3 experiential event ideas to boost employee learning and engagement

What you need to know 

• Experiential event design supports learning and improves event outcomes. 
• Interactive event elements help leaders cascade core messages quickly and effectively.
• Experiential techniques make employees feel empowered, motivated, supported and engaged.

Corporate event planners and designers are always challenged to make their next employee meeting or sales kick-off event even more engaging than the last. Incorporating learning and development tools into your event agenda creates memorable experiences that are immersive, interactive and impactful. By engaging participants, you can ensure your event not only stands out but also delivers lasting value.

Getting people involved in the content in new and dynamic ways achieves stronger outcomes and encourages learning to stick. Active participation, whether through collaborative workshops or team-based activities, encourages attendees to take ownership to learn and apply it. 

This article covers three experiential event design ideas proven to boost learning and engagement. We’ll explore the purpose, outcomes, on-site experience and emotional impact on attendees, so you know how to effectively implement each. 

Related: Why gamified breakouts should be part of your event strategy

Experiential event idea: Host a hackathon

What is a hackathon?

Hackathons are scalable ideation workshops that bring teams together to creatively solve problems without distraction.

Why host a hackathon?

Hackathon workshops empower teams to break through barriers, challenge old beliefs and collectively identify actionable solutions. This ideation experience allows participants to address company-wide challenges, moving from frustration and uncertainty to clarity and collaboration. By engaging senior leadership in the process, the event aims to foster trust, encourage new ways of thinking, and inspire immediate, actionable change. Facilitated hackathons help organizations identify “quick win” solutions to make big culture shifts in a short amount of time. 

How to host a hackathon

Team-based immersive activities follow five fast-paced phases designed to help them ‘hack’ away at outdated processes and explore new ways of working. Hackathon participants empathize, align, ideate, prototype and test. Then, tap into their competitive spirit with a pitch competition. A post-hackathon coaching session with the leadership team guides them through an idea review to determine which solutions can be implemented right away and which can be integrated for long-term change. This follow-up ensures that insights translate into concrete deliverables.

Hackathon outcomes

Teams develop a sense of accountability around specific solutions. The event lays the groundwork for a shift in organizational culture, encouraging collaboration, open communication, and the operationalization of change.

Attendees feel

Empowered and motivated. Not to mention, they’re more confident in the leadership’s commitment and clear on next steps.

Related: How a biotechnology company hackathon supported a strategic reset that re-energized their sales team

Corporate event idea: Co-create a strategic narrative

What is strategic narrative design?

Strategic storytelling simplifies the organization’s vision, purpose, values and business goals into a compelling, unified narrative that’s easy to understand, repeat and share.

Why use storytelling in event design?

Your shared narrative serves as a guiding framework for the event, helping employees see their role in the organization’s transformation. By creating a clear, accessible story prior to the event operation, it ensures everyone is on the same page, pulling in the same direction. Your narrative motivates attendees to align their individual behaviors with the company’s long-term strategy. 

How to integrate strategic storytelling into content

During the event pre-planning, experts collaborate with key members of your leadership team to co-create a visual and engaging strategic narrative. This helps people understand the why, what and how of organizational change. Storytelling connects them emotionally with “what’s in it for me.”

The narrative can help communicate the company’s strategic pillars, vision, values, challenges, opportunities and key decisions in a clear, visually compelling format.

Then, use this outline as your guide for environmental design, communications and on-site activations, from signage, swag and social media walls to QR code-enabled scavenger hunts and dynamic video content. Cascading the story is key. Give leaders a guide to help them effectively reinforce the strategic narrative to their teams, ensuring consistent messaging across the organization.

Strategic narrative outcomes

A visual story simplifies complex strategy, making it consistent and easily accessible at every level of the organization. This leads to greater organizational alignment around the company’s vision and the critical role each employee plays in achieving strategic goals. A compelling narrative also motivates employees to take ownership and feel personally connected to the company’s success.

Attendees feel

Pride and purpose. Connect employees to the company’s history so they get excited about their collective future, with a clear sense of how they contribute.

Employee event idea: Facilitate bite-size, blended learning

What is an activation toolkit?

Short (20-40 minute) activities facilitated by an internal leader before and after the main event. Content can be tailored to conference themes, real-life challenges, and company messaging that invite participants to apply concepts and cascade messaging in real-life scenarios.

Why use blended activations in event design?

Instead of a one-and-done approach to learning, extending activities into pre- and post-event periods introduces coaching opportunities and reinforces core concepts. When learning is regular, ongoing and bite-sized, it improves information retention.

How to integrate blended learning tools: Pre- and post-event content can take the form of:

• Videos
• Gamified eLearning for team and individual play
• AR/VR experiences
• Workshops
• Take-away guides and tools to embed employees in the workflow
• Training incentives 

Before the event, employees can engage with introductory materials that set the stage for the breakout activities. After the event, they can support or build on what they've learned. Additional resources, activities and check-ins create a continuous learning journey.

Extended activation outcomes

Not only are blended learning tools consistently absorbed and applied over time, but these activations also strengthen employee-manager relationships. Providing managers with the tools to foster meaningful conversations about strategy, transformation and customer service enables employees to connect their personal growth to the organization’s broader vision.

Attendees feel

Supported and engaged. By providing the tools to apply organizational values in everyday scenarios, learning becomes more actionable, immersive and impactful.

Related: 5 ways to maximize engagement and motivation at events

Mix and match experiential event ideas to serve your audience

Events shouldn’t just be about content delivery. Your event should aim to create memorable experiences that inspire, engage and drive real change. Integrating a variety of experiential techniques boosts engagement by encouraging participants to actively contribute solutions that are relevant to them.

When attendees feel comfortable learning and contributing, genuine connection and growth follow. Taking an interactive approach to corporate and employee events creates a culture of collaboration. Investing in meaningful experiences strengthens event outcomes and empowers your organization to achieve greater success.

Enliven your attendee experience with more immersive ideas in our event strategy ebook.