6 ingredients for throwing a raving team party
Emilija Jankauskė
July 30, 2021
As a team, we don't believe in company parties where everyone's lining the walls, and awkward conversations lead to a heavy atmosphere. On the contrary, our celebrations usually pack action, mood, and an incredible vibe. And most importantly, they're actually meaningful - it's not your run-of-the-mill team-building. Instead, it's a time to appreciate achievements, get over occasional bumps in the road, and let out some serious steam (which in our fast-paced tech environment accumulates pretty quickly). And here's how it went for us this quarter:
So what does it take to throw a similar event that your teammates will keep raving about for months? All you need are six ingredients for a head-spinning party cocktail recipe everyone will be sure to remember:
Achievements to celebrate. At Nord Security, we work using the OKRs framework, meaning that every quarter we have important numbers and milestones to discuss. It makes up the substance of the whole occasion. And since our team is not dozens but hundreds of people - it's a whole televised event with hosts, speakers, just the right amount of humor, and, of course, - professional gadgets and tech to get a quality experience. Take a look at how it looks in practice:
Ravin' theme. Having a suitable theme ties all the ingredients together and infuses your event with a soul element. Meaning that you'll have plenty of inspiration for decorations, activities on the venue, and your teammates will build up their excitement by planning their dazzling outfits. This time, we went with "Berlin Rave" to commemorate the opening of our brand new Berlin office during this quarter and give it a proper kick-off:
Venue. Location, location, location - once you have your theme, this one is pretty easy to nail down. However, it's one of the main ones - make sure that it has enough space for all your teammates, good infrastructure to support all your party activities, and of course, some graffiti and additional perks never hurt, too:
Proper refreshments and snacks. No good event can do without additional fuel to satisfy those hungry minds and busy legs, and of course, something to quench your thirst after all the talking. So make sure to have plenty of those on hand:
Headliner. Having the main attraction is a must. It's like that ingredient that accentuates all the flavors that went before it. And for our raved themed party, we went with the Happyendless Dj Team, who spun the beats all evening, allowing our team to demonstrate their carefully prepared dancing moves:
Mood. It's like that extra spice that makes the whole event explode in an array of colors and experiences. Usually, it's brought by people, but your responsibility is to build the hype up to it. So don't slack (but rather Slack more) on your internal communication and make sure that everyone is aware of how awesome this event will be and its intention. Just don't reveal all your cards. Leave some space for surprise. And here's how to pack a solid raving mood:
And that's the whole secret - put all of these together, and you'll have an event to properly celebrate all the hard work and progress that you've made with your team. Moreover, your team will be more engaged and even more likely to attend your other events. It'll boost your company culture and bring out all the related benefits to it. Take all of that into account, and happy raving!