What will people be saying on Monday?

It's the annual company party and everyone is keeping their eye on the boss, waiting for he (or she) to break the ice so everyone can relax and have fun. Or perhaps everyone is just hoping the boss leaves early, so he won't see how crazy his employees get when they are out of the office. I can tell you from experience that sometimes office functions can be very awkward for employers and employees as well as their spouses who know no one. Usually everyone wants to have fun; they just need a bit of encouragement. By creating a warm, friendly, personal environment, your attendees will participate and have fun!

After you sit through the awards, presentations and speeches, I've found that using one or more "ice-breakers" is extremely important in transitioning from sitting through dinner and programs to dancing the night away. Let me know which icebreakers work for your group so I can handle the "warming up" of the crowd.

A few of my favorite Ice Breakers:

Scavenger Hunt
A fun way to give away your prizes. We'll ask guests to produce random items that can be found in the room, such as a state quarter or a pair of non-human hands. The first person to present the item wins the prize.

Centerpiece Giveaway
One guest at each table will take home the centerpiece you've provided. Whether it's a dot under the chair or musical charades, this fun, simple idea gets everyone at the party involved.

Line Dancing
Line dances work well especially when guests don't have a dancing partner. I know how to teach the dances that will get the crowd going.

The Secret Word Game
Each guest is given a sticker and told the object of the game is to collect as many stickers as they can. You'll lose your sticker when you slip and say the "secret word" we've chosen in conversation. Great for cocktail hour when you want to encourage mingling.

Paper Airplane Contest
Players get to make and fly their very own airplanes. Competitive categories include, but are not limited to: farthest flight, longest airtime, best trick, and uniqueness of design.

21 Cups
Teams race against each other to be the first to build a pyramid with Styrofoam cups. This may sounds easy, but watch what happens just when you think you have a winner.

Air Band
Provide me the names of your most enthusiastic, outgoing well-known people in the company and I'll give you an entertainment segment that will have your group on their feet partying like a rock star! Each participant will be part of the band. I will provide the inflatable microphones, keyboards, guitars and drums. They'll each be given a chance to "warm up" before performing their smash hit before the crowd. They won't know what song they will be performing, but once the first few notes are played on my sound system your guests will be clapping along and filling up the dance floor. Remember, the overall success of this activity depends on keeping this performance a surprise.