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Casino night. It’s always pleasant and fun. No matter if it’s for a charity event, a fundraising or an office party. Whether if it’s for beginners or devotee, they will like it and ask for more. Only fun and laughter in perspective.

Momento events prepared for you a small list of advice to follow for your next event to be a complete success.

Why you should organise a casino night:

1. To have fun! It’s certainly not mandatory to be a regular casino player or to even know the games. (Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Wheel of fortune, etc. ) to organise a casino night. Our team of dealers are always ready to explain the rules of the game. It’s also worth noting that there’s no real money involved: this aspect simplifies the evening and removes hang up in regards to gambling.
2. For a charity event: With a licence purchased beforehand at the RAJQ, the guest can participate and buy in as much as they want and take part in half and half draws. The objective is to have fun and the raise the maximum amount for the cause. If you have a few products and service sponsors, there’s nothing better than to create partnerships to give out theirs prizes to the winners. Who doesn’t like to leave from an event with a gift or a surprise that you’ve won?
3. For your office party: One or many tables. Everything depends of the space available and the amount of employees that will show up to your event and the desired atmosphere that you’d like to create. A complete evening dedicated to Casino games or simply as a little plus for your office party.  When they arrive, the guest receives a fake $1000 coupon tradable at any table with the dealers against playing chips. The objective is simple: either grow your amount or do an All-IN without pressure!

Whatever is the reason you’re planning a casino night, you can always call an event planning specialist (here) that will guide you through the planning and your event’s success and that will take a part of or the totality of the logistics and planning of your party.

Now that the “why” is determined, here are a few tips on “how”:

1. Location: Whether it’s at home, in a privation room, in a restaurant or even in your office: either a big or small space: make sure to have a minimum 10×10’ (100p2) per table. This will leave enough space for the table, the dealer and the players, without people getting to close. The traffic will end up being a lot smoother.
2. Thematic: it creates an atmosphere. Furthermore, if it’s announced before the event; the guest will be able to look the part and dress accordingly. They will end up being part of the thematic and your evening will only be better. Of course, there’s the classic: James Bond 007, Monte Carlo, Black&White, You can be original and go with Moulin rouge, Chic Gold, Burlesque, 1920’s, Gatsby, etc. With a bit of imagination you can create something unique. So go, be creative!
3. What type of games: you don’t know if everyone knows the game’s rules. Therefor you should start with Black Jack or Hold’em poker at first. Because the guests are playing against the dealer, there’s less pressure. The dealer also has more time to explain the rules throughout the game. Think about printing a summary of the rules or the different possible hand and distribute them on the table. The beginner will be able to take a look and validate their cards. You can even add one or two roulette This game demands a bit more knowledge and an experienced dealer. However, it’s always a success. At this table, entertainment is ever lasting and there’s always a winner. Roulette brings an electrifying atmosphere. To add something a little bit different to the evening, we’re suggesting a wheel of fortune. Adapted to the company or the thematic, it’s always a success. Each guest will want to try at least once to spin the wheel. Just for fun!
4. Discovery tables – local products signed Momento events. This piece of the evening will help you surprise everyone. It’s a similar principle than Black Jack; guests taste and smell local products, chocolate, essential oils, cheese, beer, cider, wine, pâté, etc. The traditional cards are traded by cards branded with the different smells or tastes.  The goal is to bet on what you tasted and to win the pot. The discovery tables – local products call for all of your senses. It’s fun and gastronomic. Pleasure guarantied.(click here for more info)
5. Millionaires table: it’s the activity that wraps beautifully the evening. Fifteen (15) minutes before the end of the evening or before they are prompted to go eat supper, the dealers count the guest’s chips. The 8 participants that end up with the most chips are invited to the millionaires table. 5 or 6 hands. A game lasting approximately 10 minutes. 1 winner or more. This finally can be done at any table but we suggest Blackjack. This game is faster therefor the players can increase their gain rapidly.
6. The dealers: a really important aspect of a successful casino night! Whether it’s a volunteer for your event or he’s coming from an agency, it’s the dealer that makes all the difference. He’ll explain the rules to the player that don’t know them; he helps everyone concentrate on their pleasure and their bet. He’ll create entertainment. He’s actually part of the thematic! He’s your guest’s direct contact and he ensures that each player has fun at his table.
7. The material: At your house you can absolutely use the tables, chairs and playing card available. For a bigger event: a tall table for 6-8 players, 6 full packs of cards, a dealing shoe and a Blackjack Mixer. A low oval table, 8 chairs and a brand new plastified deck of cards is necessary for a successful poker game.
8. Time length: it’s often complicated to determine the length of time you want to award to the casino games. Of course, if your entire evening is completely dedicated to casino games then it’s easy. It starts when doors open and finishes when doors close. On the other hand, if it’s an extra in your event: we suggest a 3 to 4 hour block. This leaves enough time for you guest to enjoy the activities. Of course you can adapt the time fram to your event.

