Companies can show gratitude to the vital staff who work behind the scenes by hosting an employee appreciation event. Filled with massages and treats, these events help boost morale and offer thanks to the people working tirelessly to deliver premium service throughout the year. Recently, the Fairmont Hotel was one such company to successfully host an event to honor their essential workers. To thank the teams of people who are committed to ensuring everything runs smoothly, the Fairmont leadership filled tables with treats like cozy socks and provided the staff with a relaxing chair massage. Each employee was able to take a moment for themselves while at work to receive thanks for all they do each day.
With employee appreciation events on the rise, we’ve captured some pro-moves to share with you.
1. Set the Date
If you’re booking an event, we suggest a minimum of two weeks to plan and pull it all together. Ideally, a month allows enough time to finalize all the little details, like making sure there is a space set up, lining up any giveaways, ordering food and beverages, confirming vendors, and getting your team engaged and excited. If there is a holiday in the near future, pairing the event with that can help to heighten the festivities. Still, we here at Body Techniques think that every day is worth celebrating, so choosing a weekday is equally appreciated.
2. Find the Space
When deciding where to host your event, we suggest a quiet room for massage. If that’s not possible, our team works with you to create a semi-private area using drapes and massage equipment. Conference spaces, communal areas, or empty offices all work well for employees to trickle in throughout the day to receive a massage. Although not necessary, displaying a company banner, signage, or photo zone helps to elevate the room and make it feel like a celebration.
3. Spread the Word
To ensure a successful event, people need to know about it. Internal communications like staff newsletters or bulletin boards are great ways to spread the word. The old adage is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, so if this is a recurring event, share photos from past events to build excitement. If you’re working with the Body Techniques team to schedule an employee appreciation event, we have materials and templates for internal promotion to help encourage staff to participate in your event.
4. Everyone Loves a Snack and a Little Swag
In addition to massage, setting a table for employees with extra treats can take your event to the next level. We’ve seen t-shirts, notebooks, backpacks, and tote bags filled with treats all bring smiles to employees’ faces. Setting the room with water bottles, granola bars, and snacks, or boxed lunches also help to create an environment that indeed says, “Thank you for all you do.”
5. The Massage Station
When you work with Body Techniques, our certified Massage Therapists (MTs) are dedicated to releasing tension and providing relief with chair massage. Our MTs will set up their space, listen to each employee’s needs, and deliver comfort through massage. To keep bookings on time and organized, we provide proprietary booking software that helps ensure your massage is stress-free. In addition, our MTs all undergo rigorous sanitation training and adhere to the highest level of safety. To read more about what we’re doing to keep you safe, click here to view our Clean Wellness Policy.
6. Raffle Prizes
If you’re really looking to wow your team, having a few larger raffle prizes adds to the fun. Prizes like full or half-days of PTO, massage credits, parking spots, or a “Lunch on Us” always seem to be crowd favorites. You can choose to host the raffle in a few different ways. One option is to give all employees a ticket and let them drop it in for the prize they want, or you can enter everyone for all the prizes and randomly select a winner. Either way, your team is sure to get excited about these additional perks.
7. Remain Flexible
You’ve planned, double-checked, and confirmed all the details. However, we don’t live in a perfect world so last-minute changes can happen. The event’s focus is to say thank you to the team that keeps the doors open and the lights on. Should issues arise, we suggest grounding with a deep breath and remind yourself that everything will be okay. Our team remains on hand to help you navigate any uncertainties, so don’t hesitate to reach out for additional support.
8. Share the Success
After the employee appreciation event, it’s time to celebrate! Share photos with your staff and announce any winner of prizes offered. If you’re able to capture a few quotes day-of or, even better, a video, share that! Sending a final email with another message of appreciation helps to wrap up a successful event!
Whether your team is returning to the office or has continued to work onsite throughout the past year, employee appreciation events are a fantastic way to boost morale and foster a team environment where staff can feel appreciated and supported. At Body Techniques, we work with you to ensure your employee appreciation events succeed with our skilled and dedicated team of administrators and massage therapists.
If you are considering honoring your employees with massage, we’re ready to discuss options with you.
Written by: Emily Bonzi
Marketing Director at Body Techniques
