Entertainment Ideas for Employee Events

Planning an employee event and looking for interactive entertainment ideas that staff can actually participate in?

Arcade machines and competitive games can create a relaxed, social environment where employees can challenge colleagues, compete between departments and enjoy something completely different from the normal working day.

Boutique Party Hire provides interactive entertainment for:

Employee Events

Staff Appreciation Days

Employee Reward Events

Team Socials

Company Parties

Employee Engagement Events

Staff Away Days

Office Parties

Company Celebrations

Employee Christmas Parties

Summer Staff Events

Corporate Family Days

From a couple of feature games to a complete temporary arcade, entertainment can be selected around your venue, employee numbers and event format.

Browse our complete Arcade Machine Hire London & UK Nationwide range.

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Why Choose Interactive Entertainment for Employee Events?

Employee events are often designed to bring people together away from their normal working environment.

Interactive games give staff something shared to participate in.

Employees can:

Challenge Colleagues

Compete Against Managers

Represent Their Department

Attempt High Scores

Race Head-to-Head

Join Tournaments

Play Casually

Socialise Around the Games

The entertainment can operate alongside food, drinks, presentations, awards and other activities.

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1. Create an Employee Arcade

For larger employee events, create an entire temporary arcade.

A staff arcade could include:

Racing Machines

Basketball

Air Hockey

Reaction Games

Boxing Machines

Pool Tables

Retro Arcade Machines

Giant Arcade Games

Employees can move between different games rather than everyone having to participate in one activity at the same time.

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2. Mario Kart Employee Tournament

Create a racing tournament with Mario Kart DX Twin Arcade Hire.

Two employees can race head-to-head.

Potential matchups include:

SALES VS MARKETING

MANAGEMENT VS STAFF

TEAM A VS TEAM B

OFFICE VS OFFICE

DEPARTMENT VS DEPARTMENT

Qualifying races can take place throughout the event before the fastest players compete in the final.

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3. Corporate Racing Championship

For a larger racing experience, combine several machines.

Use:

Mario Kart DX Twin Arcade Hire

Overtake DX Twin Arcade Hire

Moto GP Twin Arcade Hire

Employees can earn points across different racing games.

At the end of the event, announce your:

COMPANY RACING CHAMPION

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4. Basketball Employee Challenge

Basketball arcade games can provide fast competition for staff.

Potential formats include:

Highest Score

Employee vs Manager

Department vs Department

Team vs Team

Office vs Office

Because each attempt can be relatively quick, basketball can work well for larger employee numbers.

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5. Batak Reaction Challenge

Find the employee with the fastest reactions using Batak Lite Game Hire.

Employees compete to hit illuminated targets and achieve the best score.

Create a leaderboard for:

Fastest Employee

Fastest Manager

Best Department

Best Team

Overall Champion

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6. Catch It Reaction Challenge

Another interactive option is Catch It Reaction Ring Game Hire.

Reaction challenges can be particularly useful at employee events because guests can take part quickly before returning to food, drinks or other activities.

They can also form one station within a larger team competition.

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7. Air Hockey Tournament

Create a company air hockey championship using Commercial Air Hockey Table Hire.

Employees can compete through:

Qualifying Rounds

Quarter Finals

Semi Finals

Final

Or simply leave the table available for casual games throughout the event.

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8. Boxing Machine Competition

Create a:

WHO HITS HARDEST?

competition with Boxing Machine Hire.

Employees can attempt to reach the highest score throughout the event.

Other ideas include:

Beat the Boss

Sales vs Operations

Team vs Team

Department vs Department

The scoring system makes it easy to maintain a leaderboard.

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9. Hammer Strength Challenge

Add Hammer Lumberjack Hire to create another competitive challenge.

Combine hammer and boxing machines to create a dedicated strength area.

Employees can earn points on both machines.

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10. Street Fighter Employee Tournament

Create a retro tournament with Street Fighter Retro Arcade Machine Hire.

Players compete head-to-head until one employee remains.

This can work particularly well during:

Staff Parties

Technology Company Events

Gaming Events

Employee Socials

Company Celebrations

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11. Giant PAC-MAN

For a visually impressive retro attraction, consider World’s Largest PAC-MAN Hire.

It can work particularly well for larger employee events where you want the gaming area to become part of the event design.