Let’s not forget: Even if it’s a charity event, you have to possess a valid licence from “la Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec”. (RACJ) Fees are minimal and it guarantees you peace of mind.

Planning a great evening demands time and energy. If you want to take advantage of your evening as much as your guest then we suggest you do business with an event planning agency (here) for a complete service. It means you don’t have to find the dealer, set up the tables, take care of the material and see to every logistics aspect of the evening. All that’s left to do is to enjoy your evening and to mention that… it was your idea!

Whether you’re take care of it yourself or you hire a professional event planner to do so, a spotless event logistic is necessary in order to be successful. An event’s success rests on good preparation, which allows you to avoid mistakes or lacks on your big day.

Defining the event’s setting.

The first step in event planning logistics is to define the frame and structure of the event. You have to define why you’re organising your event in order to avoid making mistakes when you’re creating the event. These details will help you identify quickly your target audience, ”your who”, as well as the nature of the event, ”your what:” a seminar, an evening, a weekend, etc.

It’s also necessary to try to determine the budget allocated to the event, your “how much”. Then, in regard to the event’s needs and budget you’ll be able to pick a date, your “when” and a location, your “where”. In order to choose a date, be sure to choose a day that doesn’t interfere with an event that would be unmissable for your guests or holidays. For the location, you’ll save by reserving the earliest possible (sometimes, even up to a year in advance when you have a large group.)

The event’s preparation

The event’s composition, or preparation, is the longest step in creating the logistics for an event. It needs the presence of people with experience in event planning to avoid common mistakes that might ruin your special day. In order to avoid forgetting something, it’s necessary to have a team in place to dispatch tasks efficiently. The main tasks in order to have a successful event are:

• Contact the suppliers that will be in charge of music, animation, audio-visual and catering. If there is many animations in place, they have to be planned in detail with a briefing for the person in charge of them.
• List, buy and or rent the necessary material for the event , animations, reception and the guest’s catering. Create a checklist (either on a word or excel document or even a to do list platform like Trello, base camp,etc.)
• Find some participants. Whether you event is only for a night or a whole weekend, it’s always appreciated to makes people participates as much as possible. You have to reserve those participants quickly and give them information on your event for them to be prepared.
• Promote your event on social or traditional media if you want people to talk about it outside your organisation. You can even hire a communication agency or even an event planning agency for this service.
• Provide the necessary material to decorate the location in accordance to the thematic in place. Having a theme in place will allows you to have a guideline in place to take wise decisions for every detail in accordance with your theme.
• Create documentation if the organisation requires clarifications. It can be indications to guide your guests to the event per example.
• Plan a parking arrangement for your guests and book security personal or even a valet service. A red nose type of service in case of a late night where people drank alcohol is really appreciated by employees and is considered a very responsible decision from the event’s coordinators.
• Plan your guest’s arrival by give name tags (Badges) and or even have hostesses accrediting and welcoming them in.
• Hire a photographer to immortalize the event and to provide a memory to your colleagues. You can even have a video shoot in order to create a promotional video later on if it’s a recurring event.
• Create an event planning check list or time line in order to not forget anything and that every task is taken charge of on D day. We have to know who does what when and, above all, have a list of suppliers to be able to contact them when needed. This document will ensure that everything is ready in time on the day of the event.
• Create and send invitations at least 3 weeks prior to your event if you want to be sure that your colleagues will be able to attend. We even suggest that you send a save the date 2 months in advance and to send a few reminders before your event. Give out a maximum of information when your guests arrive at the location of the event.

