Planning a company party is a lot of work: venue, catering, technology, schedule and countless small decisions. And despite all that effort, it can still end up feeling like many other parties. To make it truly memorable, it needs something that doesn’t feel like every other day at the office. Over the past years I’ve performed at very different corporate events, from huge staff festivals to small team evenings. Here’s what I’ve noticed and which entertainment ideas really work.
What makes good event entertainment
Large company events such as MAN in Steyr, ZF in Passau, Airbus in Bremen or Mercedes-Benz in Berlin almost always had the same ingredients: live music, food trucks and a look inside the company, such as product demonstrations or showcases from everyday work. That’s a solid base. What makes the difference, though, is usually one programme item that breaks the routine.
In my experience, event entertainment works best when it does three things:
- It surprises. Guests experience something they don’t already know from the last party.
- It reaches everyone. Especially at family events, the programme should excite adults just as much as kids.
- It invites people to join in. People remember what they tried themselves far longer than what they only watched while eating and chatting.
Ideas for your event programme
These building blocks have worked again and again at the corporate events I’ve been part of:
- Live music as a thread running through the day or evening.
- Food trucks instead of a classic buffet. It loosens things up and gets people moving.
- A look inside the company: product demos, showcases or small stations where teams show what they do every day.
- A show act as the highlight, a clear peak moment people still talk about the next day.
- Hands-on stations where guests can get active themselves.
- A programme for kids when families are invited.
- A short keynote with an outside perspective that brings fresh ideas into everyday work.
A slackline show covers several of these at once. That’s why I’ve often combined the show with a hands-on station: after the show, guests can step onto the line themselves. For these stations I like to use the Slackrack, because it can be set up anywhere and doesn’t need trees. You’ll find more about it in my comparison Slackboard vs. Slackline. If you can plan more time, turn the station into a full slackline workshop for team building.
The right moment for a show act
When a show fits best depends a lot on the event. Three set-ups have proven themselves:
As the highlight of a summer party. At the large staff festivals, the show was the moment everyone came together. At Mercedes-Benz in Berlin, for example, a partner and I performed a duo show with the trickline and highline rigged one above the other.
Between two talks. At apprentice graduation ceremonies, for example at Fill in Gurten or at voestalpine in Linz, there was a lot happening on stage. A punchy show of about five minutes between the speeches woke the audience up again, so everyone was fresh for the next part of the programme.
As part of an evening with a keynote. For Schiebel in Vienna I combined a show with a talk about excellence, together with Matthias Winkler of Hotel Sacher. It was a really special evening. I had the feeling the employees benefited from viewpoints that were far removed from their day-to-day operations, and went home with new ideas and motivation.
Big stage or small setting
Not every company party needs a big stage. For smaller companies such as Netural in Linz, the atmosphere was much more personal, without a large stage setup. That also keeps the budget smaller, while the show is still impressive and something completely different for the team. How effort affects the price is explained in my article What does a slackline show cost.
Setting the mood
One big advantage of a slackline show is that it can match the mood you want:
- High energy: a trickline show with jumps and flips brings pace and applause.
- Calm and inspiring: a highline show above the guests’ heads feels almost meditative and still draws every eye.
- Atmospheric: a trickline show with live music turns acrobatics and music into one shared moment.
You’ll find all formats on my shows page.
Summer party, Christmas party or anniversary
Summer party: outdoors, the most is possible, including a highline. If families are there, a hands-on station for kids is especially worth it.
Christmas party: usually indoors, often with dinner and speeches. A short, compact show between two programme items fits well here. A trickline needs two solid anchor points, which we clarify with the venue in advance.
Company anniversary: an anniversary deserves a programme item that stands out and that guests remember for a long time. A duo show or a highline above the guests’ heads adds a special touch here.
Not only for companies: city festivals and public events
I also love performing at city festivals, because the audience is so diverse. And I love seeing that I can truly fascinate kids. Examples include the city festival in Rüsselsheim, a show in Sallanches in France and an event for the Obertauern tourism board. For an overview of my shows in Austria, see Slackline Show Austria.
Conclusion
Good event entertainment surprises, reaches every age group and lets guests experience something themselves. A slackline show can be exactly that, whether as the big highlight, a short wake-up call between two speeches or combined with a hands-on station. Through my network of artists I can also put together a larger programme if needed.
Planning a company event right now? Send me a no-obligation enquiry and we’ll work out what fits your event.