Games for a company convention: a kick-off guide

A company convention squeezes into one or two days everything that normally takes a whole year to tell: results, targets, new products and teams that hardly ever meet in person. And yet what people remember back at the office is rarely a slide: it is the moments when they mixed with colleagues from other offices and competed against them.

That is why more and more companies look for games for a company convention and spread them across the whole programme instead of saving the entertainment for the closing party. Here is how to choose them by time of day, how to run a team tournament for your kick-off and what to check about the venue before you book anything.

What games add to a sales kick-off

At a convention the challenge is not filling the time, it is breaking the inertia. After two hours of charts, minds switch off on their own. A well placed game brings the energy back into the room without asking anyone to make a fool of themselves, which is the real fear behind any group activity.

Activities for a sales kick-off work best when they are voluntary and short. Nobody has to sign up for anything: you walk past, play for two minutes, check the scoreboard and go back to your conversation. That alone gets you what matters:

• Mixing teams from different regions or offices with no forced introductions.
• Giving an instant conversation starter to anyone who knows nobody.
• Producing real photos and video for the internal year-in-review.

Games for the breaks between keynotes

A coffee break lasts what it lasts, so the game has to be understood at a glance: two or three minute rounds, rules that need no explaining and nothing that has to be set up between sessions. Games for convention breaks are chosen for pace, not for spectacle.

The Subsoccer table is a great fit: a one-on-one duel played with your feet on a low table, and it fits in any corner of the foyer. The air hockey table has the same effect with its electronic scoreboard, and almost nobody walks away without asking for a rematch.

Do not place them at the door of the main room, because the crowd blocks the way. And one unit only keeps a few people busy at a time: if your convention is over a hundred guests, spread two or three games around the foyer.

The team tournament that gives the day a thread

If your convention is already split into teams by region, product or channel, a tournament runs a thread through the whole day: qualifying rounds in the morning, banter over lunch, the final decided before dinner. A team tournament at a company convention needs a game with clear scoring, because the fun is in the leaderboard.

The virtual shooting simulator takes up to four players at once on a big screen, with moving targets and automatic scoring. Batak Pro settles a whole qualifying stage in thirty seconds per person and leaves the ranking on screen. And the car racing simulator gives the most recognisable version of all: the fastest lap of the day, with the name and the time there for everyone to see.

How to score without overcomplicating it

1. One run per person in the qualifying stage, with a practice attempt first.
2. Add up each team's best results rather than the average, so nobody is written off for one bad go.
3. Save the final for dinner or the last break, and keep the leaderboard visible all day.

Giant games for team dynamics

When what you want is people talking to each other, reflex games are not the answer: you need something slower, where the group has to decide together. Giant formats are the best games for a team dynamic, because they are played standing in a circle and anyone can have an opinion without touching a piece.

Giant draughts unrolls onto a five by five metre mat and is more approachable than chess, which always ends up in the hands of the same two people. Giant ludo is played in teams with an oversized dice and everyone recognises it. And giant pick-up sticks brings that moment of silence and shaky hands that people film on their phones.

These giant games for a convention need no power supply, just clear floor, so they are the easy option when the room is full of chairs or when you want to use a terrace.

Prizes, awards and closing the day

Almost every sales convention ends with an awards moment, and almost all of them do it the same way: name, applause, photo, next. The closing stretch of a convention gains a lot by separating two things: what is earned on results and what is played for luck.

Giant plinko works beautifully for the luck part, because the whole room follows the chip with their eyes until it drops. The wheel of fortune comes with a host and brings that TV game show feel. At a convention prize-giving, raffle the extras and never the award someone has earned: merit is announced, surprise is played for.

Brand the games with your message for the year

A game rented as it comes is entertaining; a game with your brand on it reinforces the message of the convention. Here it is easier than at a trade show, because the audience is already yours: you can put team names, the slogan of the year or the new products inside the game itself.

Branding the games of a convention is decided when you book, because printing needs production time. This is what can be adapted:

• Vinyl graphics with your artwork on the body of the game, the front panel or the floor.
• Slots and prizes named after each product or each sales region.
• Screens with your logo, your slogan and team names on the leaderboard.
• Staff uniforms matching the look of the convention.

You will find every option on our games customised with your brand page, and it is worth raising it when you ask for a quote.

Space, power and set-up in the room

Most conventions are held in hotel ballrooms or conference venues, and there the logistics of the building rule. Before choosing the games for a convention, ask three things: what time you can get in to set up, how the equipment gets in (door, service lift and real measurements) and how many free sockets there are in the area.

Games with a screen need a socket nearby and a spot where nobody trips over the cable; giant formats ask for square metres of clear floor, but no power and no sound. And anything with music or an audible scoreboard goes far from the door of the main room.

To get the quote right it helps us to know the number of guests, the city, the venue and the hours of activity: the cost of the games at a convention depends mainly on how many we set up and how many hours they stay active.

Frequently asked questions

How many games do you need for a 200-person convention?

Three or four different options spread around the foyer avoid queues during a half-hour break. Variety works better than several units of the same game.

Do the games need staff?

It depends. Break games can be left unattended; a tournament with a leaderboard or a wheel with a host work far better with someone from our team running them.

Can the games be set up between two keynotes?

We prefer to set up with the room empty, before anyone arrives. If there is no other option, we choose games that unfold quickly and get them ready in an adjacent area.

How far in advance should you book?

As early as possible, especially if you want your branding on the games or if the convention falls in the busy season for corporate events, between autumn and the first months of the year.

If you are putting together the programme of your next convention and want a proposal of games for each moment of the day, tell us about your event: the city, the number of guests and the venue. We will suggest the combination of games, the staff needed and the branding options.