In order to unite your team, to increase its motivation at work and to reinforce the feeling of belonging, the seminar’s activities’ efficiency has nothing to prove anymore, but you have to be able to bring novelty to the table. So that you activities are, this year once again, rich in emotion for your employees, while enriching them professionally, here are our advices and ideas:

Choose a trendy activity

Because your colleagues will probably tell their friends about the last seminar they had, you have to make it original, so that they don’t think you tried to minimise its meaning and wanted to make it quick. For a successful work seminar, opt for an original activity but also something trendy that will please your colleagues. Today’s trends are related to role-playing that allows breaking hierarchic barriers and enabling a different type of communication. Be careful with role-plays that are too aggressive, they tend to make people uncomfortable.

Activities linked to nature and the environment have a great success rate right now. Indeed, people want to reconnect with nature and with activities like initiation to urban gardening or discovering local products.

Find an activity that develops professional skills.

Finding an activity that also develops professional skills is a challenge in itself. But it will create a big impact on your colleagues while permitting a personal development. Because nowadays in a professional environment, many employees complain about the stress that their having a hard time to manage, this sensible subject can be exploited during the seminar. Learning to manage stress can turn into a professional skill.  Don’t hesitate to choose an original activity that will reinforce your employee’s stress resistance, in order for them to feel better at work.  Ideas for self-development where everyone can laugh and burn their negative energy, can be a survival training in a cold environment,  a fire survival training ou even a  digital treasure hunt.

Make subcontractors participate.

If you have an established business where employees have been working together for a while now and you’re afraid that your activities will be repetitive, you can hire someone for the outside. Obviously, we are not telling you to hire just about anybody, but to invite someone from your field of expertise or even an artist or a professional athlete. It’s a great way to break the routine from the previous seminars and to create a surprise effect.

In all cases, make sure to organise an activity that tightens the emotional bond between colleagues while their having an outstanding time, in good spirits, relaxation and communication. Because it’s not always easy to find innovative ideas that enables you to discover your colleagues and to embody them exactly like you want; allow yourself to hire professional corporate event planners that can offer you vast list of unique and personalised list of activities.

Most of all, these professional event planners will be able to take charge of the organisation and development of the seminar. This gives you time to appreciate the event with your colleagues and to get the most out of it.

It’s well known, a satisfied employee will be more involved in his work and more willing to give you the best he has to offer. Translation: to make your collaborators more successful, you should definitely work on their motivation. But how? What tools can we use to increase motivation at work? Follow our suggestions!

Money

First, money is usually the first factor we think of when we try to increase our employee’s motivation at work. First, let’s make something clear, most employees work before everything else to earn one’s living: therefor they expect to earn at least what they consider be fair for their work/effort (their salary). But to increase their motivation, money is advised against as a tool. Yes you understood correctly! Surprised?  Money is, before all, a demotivation tool, meaning it has the inverse effect on people if they perceive that they are not receiving an amount equivalent to what they think they are worth. A pecuniary advantage won’t be efficient if you want to see an increase in corporate culture support and owning their work objectives as if their own.

Team spirit

The second lever for mobilizing and motivating your employees is team spirit, a sense a group belonging. With strong group cohesion, your employee feels better at work, more motivated, and they are more likely to be involved in the team’s success. Don’t underestimate the power of collaboration.

Here are a few ideas to enhence team spirit:

• On an employee first day at work, be sure to welcome him warmly, to present him to new colleagues and maybe even have a team breakfast.
• Organize a few events between colleagues a few times a year. It doesn’t have to be big. (Monthly breakfast, annual barbecue, Christmas Party, etc).
• Celebrate your team’s success, with a small office party or a lunch between colleagues. Don’t ever forget the importance of congratulating your employees.

