Corporate event ideas: 14 formats that work and how to choose yours

A company event does not have to feel like another meeting. Changing the venue, the format or the time is often enough for the team to listen, mix and take something home. The key is to choose the format for what you want to achieve, not the other way round.

This guide gives you 14 formats that work, with what each is for, how many people it suits and how long it lasts; the trends changing company events and how to choose yours.

The essentials in 30 seconds

• Goal first: inform, motivate, thank, sell or celebrate.
• Then the audience: team, clients, partners, press or a mix.
• The format follows from both: a convention informs; a tardeo brings people together; a gala dinner recognises.
• Fewer speeches, more experience: people remember what they lived, not the slides.
• One building for several moments avoids transfers and scattering.

14 corporate event formats

1. Start-of-year kick-off

To present goals and start the year with energy. It works with a short content session in the morning or mid-afternoon followed by a celebration. From 50 to several hundred people.

2. Convention or annual meeting

Talks, results and strategy for the whole workforce or sales network. It needs a stage, screens and good sound. Here is how to organise a conference or convention.

3. Product launch

To launch something new to clients, press or distributors. Short, visual and with the product as the star. See our guide on how to organise a product launch.

4. Afterwork

After the working day, with something to drink and nibble. The easiest format to organise and the one that asks least of the team. Here is the afterwork in Valencia on the Àtic terrace.

5. Networking event or business breakfast

For associations, business clubs or professional networks. The keys are in how to organise a networking event.

6. Training or workshop

A working day away from the office, with a room for sessions and spaces for breaks.

7. Team building

Activities to strengthen team relationships. Here are team building ideas in Valencia.

8. Company tardeo

Music from mid-afternoon, a party atmosphere and home at a reasonable hour. An increasingly popular alternative to the company dinner. See our guide to company tardeo.

9. Christmas company dinner

The classic of the year. Book early. Here is how to get Christmas company dinners right.

10. Gala dinner or awards ceremony

To recognise teams, clients or partners. A stage, a carefully designed menu and a tight programme.

11. Company anniversary

To celebrate the years with the team, clients and founders. Here are company anniversary ideas.

12. Food and drink event

Showcooking, tasting, pairing dinner or cocktail masterclass. Food as an experience. Here is how to organise a food and drink event.

13. Client event

A private dinner or cocktail to thank your best clients. See our guide to VIP client events and brand experiences.

14. Company party

DJ, bar and dance floor to celebrate the end of a project, the year or the summer. It can be in a club hired exclusively: here is how to organise a private party at a nightclub.

Corporate event trends

• Interactive experiences: guests do something, not just listen.
• Food as a show: live chefs, food stations and dinner shows.
• Live music: a musician or band at the cocktail changes the mood.
• Signature cocktails: a drink with the company's name or colours.
• Afternoon formats: tardeos and afterworks that do not run late.
• Hybrid events: an in-person part and a live stream for those who cannot come.
• Fewer transfers: cocktail, dinner and party in the same building.

How to choose the format

• To inform: convention, kick-off or presentation.
• To bring the team together: team building, tardeo, afterwork or food event.
• To thank or recognise: gala dinner, anniversary or client event.
• To sell or open doors: product launch or networking.
• To celebrate: Christmas dinner, company party or tardeo.

Then fine-tune the budget and timeline with our guide to event budget and timeline and choose the venue with the checklist for choosing an event venue.

Company events at Palau Alameda

Palau Alameda, on Paseo de la Alameda in the centre of Valencia, brings together three spaces that can be used separately or combined:

• Àtic: a panoramic restaurant with a terrace, for cocktails, afterworks, dinners and food events, for up to 250 people seated and 550 for cocktails.
• La Gran Sala: a stage and audiovisual kit for conventions, galas, launches and parties, for up to 800 people.
• Azza: the club, for company parties and private afterworks, for up to 500 people.

The team handles coordination, catering, sound and lighting, audiovisual kit, staff, accreditation and branding of the space, with a single contact. Companies that have held events here include Powerco with its Christmas dinner for 280 people, AVAESEN with its 20th anniversary, Century 21 Levante with its annual Goal celebration and IVEFA with its welcome day for new members.

You will find all the details on our private events page.

Frequently asked questions

What types of corporate events are there?

The most common are the kick-off, convention, product launch, afterwork, networking event, training, team building, tardeo, Christmas dinner, gala dinner, anniversary, food event, client event and company party.

How do you make a company event original?

Choose the format for the goal, change the setting, cut down the speeches and add an experience: a live chef, live music, an interactive activity or a change of atmosphere during the event.

Which company event is best for bringing the team together?

Those that get people involved and let them talk: team building, a tardeo, an afterwork or a food event with an activity.

How long does a company event last?

An afterwork, two to three hours; a convention, half a day to a full day; a gala or Christmas dinner, four to six hours including the party.

How far ahead should you organise a company event?

Three to six months for a mid-sized event, and more if it is large or falls in December or spring. An afterwork can be put together in a few weeks.

What are the current corporate event trends?

Interactive experiences, food as a show, live music, signature cocktails, afternoon formats, hybrid events and bringing everything together in one venue.