Events that have a participatory aspect are always popular with guests! Here are some ideas to encourage participation at your next event!

Open Mic

Having an open mic at your event allows people to give speeches, speak on things pertaining to the topic of the event, thank the event hosts and sponsors, and show off talents as a bit of an ice-breaker!

Tastings 

When it comes to events, tastings are always a big hit. Whether you have local breweries or wineries, a small business or restaurant, or bakery, people love to eat and drink and often bond over food, which makes offering a tasting a great way to get people to engage with each other and your event.

Wellness Classes

Incorporating a wellness class into your event is another great way to re-energize your audience. Something to consider is a light yoga flow or stretch at intermission. This will allow your guests to stretch, relax, and learn something new.

Crafting

Particularly great for the DIYers on the attendance sheet, a crafting station that allows them to make a keepsake from the event is another idea to encourage participation. It also makes for good social media content.

Murals

Having a space for guests to contribute something artistic or encouraging like a mural is a fun way to get your guests to let their creative sides shine.

Graffiti shirts

Sure, graffiti shirts may be better known at bars, but that doesn’t mean they have to be exclusive to them. By having everyone wear a cheap, white shirt and handing out neon markers and encouraging guests to interact and write on each other’s shirts is a fun way to get people to mingle.

Karaoke

Great for an evening event (and free entertainment), karaoke can be a great hit and ice breaker for guests, especially if there are drinks flowing. Encourage your guests to grab a partner and sing a tune – you might have to kick this one off to make people comfortable and inspired.

Arcade

Having arcade or video games strewn about the venue is not only a great way to encourage some friendly competition, it also adds an aspect of nostalgia and gives guests the opportunity to feel like a kid again. Interactive games like Wii Bowling and Dance Dance Revolution are great for inspiring guests to let loose.

Team sports

Softball, flag football, paintball, or laser tag are some good sporting ideas that force people to participate, interact with one another, and get to know each other. Draw captain names from a hat and have them create teams, or have some friendly competition between companies if there are multiple guests from the same company in attendance.

Ice breaking games

There are a variety of ice breaker games available to incorporate into your event to encourage guests to mingle and get to know each other on a more personal level. Whether it’s through trivia, having people share a unique fact about themselves or an embarrassing moment, chances are it’ll be memorable and a good time for all.

What have been some of your favourite participatory activities at events? Let us know with a comment below!

Happy planning!