Even if your team is really competitive, cohesion is essential for employee motivation at work.   The secret is to favor a sane competition between colleagues and to reward collective performance as well as individual performances.

Autonomy and empowerment

You can also boost your employee’s motivation by granting them your trust. , If you’re always looking over their shoulder and micromanaging every movement, they will rapidly feel worthless… and demotivated!

Give enough latitude to empower them. Give them a scope of actions and let them manage their work in that defined sphere of operation. This way, you’re showing your employee you believe in their ability to do their work efficiently and you’re stimulating their desire to work harder.  Furthermore, your employee’s autonomy and empowerment will make you save precious time.

In the same line of thoughts, you can consult your colleagues on their ideas or opinions on specific subjects. They’ll feel valued and listened to. Decentralizing information and decisional power is key.

Work environment

If your employee feels good in the work environment, chances are they’ll be more motivated to get up and go to work. In practice, you should provide:

• A workspace you’re proud to call your office. (ergonomic furniture, decoration, a space that makes you feel the company’s brand/corporate culture)
• All the necessary material to do an efficient job. (Nancy should not be bothered for her stapler every 5 minutes because of the lack of office supply)
• Additional installations like parking, a gym, etc.

Motivation at work is something you constantly have to work on. By constantly leading general and specific actions, you will succeed in increasing your employee‘s motivation at work.

Your clients are indispensable for the longevity of your business. It’s because of them that your business exists and can manage to grow.  So, why not thanks them for their fidelity? In addition to regular small thoughts (like discounts, promotional gifts, being able to get the newest products before everyone, etc) think about hosting an event made especially for them. In this category, there is many options. Be sure that you choose the type of professional event that’s right for your customers.

The Gala / Cocktail

A classic in corporate events, the gala and cocktail are formal events, during which you can invite a multitude of clients. Mainly adapted for B2B , this type of professional event is mostly refined and sober. Classy outfits, a gentle atmosphere with music and gastronomy (a buffet or a meal served to each participant), really is a winning option.

To thanks your clients like it should, plan an official speech given by the proper represents of your company (CEO, Sales director, etc.). To add a bit of sparkle to your event, think about animating your cocktail (a special theme, charity gala, a dressed up evening, a ball, etc.)

Gastronomy

Know that gourmet style events are really appreciated by all. If you want to thank your best customers, here are a few ideas they should love:

• Wine tasting: visiting a wine cellar, an oenology session, a showing of how the wine is produced by the sommelier, etc.
• Cooking classes: Street food, mixology, exotic meals, fine French gastronomy, etc.
• Discovering local products: share local products and promote the quality and variety of those great discoveries.
• Invite them to taste a meal that has been prepped by a reputable chef: served either in a restaurant, in your establishment or even in a rented local for the holidays.

Also, this type of event can be adapted to pretty much all types of customer (B2B or B2C, strict or dynamic, of all ages and all domains of expertise).  By choosing this option, you’re also choosing to have multiple possibilities opening up to you.

Leisure activities

The third idea is the leisure activities type of professional event. Ideal to strike a sensitive cord and to please your clients, this type of thanking event is a bit more original.

Here you can choose a conventional activity like a diner and a show, theater, night on a boat, a business Christmas market, a picnic in a park, a barbecue, etc. Or you can decide on idea that are a bit more original like role playing, improvisational theater with your guests, an escape game, an outdoor adventure quest,  sport completion, private evening in a spa, etc. In this type of professional event, you can even invite your client’s family members.

The organised evening

You’re not obligated to organise these types of events by yourself from A to Z. You can invite them to an existing event, and only take care of coordination:

Per example:

• Organise a museum, an art gallery, or an historical landmark tour.
• Reserve seats for a hockey match, a concert, or a fashion show.
• Coordinate a night out to an amusement park or your town’s Christmas market.

All these options are really tempting! But remember you have to choose what type of event will be better suited for your customers, for your budget and for the branding and image you want people to see. Think about asking your network of partners to help you organise your event (suppliers, animation, etc.) In all cases, be sure to prepare an excellent thanking speech to leave them breathless.

