Six ways to celebrate sports wins in the workplace
With the Euros kicking off earlier this month, Wimbledon in full swing and the British Grand Prix just around the corner – not to mention the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the Tour de France, The Open, Formula 1 and Women’s Cricket – 2024 is set to be a real summer of sports.
Whether your employees are sports fans or not, these events are a great excuse to inject some fun into the workplace and to bring teams together. So, we’ve pulled together six ideas for summer office activities centred around celebrating sporting moments, from quick-and-easy-to-implement ideas, to organised events that will boost team morale, no matter the score…
Six ways to celebrate sports wins at work
1. Organise an office sweepstake
Organising a Wimbledon, Olympics or Euros sweepstake in the office is a great way to create a bit of fun and camaraderie among the team, even for sports haters! Start with a list of the teams or players involved and invite colleagues to participate, then create a draw where each participant randomly picks a team or player. The stakes needn’t be high – you can either ask each person to pay a small entry fee (say, £1) to create the prize pool, or employers may want to provide bespoke prizes for the winner, whether that’s five free coffees in the work canteen, or an extra day of annual leave! This maintains interest in the competition throughout its run and builds friendly competition in the office as colleagues go head to head for the trophy. Alternatively, you could use the games as a chance to give back to the community by donating winnings to charity.
2. Hold a mini office sports tournament
Looking to bring a bit of Olympic spirit into the office as the games kick off in Paris? A fun way to boost employee morale and provide physical relief from sitting at a desk all day is to host a mini sports tournament in the workplace. Opt for accessible sports that can be easily set up in one of the office’s communal areas, such as table tennis, darts, table football, basketball, and mini golf, or classic games like cornhole, hoopla, sack or egg and spoon race! Consider allowing an early finish on a Friday afternoon to hold the tournament, so that more people can join in. A leaderboard and small prizes for winners is a great way to encourage people to take part, and to increase excitement. Providing drinks and snacks throughout the afternoon will also encourage people to join in with the games, or at least stay and cheer on those who have. A popular catering option for an event like this is a cheese and charcuterie station, allowing employees to graze without filling themselves up so much that they can’t compete in the games.
3. Have an office Wimbledon viewing party
Hosting a Wimbledon viewing party at work can be a great way to enjoy the tournament with colleagues. Choose a day with key matches and schedule in an all-company meeting, then set up a large meeting room or communal area with enough comfortable seats, a large screen and a reliable internet connection for streaming the match. If you’re looking to adorn the room with decorations, try to avoid balloons or cardboard cut-outs of players that will ultimately end up in the bin and instead opt for things that can be used time and time again, like bunting or a flower arrangement (in Wimbledon green and purple, of course!) that can be taken home by colleagues at the end of the day. And a Wimbledon party isn’t a Wimbledon party without some traditional snacks and drinks, like Pimm’s, strawberries & cream or afternoon tea-style sandwiches. To find out more about the variety of catering options Social Pantry can offer for your office, get in touch with one of our Workplace Partners.
4. Lay on a sports-themed lunch
We know that for many modern businesses, the workload is too demanding to allow employees to take time out of office hours to celebrate sports events, and getting people together after work can be a challenge too. But, since everyone needs to eat lunch, why not organise a sports-themed spread, including sandwiches, salads and sharing platters inspired by the countries playing in the Euros, Wimbledon-themed sweet treats or Parisian patisseries as a nod to the Olympics? With a range of warm and cold options laid out, people can choose to either sit down and enjoy their meal with colleagues, or, if pressed for time, help themselves to a plate and eat ‘al-desko’. This year, our Workplace team will be catering an immersive French breakfast for one of our workplace clients, to get the entire team on board for the weeks of sporting fun happening across the channel.
5. Host pre-game drinks
Whether your workplace is planning to show sports at the office or not, organising pre-match drinks is a great way to bring employees together, giving people a chance to unwind after a day in the office, socialise, and build excitement before a game. All that’s needed is a large meeting room or communal space, a little background music to enhance the atmosphere and a selection of finger foods and drinks, both soft and alcoholic to ensure inclusivity.
6. Organise a next-day post-game team breakfast
Big Euros game mid-week? Whether England wins or loses, we know that there’s likely to be a few sore heads at work the next day. So, why not lay on a catered breakfast spread to make the morning that little bit easier? Social Pantry offers a huge range of different options for workplace breakfasts, from refreshing fruit juices and barista-style coffee to boost energy levels, to warm, freshly-baked pastries, filled bagels and breakfast pots. And for the really hungry, we can also send a chef to your office to cook the full works, including eggs to order, bacon, salmon, warm English muffins and more. However the match has played out, the promise of a good breakfast will be sure to get everyone back on track after the night before. Interested in organising a breakfast for your team? Get in touch with one of our dedicated Workplace Partners to find out more.
Get in touch with our wonderful workplace partners to see what Social Pantry could do for you and your team during this summer of sports and beyond.
