A corporate summer party is a fantastic opportunity to bring your teams together, celebrate success and share key messages about the future.
However, planning an event or corporate summer party is a big task, so it’s natural that you’ll probably have some questions!
Common corporate summer party questions
To help you, we’ve compiled some of the most common things we’re asked. Of course, if you have questions that aren’t listed below, feel free to get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
1. Why should we host a corporate summer party?
There are all kinds of reasons why throwing a corporate summer party is a great idea for your business. These include:
Rewarding your employees:
Perhaps you’ve had a difficult period, or your staff have gone above and beyond to meet key strategic goals or deadlines. Either way, saying ‘thank you’ to your staff with a fantastic event can show that you recognise their hard work.
Bringing people together:
If you have offices in different locations, it’s likely that your employees rarely have the time to build relationships with each other face to face. By hosting a corporate summer party, you create the perfect opportunity for everyone to mingle. By forging stronger bonds at an event, you can also benefit from stronger working relationships, more collaboration and better productivity.
Improving well-being:
A knockout summer party that doesn’t scrimp on the details will send a clear message to your staff: that you appreciate them and what they do for you.
Boosting morale:
If recent employee surveys have been showing a decline in satisfaction, a well-planned corporate summer party can help to perk up those scores. It could also be an opportunity to answer some of that negative feedback and give your leadership team an opening to reinforce where you’re going and why.
2. Can a corporate summer party improve staff morale and happiness?
Yes, absolutely! Throw a great event and you can show your appreciation for your employees. Make sure you pick a superb venue and put on good food and entertainment. By showing your staff a good time and demonstrating that they are valued, you can help to build a happier workforce.
3. How do I plan a corporate summer party?
To plan a successful corporate party, you’ll need to think about the following:
- Setting a realistic budget (with a contingency!)
- Defining what you want to achieve
- Picking the right date
- Choosing a venue that fits your needs
- Locating accommodation
- Factoring in the weather
- Choosing a theme, idea or concept
- Picking outstanding food and drink options
- Selecting entertainment, from performers to music
- Deciding on what presentations/speeches you’ll have and how long they should be
- Organising photography and videography
- Sending out invitations, setting up registration and managing RSPVs
- Sourcing suppliers
- Organising tech and production
- Managing on-the-day essentials, such as security and health & safety
Take a look at our in-depth guide to make your summer party a success. Alternatively, you can contact a corporate event planner like us to make your corporate party planning stress-free!
4. Should our corporate summer party have a theme?
Choosing the right theme is a key part of planning an awesome corporate summer party.
There’s a huge range of summer party themes to pick from, whether you’re looking to create an English garden party, adopt a sporting theme or host a company festival. However, it’s wise to bear in mind that a poorly implemented theme could negatively impact your event and your guests’ experience.
If you do want a theme, it’s a smart idea to play to your chosen venue’s strengths and keep it classy. For example, if you have a venue with fantastic outdoor space, a traditional English garden party can be a top choice.
You could also opt to create your own branded theme, which gives your events their own unique identity. Unsure how to achieve this? Talk to a corporate event planner for help!
5. What are some good corporate summer party ideas?
When it comes to corporate summer party ideas, a festival theme is a fun choice that is sure to be a hit with your guests. Summer party ideas like this will create a great vibe, unlike cheesier themes such as a school sports day. The former is likely to get everyone excited, while the latter may prompt a lot of no-shows!
For more corporate summer party ideas, have a look at our article.
6. What is the most popular time of year to hold a summer party?
The most popular time of year to hold a summer party is from June to early July. Early September is also very popular.
These months are attractive because hosting a big bash during the summer holidays may backfire – you could find that the majority of your guest list is jetting off on holiday or spending quality time with their families!
However, if most of your guests don’t have children, then you can pick up some real bargains by hiring a venue mid-week during late July and August. This is because the venues will be quieter. Avoid weekends – they will be popular for weddings and private events, which means the prices will be higher and you’ll need to book well in advance.
Alternatively, you could create a corporate summer event that allows partners and children to be on the guest list too! Provided you have entertainment for the kids, this could be a great way to ensure a great turnout.