Starting in December, most of small, medium and large enterprises organize their office Christmas party. Even it’s an occasion for colleagues to find themselves in a child-like mood, far from professional chores, this event has to be well organized and has to respect all the rules that apply if you want everything to go smooth and well.

Alcohol prevention in a corporate environment

According to the Act respecting occupational health and safety, an employer has to take the necessary measures to protect the health and safety of their employee at all times. That’s why, even during an office party, security measure must be put in place to prevent any damage that alcohol(consumed either at the office or an event organised by the company) may cause.

To prevent risk linked to organizing a Christmas party, the employer and the organizing committee have to identify the risks.  We have to put everything in place to eliminate or controle the most important risks, like our guest’s high alcohol levels. Because your party still needs to be fun, you don’t want to remove alcohol completely from the equation. You can offer to limit the alcohol consumption or to distribute breath test to your guests to limit the risk of accidents. You can even decide to stop serving alcohol a few hours before the party end, a Red nose service or simply inviting them to prepare a ride home beforehand.

In all cases, the employer must be aware that if he provides alcohol for his employees, he’s responsible for their safety and well-being even out of the office or working hours.

• What not to do: Have an open bar at your office Christmas party. At the risk to be repeating ourselves, the ideal situation is to reduce as much as possible the risk related to alcohol consumption. It can cause physical injuries or car accidents; it can taint the party atmosphere and the team spirit. When alcohol flows, discussions or gestures can rapidly escalate and become inappropriate.
• What you should do:
  • Offer water regularly and have a water fountain on hand
  • Reserve a red-nose or taxi service beforehand
  • Limit the number of drinks per person
  • Stop serving drinks after a certain time
  • Distribute breathalysers to your guests
  • Reserve room in an hotel to host your event and negotiate special rates for your employees, some employers even go as far as paying for their employees hotel room to promote their safety
  • Etc

For an employer, it’s not easy to ask he party committee to supervise the event all their colleagues’ alcohol consumption all night long. To prevent risks during your Christmas party, while everyone is enjoying the party, it’s possible to call an event planner that will know how to prevent and control alcohol abuse as well as the rest of the party’s organization.

Because the holidays season means the beginning of a period of joy, full of love and sharing, organizing an office party for this occasion is an excellent way to improve the cohesion between colleagues and to show them all your appreciation for their great work throughout the year.  To organize this event, you don’t even have to get out of  your office, here’s  four ideas for a successful Christmas party that will represent the company’s spirit.

Organizing games and animation

Since you don’t want your Christmas party resembling to much a formal cocktail, but rather like a true party, it’s advised to host games and animations that will enlighten the party’s atmosphere and  spread the holiday cheer.  To make it memorable, be original and  plan animations that everyone will remember and look  forward too for the years to come.  For exemple:  a VR experience, hunting for Santa’s hat inside and outside your office, a class on how to fly a drone or even an hypnose session. According to your company’s nature, your field of activity or the employee’s profile, find the ideas that will delight them all.

Do a gift exchange

A Christmas party without distributing gifts is not a real party! To not have the stereotypical corporate gift that everyone will put aside and to entertain your collegues, it could be fun to give your employees a budget for a gift exchange.  A few weeks before the party,  organize a quick draw to know who’s going to buy a gift for who. You can even make it simpler by choosing a theme like “ a break well needed” or “my office is too boring”. Everyone writes down their name with a vague idea for a gift and let’s go, the draw can begin. Carefull, the one that picks the boss’s name will have an extra gift, and pressure!

Plan an amazing buffet

For Christmas, theirs no way you should serve only a few bites to your collegue and hosts. You have to be memorable and prolong the party by offering a meal worthy of it’s name. Because bites bring people together  for a special and gourmet moment, we bet on them and we prepare them in different forms. Salted, sweet, orginal and themed, you have to bet on your collegues senses  for a memorable evening. You have to choose a caterer or a specialized organisation whom will suggest a buffet adapted to the Party’s theme with thematic drinks.

