Tim Decker is a perfect way to combine entertainment and awarding. His fast paced speed painting show gets the audience pumped and the finished pieces are given as prizes throughout the show.
Remember, this night is all about acknowledging the hard work of those in attendance.
By following these few corporate awards dinner ideas, you will be well on your way to a successful event.
Make sure the evening is inspiring, upbeat, and has a good flow. Don’t bore guests with too much information on this night, save it for the meetings.
Your goal is to have people leave feeling good about their accomplishments and excited to be even greater next year!
