Celebrate Your Anniversary All Year Long
Don’t just have one event/party and be done with it. Celebrate your anniversary all throughout the year. Plan a variety of activities – both during work hours and out of work – that will interest different types of employees. Perhaps a dressy gala during the holidays, then a tree planting outdoor activity in the summer, then a potluck lunch during work hours.
Memorialize Your Activities
Each of the above activities can be memorialized in an anniversary scrap book or PowerPoint presentation that can be shared on the company intranet or in the cafeteria or employee break room. People love seeing themselves in action!
Post a timeline with product images on the dates they were developed, pictures of the founders at the ages they started the company, milestone moments like when you hit $10 million in annual revenues or acquired a key client, etc. This can be artfully adhered to the walls in your entry or waiting room for clients and vendors to peruse.
Be sure to alert the media. Announcing your anniversary and the many activities you are having throughout the year is a great excuse for some free publicity. Send a press release not only to local news outlets, but to your industry publications and associations as well.
Involve Employees in the Planning
Get as many employees involved in the process as possible. Put together planning teams from a variety of departments for different events. Give employees a chance to work with other employees that they don’t work with everyday. Anniversaries are a great way to bond your workforce.
Community Service
Incorporate a community service project into your celebrations. In addition to further bonding your employees together on a worthy project, it shows how your company cares for the community that it is part of. This is also an opportunity for some very good publicity.
Don’t Forget the SWAG
This can begin with creating a special anniversary logo that you use on merchandise, press releases, marketing materials and more. Incorporate this logo into special employee gifts, gifts to clients and vendors and even higher-end gifts to board members and key clients.
Milestone anniversaries are a special time of remembering your company roots and setting the stage for the future. Make the most of it!
