A staff party is a celebration: conviviality, food, drink, entertainment. That's valuable, but the aim is relaxation. Staff engagement events have a more explicit strategic goal: strengthening the bond between staff and organisation.
That can be through an inspiration session, a team activity that encourages collaboration, an innovation day or an internal festival with a substantive programme. At engagement events there's always a layer of meaning beneath the experience. Staff go home happy. And on top of that proud, motivated and better connected to the organisation's purpose.
That distinction is exactly what makes the difference.