Creative Corporate Event Ideas
When’s the last time you looked forward to a corporate event? If you’re like most people, it’s probably been a while. Let’s face it, corporate functions have earned a bit of a reputation—dull schedules, generic corporate function venues and presentations that don’t quite hit the mark—we all know the drill. While these kinds of events might tick the boxes for logistical planning, they often miss the chance to create memorable experiences or foster meaningful connections among attendees. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little creativity and a willingness to think outside the box, corporate functions can be transformed into engaging, memorable experiences that employees and clients actually look forward to. From creative themes to unique corporate function venues, there are tons of ways to break the mold and make your event something people talk about for months—if not years. But how do you make that shift? That’s where we come in. In this guide, we’ll walk you through creative ideas for corporate events and practical tips that will help inject the fun factor into your next corporate function. Keep reading! Why Creativity Matters When Organising Corporate Functions. Here’s the truth: if your event feels like just another day at the office, no one’s going to be excited about it. A lackluster event can leave employees feeling unappreciated and unmotivated. They might spend the whole time checking the clock and counting down the minutes until they can escape. Moreover, a dull event is not just a waste of time and money; it can leave a bad taste that affects how your staff feels about the company overall. In the worst-case scenario, it might even prompt them to start looking for opportunities elsewhere. When you put effort into planning creative corporate functions, you’re sending a clear message that you value and appreciate your team and that can make a huge difference in how engaged and motivated your employees feel. In addition, it can enhance your company’s image, both internally and externally—memorable corporate functions can make a positive impression on clients and partners, demonstrating that your company is dynamic, innovative, and committed to excellence. This can be particularly valuable for building relationships and standing out in a competitive market. With that in mind, let’s explore some ideas for corporate events that will jazz up your next gathering! Creative Corporate Event Ideas Now, we get it—planning a corporate function that’s both effective and exciting isn’t that easy. It takes effort to break away from the usual routine. Luckily, we’re here to help. Whether you’re hosting a high-profile gala, a team-building retreat, or a client appreciation event, we’ve got some ideas for corporate events to spark your imagination and get you started on creating a corporate function that will truly stand out. Award Ceremonies & Large-Scale Corporate Functions Themes aren’t just for kids’ parties—throwing a themed corporate function can really get people excited and engaged, especially at large-scale events where it’s easy to feel lost in the crowd. A well-chosen theme helps unify the space and creates a sense of purpose, making it easier for everyone to connect and let loose. Here are a few themes to pick out from: Casino Night: Transform your corporate function venue into a mini Las Vegas with poker, blackjack, and roulette tables. Employees can play with fake money and win cool prizes. It’s a great way to mix fun and friendly competition without anyone losing their real paycheck. Decade Party: Pick a decade— ‘70s disco, ‘80s neon, ‘90s grunge—and encourage everyone to dress the part. Throw in some decade-appropriate music and decorations, and you’ve got an event that’s more fun than your average work dinner! Murder Mystery: A murder mystery dinner is an interactive and fun way to get people talking (and working together). Employees team up to solve a fictional crime, all while enjoying a good meal. It’s a conversation starter and an icebreaker, wrapped up in one. Team-Building Corporate Functions Let’s be honest, traditional team-building activities can be kind of awkward. No one really enjoys trust falls and group discussions on “communication strategies” can fall flat. But team bonding doesn’t have to be painful. Here are a few team building options that might actually be fun for your next corporate event. Escape Rooms: Lock your team in a room and give them clues to escape within a time limit. It’s a high-energy, pressure-packed way to force people to work together—while also having a blast. Plus, there’s no better way to bond than when you’re racing against the clock to avoid imaginary doom. Outdoor Adventure Day: Take your team out of the office and into nature. Plan a day of zip-lining, hiking, or a ropes course. Not only does it get people moving, but it also fosters teamwork in a way that feels completely different from the office vibe. Cooking Competitions: Ever wanted to see if Bob from accounting can bake? Divide your team into small groups and host a cooking challenge. Whether it’s whipping up a full meal or just desserts, it’s a fun way to mix things up, get creative, and eat something (hopefully) delicious in the process Client Appreciation Corporate Functions Client appreciation events are your golden opportunity to show how much you value your clients, but why stick to the usual? Make it unforgettable with these creative twists: Exclusive Dinners: Host a sophisticated dinner at a high-end restaurant or private venue. Tailor the menu and ambiance to make your clients feel special and valued. It’s a refined way to show your appreciation while offering a unique dining experience. Tailored Experiences: Go beyond standard gestures by offering bespoke experiences like private art gallery tours, backstage passes to events, or personalised spa days. These unique touches will make your appreciation truly stand out. Interactive Mixers: Spice up networking with themed mixers featuring live entertainment, interactive games, or gourmet tastings. These lively events not only foster connections but also ensure your clients leave with a smile. Workshops and Educational Seminars There is nothing worse than being stuck in a workshop
Event Checklist for Event Planning
