Played standing, drink in hand
Table football, darts, shuffleboard or arcades allow conversation while playing. While two compete, four watch and talk, which is exactly the dynamic an afterwork needs.
Corporate Afterworks
Afterworks
A good afterwork lasts two hours; a bad one, forty minutes
We run company afterworks with bar games, arcades, live cocktails and music: compact formats that fit on a rooftop or in an office and are built and cleared the same day.
Afterworks have one feature that sets them apart from every other company event: people can leave whenever they want and nothing happens. There is no dinner to wait for and no speech to sit through. So the only indicator that matters is how long people stay, and that depends almost entirely on whether there is something to do besides drinking and talking about work.
What works in this format is anything played standing up, with a drink in hand and no rules to explain. Table football, darts, shuffleboard, ping pong, arcades. Games that allow conversation while playing, demand no concentration and create natural turns: while two play, four watch and talk, which is exactly the point.
The other reliable win is the bar. A live cocktail bar with a bartender changes the event's register entirely, because it makes the drink part of the show and gives people a reason to come over and wait. And if the afterwork is in summer, a slushy or ice cream cart serves the same purpose at considerably lower cost.
We work a great deal on rooftops, office terraces and small venues, the usual spaces for this format. We select equipment that fits through a standard door, needs no anchoring and runs on a normal venue's power, so the build takes an hour and does not disrupt the working day.
- 2-3 htypical duration
- 20-200attendees
- 1 haverage build
- 24 hquote turnaround
Fits where you are
Equipment that fits through a normal door, needs no anchoring and runs on standard power. Rooftops, office terraces or small rooms.
One-hour build
We arrive, build and leave it ready without taking over the day. Afterwards we clear the same evening so the office is operational next morning.
How we set it up
Tell us where and how many
Space, approximate headcount, start time and how long you want it to run.
We propose the combination
Two or three elements that fit the available area, at a closed price with build included.
We check access
Lift, door width, stairs and sockets. On rooftops we also check equipment access and wind.
We build and clear
Build the same afternoon, service during the afterwork and takedown at close, leaving the space as it was.
Formats and ideas that work
- Table football and darts on the office terrace
- Live cocktail bar with a professional bartender
- Retro arcades and pinball beside the drinks area
- Ping pong or shuffleboard table for quick turns
- Professional karaoke for the second half of the evening
- Slushy or ice cream cart for summer afterworks
- Retro jukebox playing whatever the team chooses
- A light casino table for an informal game
Why people leave after forty minutes
When an afterwork empties early it is almost always for the same reason: it was set up as a bar and nothing else. Work conversation runs out quickly, groups close up, and anyone who cannot find a place in a huddle leaves. It is not lack of interest: it is lack of an excuse to stay.
A game solves that because it provides the excuse. Walking over to watch a match is socially easy, taking the next turn is too, and that keeps movement going for two hours. It does not take much: with a couple of well-placed elements the difference in how long the event lasts is obvious.
Frequently asked questions
Does it fit on an office terrace?
Almost always. A table football takes about four square metres including playing space, and a dartboard needs a three-metre run. Send the terrace's real dimensions and we will tell you what fits without blocking the way.
Can you build during working hours?
Yes, though late in the day is better to avoid disruption. The build takes about an hour and generates no noise, so it is usually done just before the afterwork starts.
Do you include the drinks?
The live cocktail service includes staff and preparation; the alcohol can be included or supplied by you, whichever suits. Slushy and ice cream carts do include the product in the price.
How many hours of service are normal?
Two to three. That is an afterwork's natural length: beyond that half the guests have gone and the equipment sits unused, so we prefer to size it properly rather than extend out of habit.
Can it be run regularly?
Yes, and it works very well. Some companies run one monthly with rotating equipment, which stops it becoming routine. For that format we prepare a calendar with a closed price per session.