Combine it with other retro games to create a complete classic arcade area.

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12. Giant Space Invaders

Add World’s Largest Space Invaders Hire alongside PAC-MAN.

A retro gaming zone could include:

PAC-MAN

Space Invaders

Street Fighter

Classic Arcade Machines

This can provide casual entertainment away from the more competitive challenges.

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13. Pool Table Hire

For employees who prefer something more relaxed, consider Commercial Pool Table Hire.

Pool can work particularly well around:

Bars

Breakout Areas

Staff Social Spaces

Networking Areas

Evening Entertainment

Employees can talk while playing, making pool particularly useful for staff socials.

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14. Alpine Racer Ski Challenge

For winter employee events, Alpine Racer Ski Arcade Hire provides a seasonal interactive option.

It can work for:

Christmas Parties

Winter Staff Events

Après-Ski Themes

Year-End Celebrations

Employee Reward Events

Create a ski competition or add it to a larger Christmas arcade.

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15. Employee vs Manager Games

One of the easiest ways to create engagement is:

EMPLOYEE VS MANAGER

Suitable games include:

Mario Kart

Basketball

Air Hockey

Street Fighter

Reaction Games

Boxing

Employees can challenge different members of the management team throughout the event.

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16. Department vs Department Competition

Turn your employee event into a company-wide tournament.

Teams could include:

Sales

Marketing

Finance

HR

Operations

IT

Management

Each department nominates employees for different games.

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Example Employee Event Tournament

ROUND ONE — RACING

Mario Kart.

ROUND TWO — REACTION

Batak.

ROUND THREE — SPORTS

Basketball.

ROUND FOUR — STRENGTH

Boxing.

ROUND FIVE — HEAD-TO-HEAD

Air Hockey.

Each department receives points.

At the end of the event, announce the winning department.

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17. Office vs Office Competition

Companies with multiple offices can create regional competitions.

For example:

LONDON VS MANCHESTER

NORTH VS SOUTH

HEAD OFFICE VS REGIONAL OFFICE

OFFICE A VS OFFICE B

Employees can compete across several different arcade challenges.

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18. Employee High-Score Leaderboard

You don’t necessarily need a structured tournament.

Set up a leaderboard instead.

Possible categories include:

Fastest Racer

Highest Basketball Score

Fastest Reactions

Highest Boxing Score

Best Batak Score

Street Fighter Champion

Air Hockey Champion

Employees can attempt to improve their score throughout the event.

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19. Staff Appreciation Day Entertainment

Employee appreciation events can combine interactive games with:

Food

Drinks

Employee Gifts

Recognition

Awards

Music

Company Updates

Games can operate throughout the day without interrupting the rest of the programme.

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20. Employee Reward Event Ideas

Reward events should feel different from an ordinary working day.

Create an employee gaming experience containing:

Racing

Retro Arcade

Sports Games

Reaction Challenges

Social Games

The event can take place inside a suitable office or at an external venue.

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21. Employee Engagement Event Games

Interactive games can complement employee engagement programmes.

Use them alongside:

Workshops

Internal Campaigns

Presentations

Company Updates

Networking

Team Activities

Employees can participate during breaks or dedicated entertainment periods.

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22. Entertainment for Employee Socials

For informal staff socials, you may not need organised competitions.

Instead, provide games such as:

Pool

Air Hockey

Retro Arcade

Mario Kart

Employees can play casually while socialising.

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23. Employee Christmas Party Entertainment

Christmas parties are ideal for creating larger gaming areas.

Potential machines include:

Alpine Racer Ski Arcade Hire

Mario Kart DX Twin Arcade Hire

Commercial Air Hockey Table Hire

Street Fighter Retro Arcade Hire

Boxing Machine Hire

Combine arcade entertainment with food, drinks, DJs and other Christmas entertainment.

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24. Employee Summer Event Entertainment

Summer employee events can combine arcade machines with:

Food

Bars

Music

Outdoor Games

Team Activities

Corporate Hospitality

Where commercial arcade machines are positioned outdoors, suitable weather protection and power will be required.

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25. Entertainment for Staff Away Days

Away days often include both business and social elements.

A schedule could include:

MORNING

Presentations and company updates.

AFTERNOON

Workshops and team activities.

EVENING

Food, drinks and arcade entertainment.