Event Checklist for event planning in sydney It takes time and organisation to plan an event in Sydney. Event checklists can help you prioritise tasks, track your progress, and organise information for the event. Understanding what to include in an event planning checklist and why it is necessary to utilise one can assist you in organising a successful event. In this article, we will address why you may use checklists to plan an event, the benefits of utilising these lists, and how to develop event checklist, including which items to include to construct a useful list. Why should you utilise an event checklist to prepare your event in Sydney? Using an event planning checklist can help you remember all the jobs, activities, and obligations that must be considered when arranging an event. You may be picking a proper site, organising vendors, and distributing invitations, so the success of the event normally depends on completing all chores on time and within budget. Event checklists can help you organise information so you know what to do, when to do it, and how much assistance you may need. They may also help you determine how much funding is required for certain components of the project. Checklists can help you and your team identify outstanding work by recording and monitoring your progress as you complete each assignment. The Pros of Using an Event Checklist Event planning checklists are useful tools that can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some advantages to using one: Progress tracking By referencing your checklist on a regular basis, you can track your team’s progress through each stage of the event planning process. Checking off completed tasks illustrates how much work remains before an event. You can prioritise tasks to work more efficiently and set aside time for chores that may take the longest to accomplish. Time management and scheduling An event checklist might help you keep track of the responsibilities you have still to finish. If you still have some to complete, such as finding entertainment, you can schedule your time and focus on each one. The checklist can also help you maintain a meeting schedule so that you can contact other stakeholders such as vendors, speakers, or co-organizers on a regular basis. Reminding yourself of valuable information Event planning frequently entails several actions and working with a large amount of information. Checklists can be a useful tool for reminding yourself of specific details about the event. Documenting your progress on the checklist on a regular basis can serve as a reference for event timings, suppliers, performers’ demands, and any other crucial details to remember for successful events. How to create a thorough event planning checklist? An event planning checklist has no official framework, but most lists include a few common items. When creating a brief checklist for an event, consider including the following items: Determine the goals of your event. The first stage in planning an event is to sketch out your goals. Some events may honour a significant individual or accomplishment, while others, such as lectures and workshops, may be informative. Some may seek to raise potential investors’ awareness of a new product or service. Whatever the objective of your event, it frequently influences the theme and mood of the occasion and can help you decide what aspects to incorporate. Make a guest list. It is critical to understand the event’s audience to appeal to their interests and requirements. Creating a guest list may assist you in making decisions about venue capacity, funding, and the type of cuisine to serve. It can also assist you in making travel and lodging arrangements as needed. Including a guest list on the event checklist helps you to track RSVPs and the total number of attendees. In some circumstances, you may wish to provide the contact details of the guest so that you can send them official invitations or updates. Keep track of where and when your event might happen. It is critical to identify the event date and time early in the planning phase. This allows you to keep setting reasonable milestones for other jobs within the period. After you’ve decided on the date and location of the event, you can begin looking for venues before preparing formal invites. Create a budget. One of the most crucial elements to put on your checklist is the event budget. This can assist you in keeping track of how much money you can spend on each aspect of your event and where you might be able to save expenditures. You can use your checklist to update your expenditures and anticipate future event costs. Locate your event centre. With the information you have obtained, you can now choose event’s venue that best suits your needs and begin looking for potential locations. This stage determines the amount of space available for chairs, vendors, and volunteers, as well as other unique event requirements. It also provides you with essential information, such as the event’s time and location before you can plan and send invitations. Decide on the event’s theme. When planning an event, it is critical to think about how to maximise the venue’s space while sticking to the company’s standards and restrictions. Consider decorations, catering, table layouts, and focal points such as a platform or podium at this stage. These components can contribute to the creation of an event setting that is both useful for speakers and welcoming for guests. Food and beverages plans. If the occasion calls for it, you can explore local suppliers to provide refreshments for your guests. Some event sites may require an alcohol license, and make sure whether it is relevant to the event, how easy it is to obtain, and whether the licensing cost fits the budget. Catering requirements may be influenced by your guest list, event theme, and venue size. Plan the entertainment. Your event may include pre-selected panellists and delegates, as well as an entertainer. After you have planned the entertainment, you may publicise
Sailing into the future: renovations are underway at Georges River 16Ft Sailing Club
Sailing into the future: renovations are underway at Georges River 16Ft Sailing Club Exciting times ahead for Georges River 16Ft Sailing Club! After the stunning transformation of our function spaces in 2024, we’re keeping the momentum going. February marks the start of our next major renovation phase, and it’s all about giving the rest of this amazing waterfront venue the looks to match the location. New dining areas? Tick. A revamped gaming lounge? Tick. Bigger and better kitchen for our chefs to deliver the goods? Tick. This is more than a renovation—it’s about creating a space that feels as good as it looks. Somewhere you can eat, drink, relax, and celebrate in style. It’s all part of our vision to make Georges River 16Ft Sailing Club a true standout on the Georges River and Botany Bay waterfront. Our goal is to deliver spaces that not only look amazing but also serve as a community hub where absolutely everyone wants to be. We can’t wait to share more details as the project progresses. Thank you for being part of this exciting journey with us.
