Employee comms: Why face-to-face events should still be part of your strategy
“Face-to-face is the best way to communicate. If that’s not possible, our job in comms is to do the next best thing.”
This is what one of my managers told me years ago and it’s still true today.
Face-to-face events build employees’ trust. They lead to better understanding of your strategy. And, ultimately, they make people feel good.
But with Zoom being so readily available, a face-to-face strategy often gets put in the “too hard” or “too expensive” basket.
However, ignoring face-to-face could be having a negative impact on your team and your company.
The 2025 Freeman Trust Report looked at the impact of live events. Here are some striking figures from the report:
• 92% of professionals said face-to-face events positively changed how they think about a brand
• 89% said they felt closer to the company after an in-person interaction
• 96% reported feeling positive emotions — confidence, inspiration, excitement — after attending
• Nearly half said the positive perceptions they gained at a live event stayed with them for months or more
These figures are backed up by my own experience as an employee comms professional. Here’s one of my favourite employee quotes following an annual employee kick-off event for a global tech company after a year of tough competition:
“It’s been a hard year but being here today has reminded me why I will never leave this company. Bring it on!”
Digital events just don’t cut it in the same way. For a start, people are usually multitasking. Tuning out while they read an email or finish that presentation. Or leaving early because a deadline is looming.
It’s really, really hard to get people’s attention over Teams or Zoom — let alone motivate them.
So, what might a face-to-face event look like at your company? Here are three formats to try (more ideas to follow in a future blog!)
The annual kick-off
If you can afford to bring your team together in-person, do it. For a large global company, the high-energy annual kick-off might be just once a year and it might not involve everyone every year. But, done right, this kind of employee event will more than pay for itself.
The annual kick-off is an opportunity to:
allow employees to see leaders in-person
explain the strategy
celebrate the team’s achievements
provide that “sugar hit” (as one of our clients calls it)
For more on the power of a kick-off, read about the employee events we created for REA Group and Australia Post.
Leadership roadshows
If your employees are based in multiple locations, it can be easier and cheaper to get your leadership team out and about than bringing everyone together. When sending leaders on the road, have a plan for who goes where and try to arrange informal settings such as:
a relaxed all-hands
dropping in on team meetings
ask me anythings
breakfast with a particular group (e.g. managers, women or interns)
Discover how we created roadshows that gave employees of Dow Jones a renewed sense of purpose.
All-hands meetings
These days, the regular all-company meeting is increasingly taking place on line. But a face-to-face event will always be the most powerful way to communicate. Check out our tips for making your next all-hands a hit.
A final tip for your next employee event: scrappy is fine!
Whether you’re planning a roadshow, an all-hands or a big kick-off, consider the style and feel of your event. If you make it too polished and professional, it can create a sense of “us and them”.
And in fact, informal and scrappy often works better. Even a big kick-off event should feel friendly, welcoming and designed to encourage a sense of belonging.
Talk to us about planning your next employee event.