Why company drinks are underestimated

The power of company drinks lies in the repetition. Drinks you organise once a year are an event. Drinks you organise every month or every quarter are a ritual. And rituals shape culture.

Businesses that organise drinks regularly notice patterns emerging. People get to know colleagues from outside their own department. New starters find their feet faster. Informal conversations lead to ideas that would never have surfaced in a meeting. It's no coincidence that the best collaborations often start at the coffee machine or the bar.

The frequency depends on your organisation. For businesses with 50 to 150 staff, monthly drinks work well. At larger organisations, once a quarter is more realistic. Pick a fixed slot: the last Friday of the month, the first Thursday of the quarter. Predictability lowers the barrier.

Vary the format. Not every drinks event has to be the same. One time a wine tasting. The next a BBQ in the car park. The time after, drinks at an external venue. The variation keeps it fresh and gives people a reason to keep coming back.

Tie the drinks to a light moment. Think of closing a project, welcoming new colleagues or hitting a milestone. That gives direction without it becoming a formal programme.

The best drinks events happen at a place that surprises. That doesn't have to be expensive: think of the roof terrace at your own office, a local wine bar, a nearby market hall or a brewery with a tasting room. The venue needs to do three things: keep people standing (seating creates islands and blocks circulation), offer space for groups of varying size, and have an atmosphere that invites you to stay.

At larger organisations you can rotate the drinks across different venues in town. That makes every edition a mini-event and gives people the chance to discover new places. See our tips on finding the right event venue for more inspiration.

Practically, count on 1.5 to 2 square metres per person for a standing drinks event. With 80 guests you need a space of at least 120 square metres. Make sure there are enough bar service points. One bar point per 40 guests prevents long queues that flatten the atmosphere.

The standard bar platter with bitterballen and cubes of cheese isn't wrong. But it isn't memorable either. And at company drinks you're using as a culture instrument, you want people to remember something.

The trend in drinks catering is shifting towards quality over quantity. A few well-prepared dishes instead of a table full of salty snacks. Walking-dinner elements: small courses brought round by servers, so you don't have to stand at the buffet all evening. Local produce: a beer from the city brewery, cheese from the farmer round the corner, seasonal ingredients.

Don't forget the non-drinkers. Mocktails, craft soft drinks and a good coffee offering aren't a concession but a sign of hospitality. At many organisations 20 to 30 per cent of staff don't drink alcohol. You don't want that group feeling they don't belong.

Budget: count on €25 to €60 per person for catering at a two-to-three-hour company drinks event. That covers drinks and bites. With a walking dinner or wine tasting you're up to €45 to €80 per person. Also have a look at catering for corporate events for more extensive options.

The biggest challenge with company drinks is turnout. You can book the most beautiful venue and arrange the tastiest catering, but if only 15 out of 80 colleagues show up, it feels empty and disappointing.

Turnout starts with the invitation. Don't just send a calendar request. Send a personal invitation that names the reason and paints a picture of what to expect. 'Drinks on Friday' works less well than 'We're closing Q1 with drinks at [venue]. Expect Portuguese wines, fresh oysters and the first sunshine of the year.' Make it concrete and appealing.

Timing is everything. Friday afternoon at 4 pm works for office teams. Thursday evening at 6 pm works better for organisations with part-timers who don't work Fridays. Avoid Mondays (too far from the weekend) and busy stretches (year-end, holiday starts). The ideal duration is two to three hours. Longer isn't needed. Drinks that start on time and end at a good moment feel better. Better than ones that drag on until the last three people are hanging at the bar.

Get management involved. If leadership doesn't come, that sends a signal. Ask managers to be there, even just for the first hour. Not to give a speech, but to show this moment matters.

Measure turnout afterwards. If you're structurally below 40 per cent, something is off about the format, the timing or the communication. Ask for feedback and adjust.

Organising drinks sounds simple. And for a one-off drinks event for 30 people, it is. But you can also use drinks as a recurring culture moment, with rotating venues, considered catering and an atmosphere that fits your brand. That becomes a different story.

An events agency helps you take drinks to a higher level without it costing much time internally. We find the venue, sort the catering, take care of the atmosphere and tailor everything to your culture and budget. For recurring drinks we build a format you can repeat with variations. So every edition feels familiar, but never dull.

At Live Impact we also organise the smaller moments. Not every event has to be a gala or a festival. Sometimes a well-organised drinks event in the right place makes more impact than a big party. And that's exactly what we're good at: the right format for the right moment.

Company drinks that stay with people start with a deliberate choice: a good venue at the right moment, with an atmosphere that fits your culture, and a partner who knows how to pull it off without it taking much internal effort.

Get in touch and find out how Live Impact can shape your next drinks event.

Seriously fun.

Call us on 085 401 40 14 or email hello@live-impact.nl.