7. What makes the most ideal location for a corporate summer party?
The ideal location is one that is easy for everyone to get to, fits within your budget, is big enough for your guests and suits your company culture. Whether you’re hosting a festival on a farm or a sophisticated cocktail party at a rooftop bar, make sure you base your choice on these key factors.
In particular, your guests’ experience is key. Getting there and back again needs to be thought through, especially if you have attendees coming from far away. It would be a shame to ruin a good party with early exits because many of your guests need to catch the last train home.
Of course, if your chosen location is a little out of the way, we can help by setting up coach drop-offs and posting people at train stations to make sure no one misses their transport.
8. How can I choose the right venue for my corporate summer party?
The perfect summer party venue depends on the experience you want to create.
If you want to include presentations and business updates followed by food and mingling, you’ll probably want to look at summer party venues that have some nice outdoor space as well as indoor areas that are fit for a few speeches.
If you’re looking for a more relaxed, evening vibe for your corporate summer party, a rooftop bar with exciting drinks and nibbles could be ideal.
Whatever venue you choose, remember to check out its facilities and whether it has the flexibility to alter arrangements should the weather be uncooperative.
9. Can you help us find summer party venues with outdoor space?
Absolutely! We have a free venue finding service, which will save you plenty of time and stress when it comes to finding venues for corporate events. We have excellent relationships with the best corporate summer party venues in London and the rest of the UK, which means we are up to date with their availability and costs.
Simply get in touch with us today to discuss your ideas and we’ll help you to hunt down the right summer party venue!
10. What is a good menu for a corporate summer party?
A good menu for a corporate summer party is one that doesn’t scrimp on the food. Elevate it from a basic offering to make it have the wow factor for your guests – they will appreciate it!
For instance, if you’re hosting a festival party, consider an upmarket BBQ that goes beyond bangers and burgers. Consider fish options, maybe some ribs, or food that is cooked over a full-on fire. This can turn food into an experience and will complement your entertainment.
If you’re aiming for an indoor event, cuisine is still just as important. Think about setting up different bespoke food stations so that your guests can choose whatever they fancy. Ensure the stations are visually interesting too; remember that the first bite is always with your eyes!
Of course, your choices should also be dictated by your guests’ food preferences. Make sure those who are vegetarian or vegan, or who have certain allergies, have plenty of interesting choices.
Read more: Learn about immersive dining.
11. What is a good drinks menu for a corporate summer party?
A good corporate summer party drinks menu will play homage to classic summer sips, such as Pimm’s and gin fizzes. Champagne, ice cold beer and crisp wines will also go down well with your guests.
You could really go all-out and create bespoke ice cubes with your company logo etched on too. Alternatively, add a bit of flair and drama with dry ice, or create a bit of conversation starter by using edible drinks toppers (and no, we’re not just talking about fruit…).
Don’t forget those who’d prefer something non-alcoholic! Make sure you have plenty of good quality low alcohol and alcohol-free cocktails and beers on offer – and that they’re ice cold!
12. How to keep your guests entertained at a corporate summer party?
Live music is a great way to energise your guests. Think about hiring an acoustic group, a live band, a DJ or even offering up the stage to your employees so that they can showcase their musical talents!
Roaming entertainers, such as stilt walkers, are always great fun too. For outdoor, festival-styled events, fairground games are massively popular – especially if there are some nice prizes up for grabs!
If you have the space, you may even want to consider inflatables, such as bouncy assault courses or a Gladiators-style duel. If you set up a leaderboard, you can encourage a bit of healthy competition.
13. How can I make my corporate summer party more engaging?
The secret sauce is to create a fantastic atmosphere and pay attention to the details. You need to keep your guests wanting more, so make sure you consider the length of the party, and the start and finish time. Once this is set, keep the entertainment, food and drinks going for as long as possible. If your guests sense that things are starting to wind down, then the buzz will be lost and attendees will start going home.
You should also think about catering for everyone’s tastes. Some people may like to party loudly with a DJ while others would prefer a quieter area for chatting. Providing options for your guests is the key to keeping them engaged.