This gives employees something completely different after the formal part of the day.

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26. Entertainment for Company Awards Events

Interactive games can operate around the formal awards programme.

For example:

ARRIVAL

Drinks + arcade games.

DINNER

Games remain available.

AWARDS

Formal presentation.

AFTER-PARTY

Arcade + bar + music.

This keeps guests entertained throughout the event.

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27. Entertainment for New Employee Events

Interactive games can also be used for graduate programmes, induction events and events bringing employees from different teams together.

Games provide an informal shared activity where employees can interact without requiring complicated team-building exercises.

Suitable options include:

Air Hockey

Mario Kart

Pool

Basketball

Reaction Games

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28. Entertainment for Large Employee Events

For events with hundreds of employees, create several different zones.

RACING ZONE

Mario Kart + Overtake + Moto GP.

RETRO ZONE

PAC-MAN + Space Invaders + Street Fighter.

SPORTS ZONE

Basketball + Boxing + Air Hockey.

REACTION ZONE

Batak + Catch It.

SOCIAL ZONE

Pool and casual arcade games.

This provides more capacity and gives employees a choice of activities.

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29. Entertainment for Small Employee Events

Smaller staff events may only need two or three games.

For example:

Mario Kart + Air Hockey

or

Batak + Basketball

or

Street Fighter + Pool

The best combination depends on employee numbers, venue space and the style of event.

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30. Create a Complete Employee Arcade

For a major staff event, create a complete temporary arcade.

Multiple machines can provide entertainment for employees throughout the day or evening.

For a larger ready-made setup, view our Platinum Arcade Experience Package.

Alternatively, choose individual machines from our Arcade Machine Hire London & UK Nationwide range.

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Employee Event Entertainment in London

Boutique Party Hire provides suitable arcade and interactive entertainment for employee events throughout London.

This can include:

Central London

City of London

Canary Wharf

Westminster

Mayfair

Shoreditch

Stratford

and surrounding areas.

Games can potentially be installed inside suitable offices, hotels, conference venues and corporate event spaces.

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Employee Event Entertainment Across the UK

Suitable employee-event bookings can also be discussed throughout the UK, including:

London

Manchester

Birmingham

Leeds

Liverpool

Bristol

Cardiff

Nottingham

Leicester

Coventry

Sheffield

and other locations.

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Employee Event Entertainment FAQs

What are good entertainment ideas for employee events?

Arcade machines, racing games, basketball, air hockey, reaction challenges, boxing machines, pool and retro games can all provide interactive entertainment.

What entertainment works for employee engagement events?

Quick-play games, team competitions, leaderboards and casual arcade areas can work alongside workshops and company activities.

Can departments compete against each other?

Yes. Suitable arcade games can form part of a department-vs-department tournament.

Can employees compete against managers?

Yes. Racing, basketball, air hockey, Street Fighter and reaction games can work particularly well.

What works for large employee events?

Several entertainment zones containing racing, sports, reaction and retro games can provide more capacity for larger groups.

What works for smaller staff events?

Two or three strong games can provide plenty of entertainment for smaller employee groups.

Can you put arcade games inside our office?

Potentially, subject to suitable access, lifts, doorways, power and available floor space.

Can you provide games for staff Christmas parties?

Yes. Suitable machines can be combined into a temporary Christmas arcade.

Can we hire a complete arcade?

Yes. Multiple machines can be combined into a larger gaming area.

Do you cover London?

Yes. Suitable employee-event bookings can be discussed throughout London.

Do you cover the UK?

Suitable corporate bookings can be discussed nationwide.

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Hire Entertainment for Your Employee Event

Whether you’re organising an employee reward day, staff appreciation event, employee engagement day, company party, team social, Christmas party or corporate away day, interactive games can provide employees with entertainment they can actively participate in.

Popular options include:

Mario Kart DX Twin Arcade Hire

Overtake DX Twin Arcade Hire

Moto GP Twin Arcade Hire

Batak Lite Game Hire

Catch It Reaction Ring Game Hire

Commercial Air Hockey Table Hire

Commercial Pool Table Hire

Boxing Machine Hire

Street Fighter Retro Arcade Machine Hire

World’s Largest PAC-MAN Hire

World’s Largest Space Invaders Hire

Or browse the complete Arcade Machine Hire London & UK Nationwide range.