What is a purpose driven corporate event?
A purpose driven corporate event is built around an outcome.
Instead of starting with “What activity should we book?”, the starting point becomes:
What do we want people to think, feel, understand or do differently because of this event?
Perhaps the aim is to improve collaboration between departments.
Perhaps it’s to celebrate a successful year.
Maybe you want to bring a hybrid workforce back together, strengthen relationships or help people feel more connected to the organisation.
The activity should then support that purpose.
It sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to get the process backwards.
Stop filling the agenda
Think about the traditional corporate event.
Presentation. Coffee. Presentation. Lunch. Activity. Dinner. Drinks.
There’s nothing wrong with any of those things.
The problem comes when activities are included simply because there needs to be something in the programme.
If you removed an activity from your event and nobody would notice, why was it there in the first place?
Your employees are giving you something incredibly valuable when they attend an event: their time and attention.
That time should feel worthwhile.
Your event should reinforce your company culture
If collaboration is one of your company values, don’t just talk about collaboration.
Create an experience where people actually have to collaborate.
If creativity matters, give people something they have to create.
If connection is important, give people an opportunity to connect in a way they don’t normally do at work.
In other words:
Don’t just tell people what your culture is. Give them an experience of it.
This is one of the reasons experiential corporate events can be so powerful.
Where does music fit in?
Music is particularly effective because it naturally creates shared experiences.
People have to listen.
They have to respond.
They have to work together.
And they have to contribute to the outcome.
Imagine a group of employees who don’t normally work together creating a piece of music, recording a song or performing together.
The music itself is only part of the experience.
The real value comes from what happens while they’re creating it.
People communicate.
They laugh.
They step outside their normal roles.
They encourage each other.
And ultimately, they create something together that didn’t exist before.
That’s a pretty good metaphor for a successful team.
Different people. Different roles. One outcome.
Purpose doesn’t mean boring
There’s a danger that “purpose” sounds like another corporate buzzword.
It shouldn’t.
A purpose driven event doesn’t have to be serious, worthy or full of PowerPoint presentations.
It can be loud.
It can be ridiculous.
It can involve people making terrible noises on drums.
It can involve dancing, singing and plenty of laughter.
In fact, fun can be part of the purpose.
The important thing is that the fun isn’t just there to fill a gap in the agenda.
The fun is the vehicle. The outcome is the destination.
What will your people actually remember?
Nobody remembers the conference room.
Nobody remembers the third PowerPoint presentation.
And very few people remember the 20-minute coffee break.
But they might remember creating a music video with their colleagues.
They might remember performing together.
They might remember the person from accounts who turned out to be an incredible drummer.
They might remember laughing with someone from another department they’d never previously spoken to.
Those moments become stories.
And stories become part of company culture.
That’s the real opportunity with corporate events.
Don’t just give people a day away from their desks.
Give them something worth talking about afterwards.
Five questions to ask before planning your next corporate event
Before booking a venue or choosing an activity, ask:
- Why are we bringing these people together?
- What do we want them to feel when they leave?
- What should be different because of the event?
- Does the activity actually support that outcome?
- Will people remember this experience six months from now?
If you can answer those questions, you’re already heading in the right direction.
Because the future of corporate events isn’t necessarily bigger events, more impressive venues or more entertainment.
It’s more intentional events.
Events with a reason.
Events that reflect the company’s culture.
Events that create genuine connection.
And experiences that give people something they simply can’t get from another Teams call.
Because when people leave an event saying:
“That was fun.”
That’s good.
But when they leave saying:
“That was us.”
That’s something much more powerful.
At Rock & Roll Experience, we create high-energy corporate team building events and experiences that use music to bring people together, create shared outcomes and turn company values into something people can actually experience.
Because your next corporate event shouldn’t just fill a day. It should achieve something.
Looking for new music team building ideas or different team building activities? Rock & Roll Experience offer a range of different corporate music team building events to fit every team building need. These range from short ice breakers up to whole day team building sessions, from five people to five thousand and anything in between.
But for all of our team building events we aim to make a real difference to a team whilst having a great time creating a unique experience.
There are even scientific studies to show how music team building can help you grow a stronger team.