Club Central Menai Refresh: Stage 1 underway in January!
Big news for Club Central Menai! Stage 1 of our 3-stage renovation has kicked off in January 2025. The first stop in our refresh is the TAB, sports bar, and mezzanine area. We’re giving these spaces a complete glow-up with fresh paint, a range new furniture including high bar tables and stools as well as low tables with chairs, plus some lush new carpet. Whether you’re settling in to watch a game on our massive screen or catching up with mates, we know you’ll love the refresh designed for maximum good times. And this is just the start. Stage 2 will follow mid-year, which will see the Bistro and Terrace areas given a facelift. Followed later in the year with a refresh of our function rooms. Along with the newly opened Kids Central play area, we’ve been putting in the hard yards to give you even more reasons to visit. Open Thursday to Sunday during lunch and dinner for kids aged, Kids Central has been long awaited, and is the coolest spot for kids to hang out. Thanks for rolling with us through the changes. Trust us—it’ll be worth it. Stay tuned for more updates as we have them.
Alt. Events Hits AIME 2025
Alt. Events debuts at AIME 2025, bringing their ‘beyond the usual’ approach to corporate events. From mountain retreats to modern function spaces, discover how we’re making business gatherings unforgettable. Meet our team at Stand D28 and reimagine what corporate events can be.
Giving Back to Our Community
At Alt. Hospitality Group, giving back is at the heart of what we do. Here’s a quick look back at what we’ve been doing to support the communities we are part of in meaningful ways. And we’re not stopping there, as we step into 2025, we are looking forward to supporting even more good causes.
Back in December, we partnered with local charities to bring festive cheer, with Club staff and members donating food items to support to food drives for needy families. This included collections for St Vincent de Paul’s Christmas Food Drive, which saw members, guests and staff donate non-perishable items to Vinnies to help make Christmas hampers for families in need.
We also had a team of staff supporting some special end of year celebrations, at Georges River Life Care, where we donated food for the last Community Connect lunch, along with our team to serve it. A big thanks to our Yum Cha restaurant, Imperial Dynasty for donating the BBQ pork buns and dumplings for the lunch on 15 December.
On Monday 16 December, we had a crew of staff who helped to pick and pack hampers for the Shire Salvos in Menai, as well as sort through a mountain of gift donations for families in need to be able to sort through and select a Christmas gift for their child free of charge. Over 200 families were supported and with other local volunteers including high school students and businesses, it was great to be part of the pick and pack.
And some of our energetic team also took on the Foam Run in December which is in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They jumped, slid and bounced their way through a foam-covered obstacle course in pursuit of fun and fundraising – amazing effort from the team!
Back in November, we supported the third annual Women in Sport Dinner, celebrating local female athletes and supporting initiatives that promote mental health and development for young women in collaboration with Connells Point Netball Club. Guest speakers included Candace Warner, Australian Ironwoman Champion, Elianna Walton, World Champion Jillaroo & NRLW player as well as champion Sydney Swifts Coach, Briony Akle – with MC, Anthony Maroon from Triple M & entertainment by magician Jackson Aces.
Looking ahead we are gearing up to host Georges River International Women’s Day at Hurstville on Friday 7 March, with guest speaker RayGun. We are thrilled to be a major supporting partner for this important event celebrating this year’s theme of ‘Accelerate Action’.
March will also see us kick off our annual sporting grants to support over 25 local sporting clubs in the Menai and Georges River communities.
None of this would be possible without you—our members, guests, and community. Your support fuels the work we do, and together, we’re making a real impact. Stay tuned for more ways we’re giving back, because we’re just getting started.
A Note from Our CEO: Welcome to Alt. Hospitality Group
From local club to hospitality innovators: Illawarra Catholic Club transforms into Alt. Hospitality Group, bringing an alternative take on Sydney hospitality since 1962. While beloved venues like Club Central and Georges River 16Ft Sailing Club keep their iconic names, this evolution promises to alter the ordinary across southern Sydney and the Blue Mountains.