As a professional corporate event planner, we can look after these essential details that mean people stay until the venue closes its doors.
14. How can I ensure the safety of my guests at a corporate summer party?
To keep your guests safe during a corporate summer party, you’ll need to carry out risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) in the run-up to your event.
You’ll need to make sure the event is closed to the public and that there’s security and first aiders on call. A health & safety plan, and plenty of clear signage, will set out where guests can go if they’re unwell. Make sure there are back-ups in place too – if a first aider doesn’t show up, you’ll need someone to fill their place.
To ensure the highest standard of safety, work closely with your venue. They know their space the best and will be able to tell you what you need in place and what they can provide.
You can also call upon us to handle these details, so that you don’t have to. Handling risk assessments and making sure everything is covered from a health & safety perspective is covered as part of our full event management service. To see how we can support you, book a discovery call with us now.
15. How will I preserve the memory of my corporate summer event?
We recommend hiring professionals to photograph and video your corporate summer event. The photographer can take candid shots of your guests enjoying themselves, while the videographer can grab guests for a few quick vox pops, which can be used in your marketing newsletters and recruitment campaigns. A two-minute highlight video is also a great way to preserve the good times.
Opportunities to capture photos and videos of your team having a fantastic time all together are few and far between, so don’t miss the golden opportunity to grab a group company-wide photo! This will be an invaluable asset for your HR and Marketing teams, who will be able to showcase your whole business having an amazing time in future recruitment drives or marketing campaigns.
Encourage your guests to take and share photos too! Create photo opportunities with great backdrops and novelty photo frames, and encourage employees to share on social media or to a closed social media event platform via a QR code. This will give you loads of great assets for later communications campaigns.
16. What are the downsides of a corporate summer party?
Organising a corporate summer party can be stressful and time consuming. You may find yourself doing a lot of problem-solving!
Curveballs can be thrown your way too, such as the weather acting up (too hot, too cold or too wet). The parties themselves can also be problematic. For instance, if you have an outdoor event, you may have to contend with noise pollution and security issues.
But you don’t have to do it alone! With us on board, we can tackle these downsides head on and take the burden of stress off your shoulders.
For instance, we can organise protection from the elements by setting up temporary structures and putting some funky umbrellas and ponchos on standby. Air conditioning for gazebos can also be installed.
Whatever obstacle you face, we’ve probably come up against it before, which means we know the solutions you need. We’re problem-solvers by nature, so why not challenge us today?
17. How can MGN events work with us to plan our corporate summer party?
We can take on all the stresses and strains of planning a corporate summer party. From choosing a date to managing suppliers on the day itself, we can provide the support you need to create a memorable event.
Best of all, we can do all the leg work, research and on-the-day management. This will free up your time, and best of all, it means that you can relax and enjoy the big day as a guest rather than a frantic organiser!
18. Can you help us arrange a corporate summer party at short notice?
There is no such thing as too short notice. We’ve even planned corporate summer parties with just two days to go!
However, the shorter the time period to your event, the more flexible you will need to be. Your dream venue may not be available, for example. But if you’re willing to be agile, then we can help you to organise a knock-out event!
If you’d like help to turnaround a last-minute event, give us a call and we’ll see how we can help.
19. Can we bring our own drinks to a corporate summer event?
This will depend on your venue. You may find that some venues’ licensing doesn’t allow for outside drinks to be brought onto the premises. Other venues may charge a corkage fee. If you’d like to bring your own refreshments, simply check in with your venue manager first or ask our team to consider this when searching for venues as part of our free venue finding service.
20. Can you accommodate any special dietary or accessibility needs for our summer party?
Accessibility is incredibly important, so yes! We never wait to be asked when it comes to dietary or accessibility requirements. We will always take the initiative at the beginning of the planning process so that we can work through different possibilities. Long gone are the days with just one vegetarian option on the menu!
21. How early do we need to start planning a corporate summer party or event?
Ideally, it’s best to start planning your event as early as possible.
If you are planning a truly spectacular party that will be attended by customers and partners too, then a year to 18 months in advance would be a good starting point. This way, you can pin down your favourite venue and suppliers, some of whom may get booked up quickly!
