A staff (or Corporate) dinner is a unique opportunity to reinforce the bond between companies and their staff, bolstering team spirit in a social setting. Meeting up outside the workplace enables people to relax in a more casual and easy-going environment, forging firm ties that will have a positive impact on the atmosphere at work.
The management should not see occasions of this kind as a mere formality that’s a necessary part of company life, but as a means of creating and conveying corporate values and getting staff to embrace shared goals. Staff dinners can do much more than workshops and meetings to foster team spirit, because they allow people to get involved in a way that goes beyond the everyday duties of their jobs.
That doesn’t mean that staff dinners should be totally informal events when everyone forgets about roles and hierarchies for an evening, but a good time in a relaxed, light-hearted atmosphere will help to break down barriers between people.
Bearing all of the above in mind, a staff dinner does not necessarily have to take place in the periods leading up to Christmas and the summer, as has traditionally been the case.
Any reason is a good reason to organize an event for your staff, such as celebrating an achievement, making an important announcement or starting a new project that will require everyone to really pull together. For example, why don’t you organize an enjoyable event after the summer or the Christmas break, to get everyone into the right mood for the challenging months ahead?
Invitations
When you organize a staff dinner, it’s important to send out invitations that provide details of the place, time and who is invited (for example, if families are welcome to attend). Sometimes, you might like to invite existing or prospective clients or business partners, to thank or engage with them. If the dinner has been organized for a special occasion, it’s best to inform the guests and let them know if there’s a theme or dress code.
An amazing location
The thing you should think about most carefully is the location for your staff dinner, which should be booked in advance. Ideally, you should look for an exclusive venue just for you, or at least your own room in a restaurant or agritourism establishment. Obviously, the choice of location partly depends on what sort of company you have and the level of formality you require: a small, young and creative firm might prefer a casual, fashionable spot, whereas a large company with staff of all ages and a more rigid hierarchical structure will tend to favour a more formal setting.
If you’re looking for prestige and an individually tailored touch for your evening, choose a dedicated event venue where you can hire a catering company and count on dedicated spaces for entertainment or speeches by key figures from your organization.
For example, Corte Leonardi combines the charming atmosphere of a magnificent rural villa surrounded by greenery with all the amenities of a modern location that’s also suitable for meetings and conferences. A professional kitchen is available for catering companies and the outdoor areas can be used for incredible open-air events in the summer. The level of formality of the proceedings can be varied to suit your needs, ranging from an elegant gala dinner to a fun-packed evening with DJs and live music!
An engaging atmosphere
Whether you’re simply having a Christmas meal or your event has a specific goal such as celebrating an achievement, a person or a new project, the guests are bound to be happy to hear a short speech by the management to motivate the staff, thank them for their work or discuss their shared objectives. All of this will help to create the right atmosphere and achieve the goals behind the event.
Good food
At a staff dinner, food and drink hold the key to bringing people together and creating a convivial atmosphere. When they sit around a table and raise a toast or sip a nice glass of wine, people – even those that don’t know each other so well – start to let go of their inhibitions. As they socialize and let their hair down, new bonds are formed. Food plays a crucial part in all of this and it must not be overlooked.
It’s essential to pick a varied menu that can satisfy all sorts of tastes and dietary requirements, so that everyone feels at ease. This is especially true if your guests come from different countries and cultures. Hiring a catering company is a great way to put your own stamp on the dinner. You might like to opt for a buffet, which has many benefits. For instance, it can be sophisticated without being too formal and at the same time it allows guests to move around and mingle.
Entertainment
As well as the food, it’s important to think carefully about the entertainment. It can range from simple background music – to create the right atmosphere – to dancing after dinner, perhaps with a DJ or live music. Sometimes groups of co-workers get together to form a band and have fun playing music together. What better occasion could there be for them to perform?
Another opportunity presented by staff dinners is to organize a team-building activity to promote cooperation and interaction in an original way. The options range from karaoke – in very informal circumstances – to murder mystery games and team quizzes with questions about general knowledge or company life, including the more light-hearted side of it all.
If nobody at your company has the right spirit or inclination to take charge of things on this front, it’s best to let an event planning business take care of it all!
Photos
Finally, you can think about hiring a photographer to take pictures of the big moments during the evening. The staff are bound to take lots of snapshots and selfies, but a professional could provide you with images for social media and other platforms, thus making a positive contribution to your brand image. They’ll also serve as a nice reminder and you can share them to boost team spirit.
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