Great corporate summer party ideas

Corporate summer parties are a great chance to spend time with your team and colleagues, enjoy a little down time and get to know each other outside of the hassle and stresses of your working days together. When the sun’s out (fingers crossed) and before people start to disappear for the school summer holidays, summer is a perfect reason to get everyone together and celebrate everyone involved in running your business. If you have the job of planning the corporate summer party this year, key to a successful party is to keep things fun, light hearted and inclusive for all.

Let’s start with what is often the biggest focus for any event: great food. Street Food is the perfect catering solution for a casual summer party. Bringing in street food vendors gives an event a relaxed and interactive vibe as guests chat to the traders and each other when selecting the dish they are going for. Think loaded burgers, tacos, bao buns, jerk chicken, Vietnamese street food, or dessert stalls serving waffles and ice cream. It is easy to create a festival vibe and gives everyone a great range of options, while also covering a huge variety of dietary options. Street food naturally encourages mingling, keeps people move around, trying different things, and chatting with each other.

We have great traders that can do styled and designed inside set ups, but if you’ve got outdoor space, then we have gazebo and van options too. A laid-back BBQ-style street food trader setup works well, but you can also add other food stalls serving different cuisines, arrange picnic benches and delicious summer drinks and cocktail bars. To up the fun you can add in lawn games like giant Jenga or table tennis, giving you a relaxed atmosphere where people can hang out without any pressure.

Want to make your corporate summer party stand out a bit more? Go for a theme. It doesn’t have to be over-the-top—something simple like a summer festival, beach party, or embrace a “street food market” theme focusing on a great variety of different cuisines. You can add fairy lights, casual seating, and music to tie it all together. If you want to increase the energy you could add in a DJ or live acoustic set.

If your team enjoys a bit of healthy competition and a team challenge, you could throw in some games. It is probably better not to do anything too intense, think fun team games, quizzes, or mini challenges. It’s a great way to break the ice, especially if people don’t usually spend time with each other day to day. Just make sure people don’t feel they have to be involved as this can be a little intimidating for some.

For a more chilled-out approach, a picnic-style event is a solid option. Blankets, good food, maybe a smoothie or coffee cart, and space to just sit and chat. You could even add things like yoga sessions or a creative activity if that fits your company culture.

It is really important to make sure there is food for everyone. Good vegetarian and vegan food options (easily done with street food), non-alcoholic drinks, and a mix of activities all help make the event more inclusive.

At the end of the day, a great corporate summer party is all about creating a relaxed space where people can connect outside of the average working day. Keep it casual, bring in amazing street food, and focus on good vibes, that’s really all you need.