How to Organise a Festival Themed Party for your Company
Festival Themed Corporate Party .
Summer: the season for outdoor partying! We’re longing for the days of sipping colourful cocktails and listening to great music under the sun, aren’t you? A festival party makes a great theme for your company event. The informal, relaxed feel and fun energy of a festival party makes a great setting for colleagues to mingle and kick back.
Organising a miniature Glastonbury at home might not require too much planning (just a BBQ and a decent playlist!) but to throw a successful corporate festival party you’ll want to be as organised as possible. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide below to help you on your way to planning the company event of the year.
Choosing Your Festival Theme .
You might be under the impression that ‘Festival’ is the theme itself, but there are many different types of festival themes to consider for your company’s party.
Examples of Festival Themes .
Musical genres such as folk and pop provide an excellent theme for your company party. A folk festival party might be set in the woodland with festoon lighting, rustic props and simple food and drink options. For a pop festival theme, bright colours and disco balls will bring your event to life.
Seasons also provide a great base for festival party planning. A summer festival is a great way to celebrate your company’s successes and might include a beach feel and colourful cocktails.
A food festival is another great theme for your outdoor corporate party. Bring various street food vendors together for a fun festival atmosphere filled with foodie delights. You can even include cooking demonstrations and DIY food stations for entertainment.
Factors To Consider When Selecting a Theme .
Can’t quite decide which theme to choose? Various factors will influence which theme works best for your company party. Budget will be one of the first points to consider, followed closely by your guests’ preferences and interests. The time of year also dictates which festival themes will work best, as well as your company’s culture and values.
Festival Party Venue .
Choosing Your Festival Party Venue .
Many types of event venue lend themselves well to a festival theme. Using themed decorations, you can completely transform any space to provide home for your very own festival!
Examples of Festival Party Venues .
Venues with outdoor space allow you to put up your chosen structure such as a tipi or marquee. Woodland venues, walled gardens, polo clubs and manor house grounds are all suitable spots for your corporate event. The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club has plenty of space for putting up a marquee!
If you’re finding the idea of building a space from scratch a little daunting, a physical venue might be a better choice. A hotel with rooms can be a great choice for those looking for accommodation for guests. Hampshire Court Hotel’s enormous tennis court is the prime location for larger corporate parties.
Racecourses are also well-suited to large scale events. With spacious event rooms, usually with panoramic racecourse views, corporate parties at racecourses are always popular with guests.
Creating a Festival Ambience .
You’ve chosen your festival theme and found your dream festival venue… now it’s time to bring the venue to life. Creating a festival ambience can be achieved with décor, props, lighting and sound. You should consider your guests’ experience from the moment they are invited to the party, to the very second they leave.
Traditional festival décor will instantly transport your guests to Glastonbury! Festival flags are the obvious choice to define the entrance to your venue, which would look great branded with your company’s logo and the name of your festival. Festoon lighting to guide your guests along the path will also bring your outdoor area to life.
One of the benefits of throwing a festival party for your corporate group is the casual nature of the event. Rather than traditionally corporate round tables or formal seating, long banquet style tables or low lounge style seating will make your guests feel comfortable.
Creating a festival feel in your venue isn’t all about sight, and how your venue looks. Sound is just as important of course! If space allows, have multiple event stages at your venue to replicate that true festival experience.
Festival Themed Party Food & Drink .
Types of Food & Drink That Fit Your Festival Theme .
Depending on your chosen festival theme, there are lots of great ideas for food and drink at your corporate party. Festival food is all about vibrant flavours, different cuisines and fun colours! Street food style options that are easy to pick up and eat work best. Ciders and beers are popular for festival themed parties, as are refreshing cocktails!
Festival Catering Options .
There are many options for festival party catering, though these will be a little more limited in venues with in-house catering such as hotels, barns and manor houses. A professional event caterer will likely provide a sit-down meal; a feasting style meal shared across banqueting tables will bring a social atmosphere to your dining. If you’re able to source your own catering team, why not look at street food vendors? Food trucks will add another dimension to your corporate festival party.
Festival Cocktails & Drinks .
If you’re choosing an outdoor venue, the first thing to research is whether you’ll require a temporary event notice. Venues with in-house caterers are likely to hold a license for selling alcohol, but if you’re looking for a teepee or marquee event you may need to secure a TEN so that your chosen catering team can sell alcohol at your event.
Mocktails and cocktails are a must for your corporate festival party! Nothing says summer festival quite like sipping a deliciously fruity cocktail with a colourful garnish and cocktail umbrella. Mobile bars are popular for festival parties and come in all different shapes and sizes, some even in functioning retro vehicles.
We don’t know about you, but sipping a warm cider from a plastic cup is brimming with festival nostalgia. We’re not saying you should provide warm cider, or use plastic cups, but local beers and ciders will nod to the casual atmosphere of a traditional festival.
Festival Themed Party Activities & Entertainment .
Ideas for Festival Entertainment .
A festival wouldn’t be complete without entertainment – specifically music! Having various different musical acts playing throughout the day will keep your guests interested and engaged. Begin your event with solo acts before moving toward full bands in the evening for a party atmosphere.
Music isn’t the only way to keep your guests entertained, though! Live performances such as comedy and dance are unique additions to your festival party. Dancers performing alongside music as your guests arrive will wow them from the
moment they set foot at your venue.
Examples of Festival Themed Activities .
Host an array of activities throughout your event for added fun! A photo booth area will allow your guests to take home a memento of their corporate party. Create custom print-outs that include your company name and name of your festival, and add plenty of colourful boho props such as feather boas and oversized glasses!
Craft workshops and yoga lessons are other fun activities that your guests will want to take part in. Consider your team’s interests and offer as much of a variation as possible to ensure each and every guest has something fun to take part in.
Options for Group Activities .
Ensure your guests not only have a wonderful time, but a valuable experience by including team-building activities to enhance your team’s relationship and team skills. Outdoor team-building will be a great addition to your festival party; axe throwing, archery and other outdoor pursuits are popular among corporate groups. Take a look at our previous blog post on team-building
activities to learn more.
Festival Themed Invitations .
How to Promote The Event to Your Company .
Your colleagues and employees will already be buzzing about your event from hearing about it through word of mouth! Though you’ll send formal invitations out to ensure you reach every guest, including it on your monthly team newsletter will begin to get your guests excited, too.
Utilise your company-wide communications platforms to send out a message early to start drumming up excitement. Excitement of your fellow colleagues will encourage company leadership to buy into your event plans, and put a good budget behind it to ensure it lives up to expectations.
Tips For Creating Festival Invitations .
Effective invitations will grab the guests attention from the word go. They should be in-keeping with your festival theme; finish with bright coloured details for a playful feel. Keep language casual but informative, and include details such as location, timings, menus and dress code.
Social Media Promotion .
If you’d like to share your festival corporate event further afield, for example, if you’re planning to invite multiple companies, you may consider promoting through social media. By using hashtags relevant to your company, sector and your event theme, you can target individuals with the same interests. Share clues and sneak peak for event promotion, such as short video clips of your chosen acts to generate a buzz around your event.
Festival Event Planning - All Wrapped Up!
So there you have it, our comprehensive guide to planning a festival party for your company. From choosing your festival theme and venue to planning your food and drinks and festival décor, we hope you’re feeling more confident about putting together a party for your company event.
Did you know that as well as event production, we can also manage every other aspect of your event planning? Get in touch with us today and we’ll take the weight off of your shoulders and help you create your dream festival party!