8 Fun Employee Appreciation Event Ideas

Looking for employee appreciation event ideas? At Peerspace, we get it! And as the world’s largest marketplace for hourly venue rentals, we make it easy to find unique spaces that help you show your employees how much you appreciate their dedication. Simply click the link, enter your location, and see what pops up. Every venue has its own dedicated listing that includes high-def photos, upfront pricing, a detailed description of the venue, and reviews from past renters.

We’ll share venue suggestions along with our employee appreciation event ideas ahead. But first, we need to talk about employee appreciation.

Perhaps you show appreciation for your employees constantly: pizza and donuts in the breakroom once a month, a holiday party at the end of the year, or casual Fridays in the office. These are all fine gestures to maintain a pleasant office environment, but how about an employee celebration to get the team out of the office for a day? Be inspired by these creative employee appreciation event ideas.

1. Roll out the red carpet for an unforgettable movie screening

Rent a historic theater, auditorium, or performance venue and have a movie screening that feels like a red carpet event! Peerspace offers theater-style event venues in metro areas across the country. Many theaters are owned by locals who provide extra services like popcorn machines, comfy seating, optional catering, and an amazing ambiance.

Your event can be casual and family-friendly, with customary concessions — and extra butter on the popcorn — or an all-out, splashy Oscar party, complete with appropriate attire and upscale hors d’oeuvre. 

2. Enjoy a night out bowling

Bowling alleys are being resurrected and updated all over the country! What’s not to love about taking it old school and hitting the lanes? Form teams and partake in friendly competition, or find out who’s the ultimate bowler at your company. Some bowling alleys also feature themed nights, such as the ’80s or outer space.

You can also rent your own private bowling alley through Peerspace! For instance, check out this Columbia City, Seattle, bowling alley. It has space for 20 guests and includes large-screen TVs, tables and chairs, and lounge seating.

There’s also this private bowling alley in St. Paul, MN. It is a full-time bowling alley that you and your team can take over for a few hours. It has space for 50 guests, TVs, party lights, A/V equipment, and tables and chairs.

Check out these engaging staff meeting ideas for when you’re back in the office Monday morning!

3. Take them out to a ball game

A college football, basketball, or baseball game is guaranteed to be a great time. For your employee appreciation event, reserve seats for your team to root for their team.

Tickets to some college games will be expensive and hard to come by, but smaller schools and many baseball teams may have more accessible options. Embrace the moment! Transport everyone on a bus, distribute T-shirts and have a catered tailgate with weather-appropriate food and drink.

This fitness and baseball training facility in Spanish Fork, UT, includes batting cages, nets, turf, and other gear to get in on the games with your team itself! It’s a fun idea for an energetic crew.

4. Channel your inner Julia Child or Gordon Ramsay

Not everyone has a culinary school in their city, but Taste Buds Kitchen and Sur La Table locations are just about everywhere! If not, call your favorite caterer, baker, or restaurateur and ask them for a chef’s cooking class.

These interactive events are fun and educational. When done right, they can even create friendly rivalry over whose pie crust is the flakiest. It’s a terrific partnership: learn a new skill and eat the delicious results!

5. Dance the afternoon — or evening — away

A good music festival doesn’t have to be Coachella or Bonnaroo, although you’d definitely win “best manager on the planet” if you took your team to one of these. Instead, find a regional music fest and take the team along! Plus, during the summer, some cities host free musical performances and concerts.

6. Blow off some steam with axe-throwing

Don’t have a lot of time to devote to this particular employee appreciation event? Take the team to try axe-throwing! Let’s face it: escape rooms are great for brain teasers and teamwork, but sometimes you just need to smash something.

If you’re near Fort Worth, you can use Peerspace to book this rustic and spacious axe throwing venue that has Mexican and barbecue food on-site, drinks, and of course, multiple axe throwing lanes!

Onboarding new employees? Then you need to see our fun new hire orientation ideas next!

7. Hit the beach and soak up the sun

For the sake of serenity, find a body of water and stake a claim on the edge. Offer options: some may want to try their hand at boating or fishing; others may prefer to kick back on the beach and enjoy each other’s company (or even take a nap in the sunshine).

Choose a Peerspace to use as your home base, like a Serendipity Beach retreat in Salisbury, MA, and enjoy a lobster or New England crab boil for dinner. There are plenty of other beachfront venues across the country, too! For example, here’s a luxurious Malibu, CA, villa.

8. Venture to an amusement park

Choose an amusement park that’s most convenient to your region: Busch Gardens, Hersheypark, Kennywood, Six Flags, and Cedar Point are a blast if you’re situated in the northeastern part of the United States. For West Coast dwellers — particularly California — there’s Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm. Your employees can branch off and do their own thing, then everyone can meet up halfway through the day for lunch and to regroup. 

Employee appreciation event ideas: conclusion

If you make any gesture at all to express your appreciation to your employees, they’ll be happy for the acknowledgment. The trick is to push it over the top by making it exciting and unexpected. They deserve it!

Therefore, get out there, book a Peerspace, and utilize these fabulous ideas. We hope you’ve enjoyed perusing through these employee appreciation event ideas. Check out more corporate resources from Peerspace for our latest tips and tricks to keeping your team happy and energized.

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