With the return-to-work, summer 2022 looks promising for new events and activities to build your company culture and improve the employee experience! Here are some event ideas that our team at Epoch has put together to help you plan the next few months for your employee teams.

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TL;DR: With many employees returning to the office, it’s important to involve the entire team when planning internal events this summer. We have put together a list of best practices and summer event ideas for hosting in-person, hybrid, and virtual events.

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In-Person Summer Events 🌞

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Best Practices 🙌

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1. Monitor local COVID guidelines and protocols for the location leading up to the event, and remind employees to follow them at the time of the event.
2. Plan according to any local restrictions, such as setting up a waitlist if there are indoor capacity limits.
3. Have a backup plan/location if the weather does not cooperate for outdoor events.
4. Break your team into smaller groups or create time blocks throughout the day to give employees the option to socialize in a smaller setting.

Event Ideas 💡

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• Team Barbecue 🍖 — Arrange a BBQ lunch or dinner for your team! Be sure to gather dietary restrictions beforehand to be inclusive and accommodate everyone. You can even theme the BBQ around summer holidays, such as the Fourth of July!
• Wine Tasting 🍷  — Organize a tour to a local vineyard where wine-lovers can taste wine to their heart’s content!
• Water Balloon Fight 💦 — There is nothing quite like team bonding… by throwing water balloons at one another. Planning a Friday afternoon for a water balloon fighting can be a great way to build stronger relationships as a team and to let loose after the work week.

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Hybrid Summer Events 🏖

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Best Practices 🙌

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1. Ensure all employees have access to the physical location address and the virtual link so they can decide how they wish to attend the event.
2. Make sure to follow the local COVID guidelines and protocols for the in-person aspect of the event.
3. For the in-person aspect of the event, if it is outdoors make sure to have a backup plan and location if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
4. Be prepared for all aspects of the hybrid event and ensure there is an event facilitator for the in-person experience and an event facilitator for the virtual experience, at the event location to ensure everything runs smoothly. Having a separate event facilitator for the virtual aspect of the event ensures remote attendees can access the event, see what is happening and monitor the virtual event discussion.
5. If you are streaming the event make sure the cameras are set up and tested before the event starts.
6. Make a point of ensuring the virtual audience feels included and is acknowledged throughout the entire event.
7. If you are recording the event to share with remote employees afterward, ensure they know where and when they can find the event recording link. To make the virtual attendees feel more engaged and included, host a showing where everyone can watch the event recording together and have a discussion.

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Event Ideas 💡

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• Tie-dye Workshop 🌈 — Summer time means wearing bright colors! This hybrid-friendly, family-friendly event will allow your employees to get their hands wet with paint to make t-shirts of every color.
• Summer Cookie Decorating 🍪 — Enjoy some summer baking fun with the team, and learn how to ice and decorate summer-themed cookies.
• Ice Cream Making Class🍦 — “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” Arrange a lesson where your employees can learn how to make their own ice cream, either in-person or from the comforts of their own home. Gather dietary restrictions beforehand and send ingredients to virtual participants before the event.

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Virtual Summer Events 🍉

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Best Practices 🙌

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1. Send a calendar invite out to all employees and include relevant information such as the video platform link, event description, agenda, and/or virtual event etiquette.
2. Test out the event link prior to the event to make sure it works.
3. During the virtual event, remind attendees to stay muted unless they are speaking.
4. Create a place where attendees can have a discussion and ask questions before the event. Usually, a designated Slack channel for the event works well as event information can also be posted there for all attendees to see.
5. Promote a discussion during the event either on Slack or in the video platform chat.
6. Share the event recording afterward so those in other time zones who couldn’t attend can watch the event.
7. Be mindful of Zoom fatigue and think of other ways to engage employees virtually off-screen.

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Event Ideas 💡  

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• Family Beach Day 🏖 — Encourage your employees around the globe to take their families out to have some fun in the sun! Create a Slack channel where everyone can share the beautiful beaches in their own city.
• Mural Festival 🎨 — It’s time to get outside and appreciate the different landmarks in your city! Create a Slack channel and Scavenger Hunt list including murals, statues, and other local outdoor artistic sights nearby for your employees to visit on their own time.
• Summer Photography Competition 📸 — Your employees will surely be going on all sorts of adventures this summer. Host a summer-themed photo competition for employees to submit snapshots from their travels or daily life, and arrange a Zoom link for everyone to vote on their favorite submissions after the deadline!