Anniversaries aren’t just confined to our romantic lives. Business anniversaries are a very real thing and can be held to honor individual employees for years of service or celebrate a milestone year for a company itself.
Are you looking to raise a toast to a long-standing employee? Perhaps you’re keen to engage remote employees by holding a virtual event to commemorate a major milestone. In either case, you’ll need a few company anniversary celebration ideas to get you started. Fortunately for you, we’ve put together some handy tips.
Why Celebrate a Business Anniversary?
Whether it’s your first business anniversary or you’ve been going strong for 20 years, it’s always a good idea to celebrate the occasion. Business anniversaries also work wonders for remote employee engagement. Going all out with a virtual celebration will make remote workers feel more secure in their roles, boosting staff loyalty and improving retention rates.
Furthermore, a business anniversary celebration is the perfect time to take stock of recent successes and offer more meaningful employee recognition. Invite the right people to your event, and you might even be able to win some new clients and stir up some press interest.
Tips for Holding a Great Anniversary Celebration
Whether you’re honoring company history or celebrating a certain someone, there’s plenty you can do to make your next business anniversary event one to remember. Start off by finding your focus. Are you simply showcasing your successes to clients or extending a thank you to them for their repeated business? If you are celebrating yourself, consider whether it’s applause all around or spotlighting employees on the lower rungs.
Many virtual companies are fairly small in size, meaning your guest list might be looking a little light. However, you can turn this into a benefit with the right employee appreciation ideas and creative team bonding activities. If you are extending invitations to clients and third parties, make sure everyone’s RSVP’d ahead of time.
Once you’ve locked in a theme and set a date, the real party planning can begin. Create a schedule of what needs to be done ahead of the big day, along with any multimedia assets you’ll need to pull together.
11 Meaningful Company Anniversary Celebration Ideas
First time hosting a company anniversary event online? We’ve put together some first-rate virtual work anniversary celebration ideas for you to consider.
1. Company Trivia Game
One of the more classic virtual corporate event ideas, company trivia is a crowd-pleasing favorite. Ask questions based on the previous 12 months, or delve deeper into the archives for inspiration.
2. Company Retreat
While you won’t be able to escape to the great outdoors or indulge at a five-star spa, a company retreat is still possible. Send out care packages to attendees before the big day so they can pamper themselves during your anniversary event.
3. Send Thank You
Even if you’re hosting a busy event packed with activities, make sure you take the time to say thank you to everyone who deserves it. This includes clients, senior stakeholders, and employees.
4. Appreciate and Reward Employees
A virtual anniversary is the ideal time to honor the input of standout employees. If you can’t make the call yourself, ask your team to send in their nominations ahead of your group event.
5. Fundraising for a Social Cause
Searching for virtual celebration ideas with a difference? Why not forget about all the glitz and glamor and spend the time fundraising online instead?
6. Group Photos
If you’re meeting online, use a virtual photo booth to take snapshots of your special day.
7. Mark the Occasion with an Anniversary Video
Photos are nice, but nothing beats a video. Have fun when creating an anniversary video and don’t hold back on the humor.
8. CEO Look-Alikes
This one requires a CEO who’s prepared to laugh at themselves. Ask your team to dress the part or pull up random snaps they’ve found online that are doppelgangers for your commander-in-chief.
9. Photo Sharing on Social Media
You can do this ahead of a company anniversary to stir up anticipation. Ask everyone to raid their camera rolls for snaps from birthday bashes, Christmas parties, and other events from years past.
10. Volunteer Day
Find a special cause that means something to you, then spend the day of the anniversary offering your time virtually in support.
11. History Scavenger Hunt: Learn About the Company’s Past
Perfect if your workforce is currently staffed with new hires, a scavenger hunt filled with nostalgic riddles and clues from yesteryear will be a walk down memory lane.
Celebrate Your Next Milestone in Style with Gloww
Are you counting down the days until your company reaches the end of its first decade? Perhaps you’re honoring an employee who’s been serving you loyally for twice that long. Hosting company anniversary events online can seem impersonal, but this is only because you’re using the wrong platform. With Gloww, you have all the features you’ll ever need to host an awe-inspiring event that will go down in memory for years to come.
You can get started with party planning today. Alternatively, take a look at our pricing tiers to discover more about Gloww’s advanced features. Got a question? Send us a message and our team will be happy to provide you with an answer.
FAQs
1. How can we ensure all employees feel included and celebrated, regardless of location or department?
Encourage your team to make suggestions for activities during the planning stage. Open lines of communication and providing plenty of interactivity during the event also helps.
2. What activities are suitable for both introverts and extroverts to enjoy?
While interactive, polls and surveys are anonymous, meaning even wallflowers can contribute.
3. How can remote employees participate meaningfully in celebration?
Engage your employees at every opportunity. Use polls and surveys for constant feedback, pepper your event with games and immersive activities, and take the time to shine a spotlight on the contributions of your staff.
