What better way to celebrate your team than with employee recognition events at unique and quirky venues?! From theme parks to museums, the UK has a variety of venues that make perfect spaces for hosting your employee recognition events.
According to Great Place to Work, “Employee recognition helps to retain top talent, increase employee engagement, and encourage high performance.”
And despite popular belief, an employee recognition event doesn’t just have to be a team trip with a team building activity (although we can certainly help with those too). Consider away days in a fun location, special dinners in a breath-taking venue, an official awards ceremony with entertainment, and more.
Great Place to Work supports our team’s view that you can be open-minded in your approach, too: “There’s something invigorating about a workplace where recognition is more than just an end-of-year event. With over 700,000 survey respondents echoing this sentiment, it’s hard to argue against the data.”
Will you take inspiration from our list of unique venue and employee recognition event types?
Venues for employee recognition events
Theme parks
Brits love their theme parks, with Legoland Windsor recording an attendance of 2.4 million visitors in 2022. Nothing gets the blood pumping more than a loop-de-loop rollercoaster or, for some, a go on the teacups!
Theme parks are a perfect place to host an employee reward event as attendees can visit the attractions after the event to relax and enjoy the rides.
The informal and relaxed setting of a theme park encourages natural and personal interactions, creating stronger connections and team bonding with the event itself.
A great example of a theme park venue is Drayton Manor. With meeting room capacities from 12 to 500 and an outdoor space for up to 2000, here is a perfect place for a reward event.
The venue offers day delegate packages with all the added extras to pick and choose from, including theme park access. It also offers 24-hour residential packages with overnight accommodation in their on-site 4-star 150-bedroomed hotel.
Castles
With over 4,000 castles in the UK, we are spoilt for choice for historical venues. Castles are often grand, regal spaces that allow visitors to escape the modern day and go back in time.
Castles provide a unique and majestic setting for hosting an employee recognition event, creating a memorable experience that goes beyond the ordinary. The spacious and versatile layout of a castle allows for a variety of activities, ensuring a dynamic and engaging event.
A favourite castle of ours is Bovey Castle. Bovey Castle is idyllically set in the heart of England’s Dartmoor National Park and is the perfect event space. The moody castle can host up to 100 delegates in its event space and has 60 bedrooms for overnight guests. They also have on-site lodges for additional bedrooms if needed.
Stadiums
From football to rugby, cricket to cycling, stadiums can be an underdog venue for hosting events. Their sheer size and public transport links make them an ideal spot to host larger events for sporting fans.
A stadium’s infrastructure can easily accommodate large gatherings, providing ample seating, state-of-the-art AV facilities, and catering services. Additionally, the association with sports and competition can inspire a sense of motivation among employees. This can encourage a positive and energetic environment for recognising their work.
A stadium we love is AMEX Stadium in Brighton. The venue has a capacity for up to 500 delegates across 31 conference and meeting rooms. It has convenient transport links close by and free parking, making it an easily accessible venue.
Museums and galleries
There are approximately 2,500 museums and 4,615 art galleries in the UK. Each is rich in culture and provides escapist experiences for visitors.
The distinctive atmosphere of museums and galleries creates a memorable experience, which encourages employee feelings of appreciation.
The presence of art and exhibits serves as an inspiring backdrop, symbolising creativity and innovation. This reinforces the importance of recognising and celebrating achievements. These venues often offer versatile spaces, allowing for a customised event that reflects the organisation’s commitment to valuing employees.
The National Museum of Scotland is an excellent location for an employee recognition event. From intimate dinners to red-carpet awards, National Museums Scotland’s unique venues set a memorable scene for up to 1,500 guests.
So, what are you waiting for?
Whatever you choose, remember to involve your potential guests. “Appreciation events can recognise a team, a group of people or the entire company all at once,” Jordan Nottrodt says in HRMorning. “Just be sure to ask your employees about their preferences. Do they have any dietary restrictions if the event includes food? Do they feel their workload allows them to take time away for a team-building session? Giving employees one more thing to do or an event to participate in isn’t a reward if their current workload isn’t reasonable.”
Mark Dixon, Bien Venue’s Client Services Director concludes, “Employee recognition events are integral to keeping your team happy in their roles, and they can be a perfect opportunity to bring the team together to celebrate significant achievements. So, where better to do this than in a fun and unique setting of a castle or on a rooftop terrace?
“In venues like these, employees will have a memorable experience, feel valued, and be more motivated to achieve their goals – and attend the next event!”
Explore more ways that Bien Venue can help you plan and deliver a memorable employee recognition event. And get in touch with us to talk about the options for your own team.