Create an original atmosphere by decorating your office

Surprise your employees by creating their office space or  the chosen Christmas party area with a different decor then what they would usually expect.  Christmas is the Tree, Santa, ornements, but we can easily find a more original and personalized theme. You have one or more employee that aren’t from here? Ask them to join you to create a Christmas down south experience.  You can also choose a goofy Christmas or a fantasy one, or from another planet.  To be sure that your colleagues will appreciate the party you’re throwing them, you can send an anonymous survey a while before the event.

Organizing a professional event is not something you improvise. It’s a real opportunity to embellish your company’s image and its notoriety.  The event’s logistics cannot be left to chance. You must establish a precise plan for a successful event. You have to define the theme, the location, the schedule, the participants, collaborators, schedule breaks throughout the day, etc. These advice will make sure to help you in your project’s elaboration.

Defining your target audience and the goals

The organization of a professional event depends on your target audience. There’s a different formula depending on if you’re addressing your clients, your collaborators or your employees.

Whether you’d like to promote a new product, thank your professional partners, do some team building or anything else, it’s essential to take the time to define the precise message you wish to transmit and its receiver.

Estimating a budget

It’s essential to know budget you can allocate for your event. Perhaps, depending on the size of the event, the cost won’t be the same.  There’s a multitude of options to which you can adapt your finances; galas, seminar, networking, conference, team-building activity, business anniversary, etc.

Choose a time and place

The success of your event is dependent on the day and the location chosen, it must be suitable for a maximum of participants. If you’re organizing a conference, verify that there’s nothing on the same subject, the same day, to avoid competition. Try to refrain for choose the school holiday if you want your employee to attend a motivation retreat. Make sure that the location is adapted for the activities planned and that there’s enough space to host everybody comfortably. Participants must be able to get there with ease and safely, with not procure transportation?

Think about reserving in advance and to inform your target audience in advance to make sure that they’re available.

Hire suppliers

According to the event’s format that has been chosen, you must now find suppliers that are adequate with your project. List your needs in caterers, animation, hostesses, gifts, audio-visual equipment, etc. Ask for quotation from multiple suppliers and even ask an event planning specialist to assist you.

Planning your professional event

If it’s possible, go visit your location before your event and verify with your suppliers that everything is up to your expectations. Create an access plan and a program for each participant. Provide access passes, posters, and signs to facilitate circulation.

If you’re welcoming foreign participants, think of preparing documents in their language, you can even eventually hire a translator.

Communication

Communication is key to participation. Use everything at your disposal (social media, email, mail, publicity, etc.)

After your event, make sure to go over every point to analyse their impact. Send a survey to measure your participant’s appreciation. Then go over strength and weaknesses to evaluate what are the results for your business.

Whether it is for your clients, collaborators or employees, this project must bring your business forward and become memorable for the participants.

If you don’t have concise idea, or you are lacking time to plan an event, know that there’s specialized event planning agencies that are proposing the complete organisation of your professional events.

In a world were communication is key, event planning requires an even more specialized expertise then before. Companies often rely upon specialized event planning agencies to manage conventions, hold a congress, a gala, a workshop, or a professional tradeshow. The role of an event coordinator is to conceptualize and realize every operation and communication needed by the client, for a successful event with the best conditions at work.

Conceiving an event

The Coordinator establishes the goals to reach during the organisation of a particular event. He conceptualizes a tailored project according to the client’s wants and needs. For example, creating an event for the employees of the organisation can increase the level of cohesion in your team and reinforce the sense of belonging towards the company though activities. If it’s regarding a product launch, the coordinator will insure to find a unique way to make you special and noticeable for the optimal promotion of your business.

The coordinator is there to advise you for the animations, the atmosphere, the location, and every question you might have in accordance to the type of crowd present.

Budget the cost of the event

The coordinator manages the event’s organisation from the beginning to the end. You benefit from his expertise concerning the different types of professions involved for a successful event. He has a perfect understanding of the steps to forecast for everything to go according to plan.  He’ll make sure you get a quotation and will manage the event according to the budget in place.

