The end of the year can be pretty hectic. Businesses are scrambling to reach their Q4 goals and sometimes that can mean that company culture falls by the wayside. So, what do you do to keep your employees motivated when it’s super busy?
Hosting small, meaningful events is the best way to re-energise teams during the Q4 rush. Showing your employees that they still matter and that you can see how much hard work they're putting in can make the difference between someone finishing out the year being happy or burnt out.
Even if you already have a Christmas party booked, there are still small things you can do throughout Q4 to ease some of the pressure people may be feeling. Use events as a motivation tool that can help drive performance while celebrating achievements.
Here are a few Q4 motivation events you can plan.
Mini-Offsite Afternoons
We all know that time is precious in Q4, but that doesn’t mean you can’t carve out an afternoon to do a mini-offsite. The best team celebration venues that work well for offsites have a meeting room as well as an activity. This way you can combine something productive with a fun activity that can help spark a bit of friendly competition. Think about using the meeting room for reflection or for a brainstorming session for Q1. Afterwards you’re able to break off into groups and do something fun together. It’s a great way to promote team building and get people engaged again before the end of the year.
End of Quarter Cheer Sessions
People love when other people shout about their accomplishments. A little bit of positive reinforcement and acknowledgement can go a long way. If you don’t want to do a big end of year corporate gathering, that’s okay. You can have an informal awards ceremony in your office. Get some drinks and snacks in and come up with a few categories for awards you can give away. Cheering on your colleagues will motivate the entire team.
Festive Breakfasts
Celebrations don’t always have to take place in the evening. Organise a team breakfast. You can even make it a festive theme and have everyone come in in Christmas jumpers. A Christmas team event doesn’t need to be a big blow out. You can do a couple of smaller festive themed activities throughout the month to bring cheer to the office. Grab some decorations, spruce up the office, and enjoy some delicious food before kicking off the rest of your day.
Gratitude Lunches
Something as simple as getting lunch in or taking your team out for a quick bite can go a very long way. There are lots of restaurants that offer corporate lunches, making it easy to get a large amount of food for bigger companies. If you’re a start up or a smaller business you can easily book a table during lunch, whether you’re looking for something casual or a private dining room. Thanking your team by buying them lunch in Q4 is an easy way to show your gratitude for all their hard work over the year.
Wins
Q4 is the perfect time to reflect on the last year. If you’re looking for something to do that won’t take a large chunk of time to plan, why not celebrate your wins. Have everyone gather around and take turns saying what their win of the year was. Everyone should share a mistake they learned from as well! The person with the best worst mistake gets a brownie!
Here are a few of our favourite team celebration venues:
F1 Arcade
Inject some adrenaline into your team’s Q4 push at F1 Arcade, a high-energy venue just steps from St Paul’s Cathedral. With private and semi-private spaces dedicated to corporate hire, you can combine cutting-edge racing simulators and food & drink packages with board-room-style meetings or workshop sessions. Ideal for groups looking to fuel motivation and end the year strong, the venue supports collaborative formats and post-session networking in one seamless setting.
Roxy Ball Room, St Mary Axe London
Sometimes the best way to beat Q4 burnout is to swap spreadsheets for shuffleboards. Roxy Ballroom St Mary Axe brings high energy to the City, with two floors of games, food, and good vibes just steps from the Gherkin.
Teams can dive into tech darts, crazy pool, duck-pin bowling, karaoke, or American pool before refuelling with pizzas, hot dogs, and craft beer from the bar. With a capacity of up to 350 and 10 hireable spaces, it’s a brilliant pick for team socials, Christmas parties, or just an excuse to play hard after working harder.
Allstar Lanes White City
Bring your team together and unwind at All Star Lanes White City, where classic bowling meets modern hospitality. This stylish venue offers private lanes, American-inspired food, and a great cocktail list, ideal for relaxed team socials or end-of-year celebrations.
With karaoke, attentive service, and private spaces for smaller groups or full venue hire for up to 350 guests, All Star Lanes makes it easy to switch off, reconnect, and celebrate the wins that matter.
Last minute Christmas party? No problem!
