Hosting Your First Annual Employee Appreciation Event

If you are a new business owner, and you wish to thank your employees for doing a fine job, you may decide to host an employee appreciation event to give out awards and speak about the state of the business. Many businesses partake in an annual event for their employees, and it is often an exciting time for coworkers to get together and have some fun in a relaxed atmosphere. Here are some tips you can use to ensure your first annual company appreciation event is one that will leave your employees feeling positive about their roles in your business and anticipating the following year's event as a result.

Rent An Area To Host The Event

While holding the event at your company building may seem like a good idea to save money, employees will appreciate an event held off-site. This will allow them to get away from the feeling they are in a working environment and will let them kick back and relax for the duration of the event instead. Consider renting an event hall or see if there is a local hotel that has a meeting room in addition to a dining area that you can rent for an evening. Another idea is to host the event in an outdoor setting.

Provide Food And Beverages

One of the best parts of an annual employee appreciation event is the food and beverages that are served. Do not skimp on this portion of your event, as it is often the feature that employees look forward to and that will be discussed at later times. A sit down dinner complete with menu choices, a buffet with many selections to choose from, or an outdoor barbecue, are all great ideas that employees will be sure to enjoy to the fullest. Serve beverages and desserts as well.

Obtain Awards To Give To Employees

It is a great honor for an employee to receive an award from their superiors. Consider purchasing several plaques, trophies, or similar awards to give out to those employees you felt went above and beyond in helping your business strive and succeed. This can be done at the conclusion of a speech you give about the endeavors your business has achieved and those you wish to attack in the future. 

Hire A Guest Speaker

One great way to get employees inspired to continue working on the path to success in your business is with the hiring of a guest speaker to come to your event. A speaker that provides an inspirational message about pushing forward in the business world, or one that has tips in how to better oneself in the tasks they do for a business, can be a great asset to your appreciation event. This person will have your employees thinking outside the box and will most likely leave them feeling positive about the jobs they do for you each day.