Creating impactful content for your corporate event
Creating impactful content for your corporate event
Sara Iannacone · 8/18/2023
When planning a corporate event, you’re always thinking about the logistics. But there is one critical element to successful offsite events that is sometimes treated as an afterthought when it should be at the forefront of planning – and that’s content. Today we’re sharing everything you need to know to make your event content powerful and effective.
Event content is the central aspect of any corporate event, offsite, or retreat. When you're hosting an event and want to see a return on your investment, nothing is more crucial than providing valuable content that resonates with your team on an intellectual and emotional level.
Whether it's workshops, panel discussions, team building activities, or CSR experiences, meaningful event content ensures that team members are engaged from the moment they are invited to the experience.
Content goes beyond the keynote speaker. The way that our BoomPop team looks at it, content isn’t just presentations. It’s the messaging and thought behind each and every event on your agenda. And today, we’re going to share everything that you need to know to make your offsite and retreat content as powerful as possible.
Why event content makes an impact
When it comes to planning an event, the content is the backbone of the entire operation. Why does it matter? Well, it boils down to a single, pivotal word: engagement.
You want your team (or your clients, if it’s a client event) to feel a sense of empowerment and unity that will help you achieve organizational goals. Without high-quality and intentional content, your event risks falling flat. Your team won't be engaged, and your message won't resonate.
Sets the tone
If the content is all fun the team is going to be ready to have a good time. If it’s more workshops and presentations, they’ll be ready to be serious. And if it’s a mix, they’ll follow suit.
Helps reach your goals
At the end of the day, events are here to help you reach your organization’s goals. Looking back to your annual offsite strategy will help you create content that specifically drives progress in reaching those goals.
Creates shared vision and intention
Shared vision and intention are key for employee engagement. Events give you a space to explain and show the why behind these visions in-person, which is so powerful.
Next, we’re going to break down what you need to know about the specific types of event content.
The presentations
The most “standard” type of event content people think about when planning their events is the presentations. This could mean internal speakers like the CEO sharing the vision for the year or an external keynote providing a motivational speech about leadership or a sales director giving a quarterly update.
When planning the content on your agenda, you want to ask yourself some questions to ensure you’re empowering and engaging with the content that’s on the agenda:
Does this align with our goal for the offsite or retreat?
Is it valuable for the team?
Is it relevant to their roles, the time of year, the goals?
Will it excite the team and bring them joy?
If the answer is no to all of the above, skip the presentation.
If the answer is yes to all of the above, prioritize it on the agenda.
If you get a mix of yes’s and no’s, move it to the bottom of the list when scheduling and use it only if you need to—or do what you can to tweak it for a unanimous yes.
Tips for offsite retreat presenters
The thing with presentations is it doesn’t end once they’re placed on the agenda. A key for success is prepping your speakers.
Here are a few tips we like to share with presenters for sessions at any type of corporate event:
Keep it short—this pertains to the length of the presentation as much as the amount of text on the slides
Keep it aligned with goals
Leverage the in-person nature of the event and ask for volunteers or questions throughout the presentation for active engagement—you can even add polls or quizzes and give away fun items to the “winners”
Eye contact and body language matter—don’t be afraid to talk with your hands
Ensure that your presentation has clear takeaways that align with the goal of the presentation and the message you’re trying to spread, as well as the organizational goals that are the driver of the presentation being a part of the agenda in the first place
Now, beyond typical presentations, what type of content should you think about?
Meetings and strategy sessions
Not all presentations are created equal. That’s why we like to separate out presentations—where a presenter or speaker is sharing data, company updates, or thought-leadership-style content.
But meetings and strategy sessions are typically more involved in terms of team participation. While good presentations have some level of participation, meetings and strategy sessions are truly centered around how engaged the team is, how much feedback is given, how many new ideas are brainstormed, etc.
We have a blog all about how to make your meetings more effective at offsites and retreats, so check it out if you are thinking about incorporating this style of content.
Icebreakers and activities
Next up is icebreakers and activities like excursions or dinner events. There are two major things we like to consider when choosing which icebreakers and activities to include on an agenda:
Align with your team’s personalities
Not every team is going to enjoy every activity, and not every person is going to love every activity. So in your pre-event surveys, ask team members what kind of things they love to do.
Is a hike the way they love to start their day? Or do they prefer a sunrise yoga class?
Or are they not morning people, and they prefer a coffee chat with activities in the afternoon?
Do they like outdoor activities, or would they prefer a Broadway show? Do they enjoy wine, or are they more of a mocktail crowd?
All these questions will help you meet your team where they’re at, which is so critical for event success. Share the outcomes with your team’s event organizers so they can pick the perfect potion for team building and camaraderie.
Have a blend of lighter and deeper opportunities
You want a mix of fun activities that will spark laughs and friendships, but after a few of those, you want your team to be able to engage with one another on a deeper level because that’s where lifelong connections are truly made. And it is that type of connection that will help your team in business.
For example, you can start with a scavenger hunt around the city, golf, ziplining, or a wine train adventure. Then, later in the week, incorporate something like a facilitated mindfulness workshop or coffee and calm workshop that allows attendees to dig deeper into their emotions and thoughts.
Training and development
The next type of content for your corporate event is training and development opportunities. Rather than having your team learn on a screen solo at home, use in-person meetings as opportunities for growth and learning, as well as finding purpose and meaning.
Here are a few questions to ask to help you determine what types of training and development may be useful at your offsite:
Is the event team specific? If so, add more technical training. If not, add a leadership training or communication training.
Where are your teams lacking in recent evaluations? Offer trainings pertaining to those areas of development.
What has your team been asking for more of? Give it to them! This is a huge trust builder to show that management is listening to what they need.
What’s the theme? Tie it back to that if you’re stuck or don’t have other data.
Giving back and volunteering
One trend we’ve been seeing more and more of that we love is including corporate social responsibility activities that incorporate giving back in some way.
This can manifest in two ways:
Physically volunteering at an organization near your retreat or offsite:
Or hosting an activity that generates something to donate to a specific cause or organization, typically done at the event venue
Giving your team the opportunity to give back and do good allows them to bond over something other than work or their personal lives. Plus, a study by Deloitte uncovered that 92% of HR leaders believe that volunteering helps build leadership skills, and over 60% of millennials consider whether or not an organization incorporates volunteerism in their mission when making an employment choice.
So, not only does it help build camaraderie and engagement on-site, but you’ll also see benefits in the business, too.
Ensure your next event makes an impact
So, as you’re brainstorming content ideas for your next offsite or retreat, ask yourself a few questions to empower and inspire your team:
If you need help making your event content more powerful, let’s chat. Our BoomPop event organizers are here to help you at any stage of the event planning process.
Featured resources
8 Steps for Planning Your Company Retreat
A resource for new organizers on creating fun, productive, and successful corporate events.
