Events are FUN! Michelle and I discussed the other day our love of planning different types of events. From cook outs and dinner parties for family and friends to races, appreciation luncheons, or recognition and incentive program kick-offs. Kick-Off events get people excited. Whether you are launching casual Friday, an incentive program or your new website, the hype and excitement of a kick-off event can be contagious. The launch DOES NOT have to be a huge to-do, but there are a few basics that should be considered.
Food – I don’t know about you, but I will attend almost any event that has food. Snack food or catered food, you can’t go wrong with some fruit trays, veggie trays, lemonade, chips and dip. Also, I highly recommend a cake – which always brings people in. Don’t forget to customize it with your company logo and/or incentive program theme.
Information – Having lured the masses with yummy snacks, make sure that the kick-off is informative. Provide program information such as theme, incentive program website, program rules and contact information of program administrators.
Show participants how the program creates value for the organization. Your incentive program should stimulate employee engagement and performance by placing increased value on work tasks. With something at stake, people become more committed to meeting goals. For the program to succeed, everything about it — the objectives, reward offerings, the communication of messages and program support — needs to convey to participants that “this is a valuable program and worth the effort.”
Enthusiasm – make sure that YOU are excited about the program. Remember why it was created, to increase sales or loyalty, drive employee engagement, or encourage safe work habits (reducing accidents) – to improve the bottom line. This should make YOU excited! Employees will follow your leadership – and if they see management/ownership engaged and enthusiastic – they will be excited about it.
So, when would you have this event? Well, schedule it the day the website launches, or the next week, or the week before. The timing is up to you. If the site has already launched and you want to improve program engagement, have a redemption party to make everyone aware of their points. Print off score cards or posters of program rewards. The possibilities are endless.
Launch parties are a break from the everyday norm and should create excitement about your new incentive program. Contact us to find out more about designing – and launching – an effective incentive program.