Manage the logistics

The coordination will establish the planning of the steps to take. He’ll choose the suppliers, the location, the atmosphere, the theme and the transport in accordance to the goals put in place by the client. The caterers, cameraman, technicians, hotel reservations, press conferences are element among many that behoves to the coordinator. He’s responsible for the conformity of the service that has been chosen for the client.

Communication

Not only does the coordinator manage all technical and practical aspects but he also takes charge off all the elements of communication surrounding an event. He redacts the publicities, the invitations, the programs as well as the statements made on social media. He HAS to have a great understanding of your business, your values, your goals and the client’s needs.

Making an event memorable and unique

A coordinator must stand out by offering original projects to offer the best concept to his client. Each event requires creativity to establish a select moment that’s going to leave a mark in the participants mind.

Answer the unexpected

The smoothness of the event is on the coordinator’s shoulder.  Adaptability and the ability to react quickly are essential qualities to manage hazards that may occur (late delivery, replacing a performer, weather changes, etc.).

Calling upon a specialized event planning agency is a real opportunity to create unforgettable memories. The event coordinator will know to adapt according to the target audience and the budget. He’ll be able to suggest a turnkey or tailored activity at a location that will highlight your business. Everywhere at once, the coordinator will be the central link between all parties implied, meaning you won’t have to manage any logistics expect for approving proposals.

Employees are the most valuable assets of an organization or business. Having targeted, attracted and trained them, it is important to know how to keep them motivated, because enthusiastic and committed employees guarantee well-being at work and productivity. Being able to motivate your employees can be a daunting challenge for some companies, but there are original solutions that are accessible to all sizes, types, budgets and circumstances.

Among the 1001 ways to motivate its employees, here are 5 that might surprise you.

1.Motivate by putting fun in important moments

The workspace is still too associated with a place of seriousness where it may seem impossible to have fun or relax. It is essential to know how to integrate moments of pleasure. Christmas, Halloween, or summer parties, companies can highlight special occasions throughout the year, but how do you do it in an original way?

This year, rather than just having a traditional Christmas buffet and greeting cards, why not make things more entertaining? For example, you can hire an artist to give a memorable performance, decorate a wall in collaboration with employee participation, or run a casual workshop. For traditional party photos, why not collaborate with a costume rental company to keep memories of the unique event? To highlight the work of the employees, the general theme of the event can be a wink to the daily efforts of its team.

2. Motivating off the beaten track Team building activities allow employees to be taken out of their comfort zones, while encouraging them to collaborate in a different way. Moreover, these activities can take a different form, which gives the advantage of adapting to budgets, interests and types of groups. A young and dynamic team will enjoy an outing in an urban labyrinth, while a retreat including yoga or a cooking class followed by a wine tasting would be welcome for a wellness group.  The success of a team building activity depends on the respect of simple criteria: does the activity correspond to the values ​​of the company? Does it fit with the spirit of my employees? Will it allow different teams or people to collaborate in a different environment?

3.Motivating through learning

Learning is another effective way to motivate employees. And rather than sending them individually to expensive trainings, why not do it directly at the office? In the context of a congress, a training day or the holding of a “Lunch & Learn”, the interest here is to inspire its employees by inviting experts from outside the office. And to ensure the interest of its employees, why not involve them in the choice of speakers?

4.Motivating through recognition

While more common in large organizations, galas have the advantage of emphasizing the work of their employees in a formal manner, in the presence of administration committees, boards of directors and other members that may less frequently have the opportunity to meet. Often appreciated for their “glamorous” side, they allow employees to get out of their daily lives while revisiting the past year, and on future goals.

5. Motivate in everyday life It is also possible to motivate its employees outside specific occasions, according to its means and interests. For example, you can organize weekly yoga sessions in the office or another sporting activity. If you have an overhead projector and a comfortable meeting room, why not take advantage of it to arrange lunchtime movie screenings? Budget restricted? Anchoring recurring encounters does not need to be expensive. Establishing the “Thursdays Popcorn” or a monthly potluck are very good opportunities to get together and relax. Whatever the motivation of its employees, the important thing is always to consider the reality and the preferences of its employees.