Office parties are one of the best ways to show your appreciation for your employees and shake up the usual routine. Add ice cream to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for team happiness. Here’s how you can upgrade the usual office party.
Follow these tips to make your office party an awesome experience.
Finding the perfect catering company is the most important part of planning an ice cream party. Communicate with each company you consider to find one that fits your budget and availability. Additionally, consider choosing a catering company with a strong mission. For example, we at Howdy Homemade Ice Cream are committed to providing meaningful work for individuals with disabilities.
When you host an ice cream party, you want to make sure you offer flavors everyone will enjoy. Start with classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Then, add one or two unconventional flavors like cinnamon roll or Dr. Pepper Chocolate Chip for your more adventurous employees.
Experts estimate that some 30 million Americans are lactose intolerant, and approximately 6.1 million Americans are allergic to milk. Other people choose not to consume milk as part of their lifestyle. For example, people who eat vegan avoid all animal products, including dairy.
Providing dairy-free alternatives ensures everyone feels included. At Howdy Homemade Ice Cream, we offer the following dairy-free ice cream flavors:
A good-looking ice cream bar will entice your employees to dig in. Make your sundae bar look nice with these tips:
Finally, set up your table assembly-line style so employees can easily build their own sundaes without taking too long.
Toppings let people personalize their ice cream to create a special treat. While the possibilities are truly endless, some popular topping ideas include:
Many ice cream catering companies will provide a few toppings for you. If you want to provide more options, though, you could ask your employees to bring their favorite toppings for a sundae potluck.
Structured activities like party games can help employees relax around people they may not usually talk to. Some fun game ideas include:
Traditional single-use plastic utensils and bowls take centuries to break down in the environment, so using greener alternatives can help your office party be more sustainable.
If your office has a kitchen or cafeteria, you can use the silverware you already have. But if you need to buy some disposable utensils, opt for recycled or biodegradable materials that are less damaging to the environment.
Photo booths are a fantastic addition to any party, but renting out a full photo booth can be expensive. You can easily create your own affordable photo booth using the following:
Check with your employees to see what they have on hand. If someone in the office loves photography, for example, they might be willing to bring in their camera for the event. Or you could have everyone use their phones to take pictures.
Inclusion is one of the most important things to consider when organizing office events. After all, when you throw a party, you want to make sure everyone gets a chance to enjoy the fun.
Invite people from every level of your office to make sure everyone feels included. You could also allow employees to bring a plus-one to make socialization a little easier for those who are more introverted.
One of the best ways to get people excited about a party is to create eye-catching invitations. You can easily make beautiful email invitations with sites like Punchbowl, Canva and Zazzle.
Need some tips for creating enticing invites? Here are a few pointers to get you started:
An office ice cream party can help make your company a more exciting place to work. Here are a few of the top reasons why.
Almost everyone loves ice cream, and there’s a scientific reason why. The combination of milk fat, salt and sugar in ice cream triggers your brain to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates feelings of pleasure. This reaction is why we often think of hyper-palatable foods like ice cream, cookies and other sweets as comfort foods. They literally bring us comfort!
Sharing a meal is a central part of every culture, and for good reason — eating with others helps reduce stress and improve social connections. Ice cream provides an easy conversation starter for those who may need some help talking to new people, and because it’s a comfort food, it can help them feel more at ease. Plus, playing fun party games helps bring co-workers together by challenging their collaboration skills.
While a steady routine helps keep the office on track, shaking things up every so often can boost productivity and energize your employees. Here’s why — our brains constantly look for new stimulation, so sticking to the same routine every day makes it more difficult to focus over time. Taking a break from routine, even for half an hour, gives the brain that sense of novelty, which can make it easier to focus on work and retain information.
Let your employees take a little time out of their everyday routine to enjoy a sweet treat with their co-workers, and they’ll go back to work refreshed and ready to tackle their next big task.
Recognizing your people for their work is essential for improving employee engagement and turnover rates. According to a recent survey from the Society for Human Resources and Management, 68% of HR professionals said employee appreciation efforts positively impact retention and job satisfaction. And an office ice cream party is an excellent way to get started.
Having fun at work can help spark creativity and innovation, increase employee engagement and drive higher productivity. And since many people associate surprise with fun, it makes sense to delight them with unexpected events like an office ice cream party.
Are you planning an office ice cream social? Howdy Homemade Ice Cream can help you out! Our corporate ice cream catering options bring smiles to any event with delicious homemade ice cream and photo-worthy trucks and carts. Plus, you’ll support a great cause!
Let us help you show your employees you care. Fill out our online contact form to get started.
