With the average adult spending a large proportion of their time at work, it's no surprise that we're being asked how to make events that happen outside of hours more family friendly. Allowing guests to bring their families to important events helps drive attendance but also encourages people to bond with each other, forming better relationships inside the office as well as outside.
In this guide, we're going to be showing you how you can make your event more family friendly - and these tips apply whether you're planning a summer away day, wedding or perhaps even a promotional event.
Family Friendly Event Activities
It's important to offer a variety of activities for children at your event. This could be something simple such as an entertainer or game station, both of which work well at private events such as weddings and parties. Children’s activities have come a long way and are no longer that boring eyesore in the middle of your fantastically themed event.
Alternatively, if you're planning a corporate event, you could think much bigger - what about an outdoor cinema in the evening of your conference, or introduce some fairground rides at your corporate away day? We know ‘children’s activities aren’t only for the children. Offer activities that both adults and children can enjoy together. These will have the most uptake and ultimately provide the best memories for everyone at the event.
If you're looking for something really showstopping, why not plan your event at a theme park? Theme parks have great value conference facilities on site, accommodation on-site AND your families can go off and enjoy the park whilst delegates are in session. Planning your event at a theme park will guarantee the event is a hit. Theme parks offer something for everyone and are going to leave everyone with memories that won’t fade.
When you’re planning your activities, it's also important to consider how these activities will appeal for adult entertainment - you may find you need to plan something else for those who are child-free to enjoy.
Family Friendly Event Themes
Themed events don't have to be tacky. Not only do themed events allow you to decorate your venue beautifully, but you can encourage families to get involved by asking children to wear fancy dress and enjoy themed activities. You don't have to push this on those guests who don't have children - instead, use it as an excuse to create a beautiful event space that they'll remember for years to come.
There are so many great event themes to choose from. Some themes are more popular and will be easier to find décor and theming to bring it to life. Others may be a little trickier and give yourself more of a challenge. This is where you can bring in creativity and assign people aspects to make and create.
If you choose to have a themed event, make sure the theme is achievable within the set budget. Some themes will be achievable with the smallest of budgets, and some will require a more generous share of the budget.
Have a Routine
Those with children among us will know the importance of a good routine. Whilst we understand that sometimes routine goes out the window when attending special events, don't forget that there's plenty you can do to accommodate.
Why not have a special dinner setting for children? Perhaps start breakfast a little earlier and have some morning activities available before a conference starts? Adding in these small details that may seem insignificant will have a big impact on the children in attendance and the adults. Being a company that keeps people’s personal lives at the forefront will make a big difference to employees and make them much more loyal to your company.
Another thing you could do is to try and keep the noise levels to a minimum after 9 pm when many of your younger guests may have gone to bed. We understand this may not be possible at weddings and parties, but this could easily be a consideration for corporate events. If the event noise can’t be heard from the accommodation, then great, you don’t need to consider any actions here!
Focus on Event Safety
Safety should be your number one priority when considering a family friendly event.
Ensure families with children have hotel rooms near the main event areas, which means parents don't have far to travel at naptime. No one wants to drive 20 minutes to their room for the little one to rest their head for 20 minutes.
Perhaps even consider giving children wristbands on arrival, so guests can add their phone numbers for emergencies. This gives peace of mind to parents knowing that there is that extra measure in place if something were to happen.
You should also consider the location of the venue if you’re going to have lots of small children around. An ideal venue will be away from the hustle and bustle in a more private area. You’ll also want to make sure you have a private room for your event, rather than an open plan style venue as you don’t want any children running astray!
In addition to this, we always recommend choosing an accessible venue. Not only is this important for wheelchair users, but also parents navigating the venue with buggies.
You should also ensure you have plenty of staff on hand encase children get lost or need some help during their stay.
Finally, make sure your Covid-19 guidance is clear and easy to understand, so it can be explained to children and ensure that parents are comfortable with everything you have planned!
You might also like: Top Tips for Planning a 2-day Conference
If you’re planning a corporate event and are not sure where to start, drop us a line and our team will be happy to help!