New York corporate events

Last week, TrivWorks produced a client entertainment activity in New York City. It was live trivia in Manhattan, which means it’s competitive team building – usually this creates a fun and high-energy environment, however at this particular event it was more than that.

It was completely raucous. I’m talking every aspect of the event, amplified; screaming, shrieking, piercing laughter, obscenity-laden insults, merciless heckling of the hapless trivia host (don’t worry – I can handle it). It was all good natured and fun, but man – what a crazy night!

I’ve hosted and/or produced over 700 NYC trivia games for the office and public, and I can count on one hand the number of gigs where I actually couldn’t proceed with the event because the audience was so out of control. That said, I’ve had my share of events where they were BARELY in control – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In the case I’ve cited above, my client was thrilled – they had sought to create a boisterous, laugh-filled atmosphere to reward their own loyal clients, which was in fact achieved (and then some). However, is this necessarily the kind of environment EVERY planner should strive for? It really depends on who is in the room, your goals for the event, the culture, the acceptable norms of your company, etc.

When the room feels like a frat party, it means everyone’s having a blast – but it also means there’s limited opportunity for real conversation, networking, and truly getting to know one another in a deep and meaningful way. At a more subdued event, the air is still charged with competitive spirit – however, you can actually talk to the people around you, and have a different type of positive shared experience.

You probably know your group well, and if they’ve behaved wildly at past events, you can probably expect them to do so again in the future. But at the same time, keep your goals for the event front and center: are you seeking to impress new clients at the function? Integrate new team members? Or maybe just blow off steam? These are all things to think about when selecting your corporate event entertainment.