Why Corporate Events are Failing to Inspire Teams Anymore

Corporate events used to feel exciting, right? Well, to a degree, there was something kind of fun and exciting about it. Yeah, it was a day away from the desk, a bit of fun, maybe a new place to go, and a chance to actually talk to people without staring at a screen. As long as it was time away from work, it was usually good enough. But now, a lot of them feel like a long meeting that just happens to be in a different room, but even those TED talks are fun and inspiring (at least for the most part, they’re quite inquisitive). Honestly, it just really seems like it’s giving “obligation”, not “inspiration” that it should be giving in the first place. 

Again, these events were never amazing, but they at least used to have some appreciation because of the inspiration aspect as at least there.  It kinda feels like companies are just ticking a box, like everyone should be motivated now after hosting this event.  Yeah, it doesn’t really work like that, and people can tell.

It’s the Same Events But a Different Year

Alright, so there’s this unofficial corporate template that so many companies copy, and it’s painfully obvious. It’s almost always the same hotel conference room, same awkward icebreakers, the same person talking for far too long, and those “team building” activities that feel like a flashback to school group projects. Oh, and don’t forget about the same supermarket food every year, too, that’s meant to be the snacks. So yeah, people are bored. They’re tired of these “fun” days that don’t actually feel fun at all. Again, it’s that whole “ticking a box” sort of mentality because everything is always the same. 

Creativity’s what Makes it Memorable

Bluntly put it, companies need to be a bit braver. Absolutely, there’s nothing wrong, let alone scary, about doing something different, and corporate seriously doesn’t have to mean boring. Even the most serious industries can have events that feel fresh, fun, and thoughtful; there’s literally no reason not to. Now, sure, maybe some businesses literally don’t know what to do, or even how to be creative, and honestly, that’s fine too as long as you at least try and recruit some help. .

Like some businesses get external help from event pros who actually know how to make events feel alive (and fun like they’re actually supposed to be), like https://catalystevents.com.au/,  who focus on creating experiences people actually enjoy and remember. Sometimes, fancy snacks and fancy venues don’t really cut it if the actual event is horribly boring and dull. 

People Don’t Want Forced Bonding

So many corporate events forget that employees are, like, actual humans. Crazy, right? But you can’t just stick people in a room together and expect magic to happen. If it feels stiff, formal, or like everyone needs to be “on their best behaviour”, it kills any chance of genuine connection. And again, it’s just so boring too. People want to laugh a bit, talk normally, and have moments that don’t feel staged. Seriously, no one wants to sit through a boring speech; they’d rather just call in sick.

The Right speaker

Choosing the right speaker, if your event has speakers, can be a very important aspect to improving the vibe. Choosing someone who can solve a specific problem is essential to providing your team value and helping to 'move the needle' (if you want to use a corporate slang term) of how things can be done better. Think about the needs of your people and where a speaker may provide assistance.