Alternatively, if your party is just for your internal team, a planning period of three to six months will give you plenty of time.
That said, if you have your heart set on a particular venue, the earlier you enquire the better. As soon as you’ve settled on the idea of throwing a corporate summer party, make sure you get in touch with us. This way, we can help you to secure the perfect venue.
22. Where should I hold my next corporate event?
Take a look at interesting outdoor venues, which are ideal for garden parties and corporate festivals, or check out some rooftop venues for a cool and classy evening vibe. Make sure you consider your demographic when you make your decision. It needs to be accessible and held at a place that everyone can enjoy.
23. Why should I hire a corporate event planner rather than keeping it in-house?
You should hire a corporate event planner because it will save you so much time and stress!
Our experience means that we can create an event to remember. Translating a vision into reality can be a thorny process, but our expertise means that we can bring your concept to life and make the impact you’ve dreamed of – and you can have as much, or as little, input as you like!
We can also work as an extension of your team to take the heavy burden off your shoulders.
At the beginning, we will scope out what support you need and tailor our services to meet them. If you want us to take the reins for the whole event, we can. We’ll put our team on the ground to oversee everything and ensure everyone knows what they’re doing. Otherwise, we can help you to nail key things such as the venue and the main suppliers.
With our team on board, you will also simplify your finances as there will only be one bill to pay. We will then organise payments and deposits to all of the suppliers so that you don’t have to do any of the heavy lifting.
Best of all, you can be sure that a great corporate event planner will create a really slick, well put together event that you can sit back and enjoy.
Read more: Discover what else an event management company can do for you!
24. What services are provided by corporate event planners?
Corporate event planners can do as much or as little as you like. We can take control of your whole corporate summer party if needed, finding you the right venue and then fine-tuning the key details that make a party a smash hit.
Alternatively, we can source a location for you, help you find the right suppliers, or organise the logistics of getting your guests to your party while you handle the RSPVs.
Whatever you need, we can adapt our services to help you and your party succeed. We will work as an extension of your team, helping you with the areas you need most help with. If you are up against it and need help with everything – we can do it!
Arrange a discovery call with a team to discuss your project today.
25. How do you structure fees for corporate event planning?
At the beginning of the process, we’ll produce a full scope of work and charge for the number of days the project will take to organise. We’ll then itemise everything else (such as the venue, food, drink, entertainment and crew) in our proposal to you. This means that you will be able to clearly see where your money is going.
26. Can you cope with last-minute changes or emergencies for corporate events?
We work in the live events industry – there are always last-minute changes!
Sometimes, things just don’t go to plan, but our expertise means that we can sort out any issues before they impact on your guests’ experience. It’s just another reason to work with a professional rather than take on the stress yourself!
27. What are the differences between employee events and marketing brand events?
For an employee event, the focus is very much on making the employees feel rewarded, looked after and considered. Marketing events, however, are more about promoting your brand and building new and existing relationships with existing clients, partners and prospects.
Each event therefore needs to be considered in isolation, and their success measured in different ways. For instance, with a brand event, you will want to gauge how much new business pipeline you may have generated. With an employee event, it will be more useful to know how satisfied or content your guests are post-event.
If you’re inviting both clients and employees to your corporate event, we can help you to create the right balance. Book a strategy session with our senior team and we can work with you to define the right KPIs for your event, ensure your objectives are aligned and success can be measured.
Ensuring your corporate summer party is a success
Throwing a corporate event can contribute to your business’ success by bonding your teams, bolstering morale and improving productivity. But it’s fair to say that there are plenty of moving parts that must be managed in order to pull off a successful event.
Organising a corporate party is probably a task that is being added to an already hectic workload, leaving you with little time or resources to devote to it.
By partnering with professionals such as us, you can ease the burden. We can take on the big tasks as well as the small, giving you the luxury of being chief decision-maker without needing to carry out time consuming research. And on the day itself, we can step in to manage your suppliers, leaving you free to enjoy yourself.
To learn more about how we can help, contact one of our experienced team members today. You can fill in the contact form below, email hello@mgevents.co.uk or ring us on 01932 223333.
