It’s almost that time of year when you and your employees feel a bit tired. Everyone is looking forward to some time off. But before the time off, there is a fun little event that happens in companies called the year-end function. Employees look forward to the year-end function and to make them happy, you need to come up with something exciting.
A year-end function is a traditional event in which businesses celebrate their achievements and show their appreciation to the hardworking employees who make it happen. During the year-end function, companies will reward any outstanding performances and build personal connections within the team.
As we get closer to year-end function season, you need to find a great idea which is going to cheer up your employees and ensure they feel valued.
With this article, we give you a list of ideas for year-end functions which will communicate how respected your staff is.
Idea 1: Live Entertainment for a Year-End Function
Live entertainment is always a good idea. In South Africa we have a lot of DJs and event spaces you can book for your function. You can also just hire a DJ to come to your office for entertainment if you want to save money. This idea works if you have more than ten employees and want to save on costs.
Alternatively, you can check out any live entertainment events that are happening and negotiate with the organisers to buy tickets in bulk. If you go this route, you will need to organise a section for your employees, so they feel catered for and not just part of the larger crowd. This idea is perfect if you have ten or less employees.
Idea 2: Wine Tasting
Wine tastings are a growing trend in South Africa. Almost every wine brand has a wine tasting somewhere, and plenty of restaurants host such events too. You can take your employees to a fun and relaxing wine tasting to conclude the year.
Depending on where you are located, you can find a local vineyard for wine tastings. This is probably easier in places like Cape Town but if you are in Johannesburg there are many places for wine tasting. You can go to the Indaba Hotel for the Spier wine tasting offer or go to the Gerakaris Family Wines tasting.
Idea 3: Award Ceremony
An awards ceremony is always a good idea for a year-end function. This is a chance for you to recognise ALL your employees for their hard work and contributions. You can also add fun to the awards ceremony by creating fun categories and getting your employees to vote for the winners.
The awards ceremony can be a combination of multiple factors such as entertainment, food and also the recognition of your employees.
Idea 4: Day Off
Although not the most exciting idea, everyone loves a day off. If you can’t afford to give your employees a big year-end function, you can just give them a break from work. You can plan this day so that it coincides with a public holiday (December 16th is on the way) or you can close for the festive season a day earlier.
Idea 5: Interactive Cooking Class
Interactive cooking classes are great for year-end functions. They combine the fun of eating and drinking with learning something new. There are many companies that do cooking classes for businesses and can create a great collaborative atmosphere for your employees.
To elevate it, you can make it into a competition with different prizes for different categories. This ensures that your employees will be willing to participate, and you can reward everyone for a great year.
Idea 6: Year-End Function Themed Party
Theme parties are a norm when it comes to year-end functions. Themed parties allow your employees to be creative with their costumes. You can choose themes that align with your company, a movie theme, a sports theme or a tongue-in-cheek pop-culture reference like Barbie vs Oppenheimer – The ideas are endless!
You can take the party to the next level with decorations, prizes and enough food and drinks for everyone.
The idea of year-end functions is to give your employees a fun way of closing off the year. After much hard work and long hours, you can be a great employer by planning a function that resonates with them and leaves them feeling appreciated.
