Spectrum Brands’ 80s Themed Employee Appreciation Day

240

Minutes of Fun

Entertainment Options

Amazing Costumes

Unforgettable Day!

Stepping Back in Time

We love planning unique themes for our clients. It’s especially amazing when they’re meaningful to the company or something nostalgic. When Spectrum Brands, a home goods company, asked us to plan an 80s Themed employee appreciation day for their crew, we were all in.

Spectrum Brands has been around since far before the 80s; they were established all the way back at the turn of the century. Since then, they’ve made it their mission to improve how everyone lives at home. So, too, did they want to celebrate their team, without whom none of it would’ve been possible.

The 80s Theme is a super fun theme to use. With its neon colors, bold designs, and catchy tunes, it’s never anything short of a great time. The 80s are just far away enough to feel retro and nostalgic. But they’re also just close enough to today to where many of our attendees remember the decade. This would be an all-ages event. So, while many guests might not remember that era, we were sure they’d have fun.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

We always arrive around sunrise to begin our setup. Most of our employee appreciation days get scheduled for lunchtime, running through til the late afternoon. We like to have plenty of time to arrange things. From setting up décor, to helping vendors set up, our mornings are packed. This morning, the sky was tinged a beautiful ruddy hue, the light faint yet warm in the sky. The venue was a beautiful lot at Spectrum Brands’ headquarters, surrounded by tall California palms. It was truly magnificent, and, as always, a beautiful location really gets our creative juices flowing.

Our caterers arrived shortly after we did. Before long, the air was filled with the scent of juicy burgers and flame-grilled hotdogs. Despite having breakfast, we found our mouths watering at the smell of woodsmoke and grilling lunch. Even after all these years, we can’t quite resist the smell of a delicious meal being prepped. We’d also brought in a cotton candy maker, and we knew guests were sure to enjoy his creations.

A Thowback Employee Appreciation Day

The décor for that day was to be bright, bordering on neon, colors to compliment the 80s theme. From bright colors to straight-up neon, the whole lot became colorful and vibrant in no time. We arranged plenty of picnic tables for the large turnout we expected to have today. Our tables, to compliment and tone down the bright colors, were a classic white. It’s fun to have bright colors, sure, but you always need a neutral to keep from giving your attendees eye strain!

We’d brought in live music for today’s event, an eighties themed group with some serious charm. Each one had donned a theme-appropriate costume, and we knew it’d be a treat for our guests. Once our guests arrived, they were greeted with music. From the registration line, their eyes darted around at all the fun and games we’d set up for the day.

Games and Costumes

We’d brought in plenty of game tables, as well as a bungee cable jump and plenty of slides. Guests tried their hands at ping-pong and air hockey, chatter and cheers filling the air from our game station. So, too, did they enjoy our Giant Operation game, the buzzer punctuating their laughter and conversation.

We love bringing in games like this. They offer an opportunity for not only team bonding, but conversation to take place over them. Spectrum Brands wanted this picnic to bring their team closer together and had planned games centered around that. It was every bit as important to them as it was to us to create a relaxing environment. One that inspired staff to connect and make bonds that they could bring back to the office.

We’d arranged for this employee appreciation day to incorporate 80s costumes in a big costume contest. It was amazing what the team came up with for that day. We had a David Bowie costume, an 80s glam look, and a literal Ms. Pacman costume. Spectrum Brands’ team really highlighted their creativity.

We even got our MC in on the action. He’d arrived decked out in an exercise costume befitting of an 80s exercise VHS. His curly wig was held back with a sweatband, and he rocked a shirt saying, “Sweat it Out”. Our charismatic, costumed MC got the whole team jazzed for a round of field games.

A Happy Crowd

The lot buzzed with joyful conversation, children’s laughter, and a whirlwind of excitement. The crowd was a flurry of movement and excitement. That’s something we always love and strive to see. There’s nothing quite like getting a group together for a good time.

We hoped this employee appreciation day would strengthen their bonds and create lasting relationships. We knew that’s what Spectrum Brands had hoped for. They wanted their whole team to know they were really a work family. We personally could tell the team did indeed feel that way. The smiles and cheer on their faces said it all.

For the afternoon field games, we’d brought in a number of favorites for our guests to partake in. First was a round of water balloon toss. This is a game we love to bring out to cool guests down. Next on the agenda was Big Foot Racing. This game involves teams of three strapping their feet to boards, grabbing some handles on the sides, and working together to cross the finish line. It’s always loads of fun, and serves as team building activities in a picnic game lineup. Communication and teamwork is key in this game.

The next game was Giant Cup Stack. This game is basically cup stacking, but with cups so big it can take 2 hands to hold them. It’s a challenge, but guests sure do love it. Cheers always fill the venue. We can tell not only does the crowd love it, but so do the participants.

Winding to a Close

We’d brought in plenty of fun outside of all the games for this employee appreciation day. We’d brought in a caricature artist, who spent the day sketching all attendees who wanted it.

Our facepainting booth stayed pretty busy, too. People of all ages came to get their faces airbrushed. Pretty soon, our whole crowd was decorated in the face painter’s skillful art.

We’d also set up a petting zoo, full of goats and even a tortoise. Kids especially loved this petting zoo, but we saw plenty of adults petting the animals. After all, who can resist cute critters?

Before we knew it, it was getting late. Our guests were still lively, even though the sun had begun getting lower in the sky. It cast a beautiful golden hue over those tall, slender palms and over the lot we had set up in.

On to the Next

As the band played their last set, guests knew it was nearing time to go home. Their faces were full of smiles, though, and we knew this day had been a success. We knew as well that we’d fulfilled Spectrum Brands’ goal of bringing their team even closer together. We watched on as they chatted even as they left the venue. In that moment, we were proud.

As the band packed up, and the caterers did too, we knew our business here wasn’t over. We’re always sure to clean every venue until it’s spotless, something we pride ourselves on.

As we deflated the slides and packed away the game tables, we felt joy in our hearts from a job well done. We were happy to see that Spectrum Brands’ team had such a good day. We’d had a good day, too.

They say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, and we find that very true. As we took out the last bag of trash and headed for our cars, we looked back with a smile at Spectrum Brands’ sign. We’d done our job. We hoped their team was already looking forward to their next staff picnic. We knew we were.

We love unique employee appreciation days. If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind themes, we’ve got you covered. Click here to read more employee appreciation ideas.