Get some theme inspiration for your next corporate event.
In this article, we’ve listed numerous corporate party theme ideas for you to choose from. We’ve group then by section:
- Social event theme ideas
- Formal event theme ideas
- Christmas party theme ideas
- Silly dress & costume theme ideas
- Extra theme ideas
Corporate events vary wildly in atmosphere, style and scope which is why we’ve purposefully listed a broad selection of themes. There is something for every company and every environment.
Let’s dive in.
Social event theme ideas
If your event is social, the world is your oyster. Or at least choosing a theme is easier.
We’ve listed a few ideas below. You can also check out our article on adult party themes for some extra ideas.
Barbecue
In the UK and Ireland, every year we dream of having a “barbecue summer” (i.e good enough weather to eat outside most days…).
If the weather is looking promising, why not host a company barbecue? It’s a great opportunity to socialise and relax while building report.
Karaoke night
For a good laugh and some excellent singing, why not host a Karaoke party?
For the set-up, you probably have all the equipment you need already: a screen projector, a microphone and a speaker (but you can easily rent it if you don’t).
Just make sure you extensively test the tech ahead of time! Issues will ruin the evening.
You can find all the karaoke songs you’ll ever need directly on YouTube. Just search for “[song name] + karaoke”.
Pro-tip: plan few “side” activities for those who categorically won’t sing.
Murder mystery party
A murder mystery game is where one of the partygoers is secretly playing a murderer, and the other attendees must determine who among them is the criminal.
It requires a good bit of planning but it’s worth the effort! If you don’t have the time, you can hire external companies to set up the game for you.
Alternatively, you can omit the game and simply theme your event after your favourite murder/detective movie (for example “Murder on the orient express”… the original. The remake is no one’s favourite).
Sports
If you’re a health-conscious company or work in a health-conscious industry, why not organise a sports-themed event. For example, going for a hike.
If you’re looking for something slightly more competitive, this could also be a sports tournament (for example golf or ping pong).
Casino night
If you’re feeling lucky, why not host a casino themed party?
We usually recommend not gambling with money directly but having a one-time “buy-in” system with chips instead. The winner(s) of the evening can then take home the “pot”.
If you don’t want to make the evening about winning money, give a prize to the winner(s) and then donate the money to your favourite charity. Everyone is happy.
Pro-tip: Don’t assume everyone will know the rules for all the different games.
Disco
If you have some enthusiastic dancers on the team, why not plan a disco-themed evening.
It’s an easy theme to set-up as it’s mostly about the music. Therefore it requires minimal work for the venue and the guests can choose to dress up (or not) for the occasion.
Potluck
Ask everyone to bring some food to the event. It’s simple and it’s a great way to foster the community spirit.
This mostly applies to smaller companies/groups. The bigger it gets, the hard it gets to organise.
If you’re a large company, we recommend you organise a bake sale instead.
Formal event theme ideas
If you’re going to be hosting a formal event, maybe one that’s customer-facing, you might want to consider one of the following themes.
Black tie
Extremely classic but it has its time and place; Formal occasions usually require a formal dress code.
If you want to give it a spin and make it more fun, you can take out of context. For example a black-tie brunch event…
Speakeasy
Host a speakeasy party… or 1920 event… or a prohibition party. Different names but similar look and feel. It’s an easy way to give your event a theme while remaining fairly formal.
En blanc
This is based on a series of events that happened in France. Simply ask all of your guests to show up wearing white.
The hidden benefit of this theme is that it’s very easy to organise with the venue. Everything they have by default tends to be white.
Masquerade ball
Ask all of your guests to arrive at the event wearing a mask. Masquerade balls have a vintage/classic feel to them which makes them fairly unique.
For an easy alternative to a masquerade ball, ask all of your guests to wear a hat. They won’t have to go shopping for a fancy mask, as they’ll likely already have a hat at home.
Christmas theme ideas
Christmas being such an important part of the year (the only time of year when every company hosts a party) we felt it deserved its own section.
Note: If you’re looking for some corporate Christmas party planning tips, you can check out our resource on the topic.
Die Hard
Some people might argue that Die hard isn’t a Christmas movie but they would be wrong.
Of all the movies from the 90s (technically the late 80s), it’s incontestable that Die Hard has remained a classic. And for some reason, it’s also become a popular party theme…
The good news is that there is little to do decoration or dress code wise as the movie setting is a corporate event.
Annie
Annie the musical is a great theme especially if you have kids/families attending the event. If you’re looking for more kids party themes, we’ve dedicated an entire article on the topic.
Winter Wonderland
If, on the contrary, you want to tone down the Christmas decorations, you can host a winter wonderland themed event.
Especially if your employees have a soft spot for beautiful winter scenes & landscapes.
In Ireland, it also makes for a great call-back to Storm Emma (February 2018) when the snow placed the entire country in lockdown…. all the kids got 3 days off school!
Ugly Christmas sweater
Ugly Christmas sweater parties seem to be getting crazier and crazier every year. We’re now seeing ugly Christmas suits….
But it’s a great theme and it’s an easy way to put everyone in a Christmas mood.
Home alone
Home alone is another one of those non-Christmas Christmas movies. Being very family-friendly, it makes for a very easy theme that everyone will like.
Silly dress & costume theme ideas
If your guests are up for putting on a costume/silly dress these are the themes for you!
Just remember: to make these themes work, you need your guests to play along. There is no point forcing it.
Halloween
If you’re hosting an event in October, a Halloween party is a must! It also has the hidden benefit of being fun for both kids and adults alike.
Movie-themed
Get everyone to dress up as a movie character. You can choose a specific movie, a series or an entire category (like Disney films).
Just be aware that some themes are tricker than others to abide by. Give your guests the appropriate amount of time to prepare!
Themes by decade
The 1920s, the 1950s, the 1960s… every decade had its own fashion and music style. Ideal for a party theme.
If you want some more information on hosting a decade themed party, check out our article on party themes for adults where we’ve detailed each decade.
Book club
Similar to movie themes, get everyone to dress up as their favourite character from a book (again this can be a series or a specific book).
You’ll want to check to make sure your guests are avid readers before moving ahead with this theme!
Silly masquerade ball
Similar to hosting a regular masquerade ball, except with silly masks….
And some more…
Haven’t found your perfect theme yet? Here are some more corporate event themes which don’t fall into any specific category.
Country specific theme
If you have a lot of international employees, consider hosting an event for one of their national holidays. For example Australia day.
Geek extravaganza
If you work in a geeky industry (basically the entire tech industry…), why not host a geek extravaganza event? Just go over the top with as many geek related activities and decorations as you can!
Four seasons
Hosting a four-season event is a great excuse for hosting an extremely colourful event. It’s also a good catch up all being as it’s date independent; you can host it whenever you want during the year.
If you want to go the extra mile, ask your guests to dress up as one of the seasons. People always come up with amazing ideas!
Cinema
If your employees are excited about the release of an upcoming movie, why not rent out at the cinema for the occasion? A lot of them have corporate space is specifically designed for this occasion.
Carnival
Bit of craziness and extravagance you can opt for a carnival-themed event. To hosting a casino night, you’ll want to plan a bunch of Carnival games for the event.
That’s all for now
We hope you find these corporate event theme ideas useful and that you’ll implement one or more of them.
Check out our blog for more ideas. We’ve previously published an article on unique corporate event ideas and corporate entertainment ideas.
At PartyWizz, we specialise in providing the best professional corporate entertainment. If you’re based in Ireland and you’re looking for corporate entertainment, please get in touch. We’d love to help!
