Annual Dinner Games: How to Choose the Right Activities for Your Company Event (An Emcee's Perspective)

Karen Ong
Jul 27
7 min read

If you've been tasked with planning your company's annual dinner, chances are you've already searched for annual dinner games. In fact, it's usually one of the first things organising committees look for after confirming the venue and date.

A quick Google search returns hundreds of articles listing "50 fun annual dinner games" or "100 exciting company dinner activities", making it easy to assume that every successful annual dinner must include a games segment.

After hosting corporate events across Malaysia for many years, I've come to realise that this assumption isn't always true.

I've emceed annual dinners where the games became the highlight of the night, with departments cheering each other on and colleagues laughing long after the event ended. I've also hosted equally successful dinners where there wasn't a single game, yet guests left saying it was one of the best company events they had attended.

So what made the difference?

It wasn't the venue, the budget or even the prizes.

It was understanding the audience.

Choosing whether to include annual dinner games shouldn't be the first decision you make when planning an event. Instead, it should come after you've considered who will be sitting in the room, why they're attending, and what kind of experience you want them to remember.

Why Annual Dinner Games Became So Popular

Annual dinners have evolved significantly over the years. What used to be a formal company gathering has gradually become a celebration of people, culture and achievements. Alongside awards presentations and lucky draws, games naturally became part of the programme because they encouraged interaction and helped create memorable moments.

For many Malaysian companies, especially those with large workforces, annual dinner games serve as an opportunity for employees to let their hair down after months of deadlines, meetings and targets. They create laughter, friendly competition and stories that people continue talking about long after the event is over.

As a result, many organising committees have come to see games as a compulsory ingredient. It's almost become an unwritten rule: if there aren't games, the dinner might feel boring.

But in my experience, that isn't what determines whether an annual dinner succeeds.

Guests rarely go home saying, "The event was great because there were three games."

Instead, they'll remember how the evening made them feel.

Did they reconnect with colleagues they hadn't seen for months? Were they genuinely entertained? Did they feel recognised during the awards presentation? Did the programme flow smoothly without awkward pauses?

Games can certainly contribute to those memories, but they are only one part of the overall experience.

The Biggest Mistake Companies Make When Planning Annual Dinner Games

One of the most common mistakes I see is that organisers begin planning the programme by asking,

"What games should we organise?"

Personally, I think that's the wrong question.

A better question would be,

"Who are we organising this dinner for?"

The answer to that single question influences almost every decision that follows.

For example, a technology company with mostly software developers will usually have a very different atmosphere from a retail company filled with energetic sales teams. Likewise, an employee appreciation dinner creates a different mood from a dealer appreciation night or a client appreciation gala.

Yet many companies use exactly the same programme template every year because "that's how we've always done it."

I've watched organisers spend weeks planning elaborate stage games only to discover that nobody wanted to volunteer. I've also seen a simple five-minute table quiz generate more laughter than an expensive performance because it suited the audience perfectly.

The success of annual dinner games has very little to do with the games themselves.

It has everything to do with the people playing them.

It's Not About Internal or External Guests

Many articles simplify the decision into something like this:

Internal staff? Include games.
External guests? Skip the games.

While this sounds straightforward, it isn't always accurate.

Some of the liveliest dealer appreciation dinners I've hosted included games, while some employee-only dinners worked far better without them.

Rather than asking whether your audience is internal or external, I think it's more useful to understand the personality of the people attending.

Company culture often matters more than the guest list.

When Internal Staff May Not Need Games

Many people assume that employees automatically want games because they're among colleagues.

In reality, it depends on why they're there.

I've hosted annual dinners where employees travelled from branches across Malaysia. For many of them, the event was one of the few opportunities each year to meet colleagues face-to-face. Dinner wasn't simply a company function, it was a reunion.

People wanted to catch up over a good meal, take photos together and enjoy conversations they hadn't had in months. Some were introducing spouses or family members to colleagues for the first time. Others were celebrating promotions or simply enjoying an evening without deadlines and meetings.

In situations like these, inserting several high-energy stage games into the programme can actually interrupt the atmosphere guests are already enjoying.

I've also worked with organisations whose cultures are naturally quieter. Their employees were engineers, accountants, researchers and IT professionals. They were warm, friendly and fully engaged throughout the evening, but they weren't particularly competitive. Asking them to dance on stage or perform silly challenges often created awkward smiles rather than genuine excitement.

That doesn't mean the event lacked energy.

Far from it.

The energy came from meaningful conversations, a well-paced programme, excellent entertainment and an emcee who knew how to keep the evening moving without forcing participation. Sometimes, that's exactly what your audience wants.

When Annual Dinner Games Become the Highlight

On the other hand, there are companies where games are absolutely the right choice.

I've hosted annual dinners for retail teams, sales organisations and younger workforces where friendly competition was already part of the company culture. The moment one department started cheering, another wanted to outdo them.

Those evenings had an infectious energy that no live band or performance could have created on its own. The important thing, however, is choosing the right kind of games.

In my experience, the best annual dinner games encourage participation without making anyone feel embarrassed.

Some examples include:

Table-versus-table challenges
Company trivia quizzes
Interactive phone voting
Music guessing games
Emoji challenges
Guess the company milestone
Team puzzle challenges

Notice that most of these activities don't require guests to sing, dance or make fools of themselves in front of hundreds of colleagues.

The objective isn't to embarrass participants. It's to help people laugh together.

That's a very different experience.

Can Dealer Appreciation Dinners Include Games?

One piece of advice you'll often hear is that games should never be included when dealers, clients or business partners are attending.

I don't completely agree.

I've hosted dealer appreciation dinners where games worked beautifully because they matched the audience.

Many dealer networks have known each other for years. Although they represent different businesses, they regularly attend conferences, product launches and incentive trips together. There's already a sense of familiarity within the room.

In these situations, elegant table-based activities, interactive quizzes or digital audience participation can create excellent engagement without making anyone uncomfortable.

The key is understanding where to draw the line.

Asking a dealer to participate in a short trivia challenge is very different from asking them to perform a dance routine on stage.

The first feels inclusive. The second often feels awkward.

So the question isn't whether dealer nights should include games. The question is whether the games respect the audience.

Stage Games vs Table Games: Which Works Better?

One trend I've noticed over the past few years is a gradual shift away from traditional stage games and towards activities that allow guests to participate from their seats.

There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, people are generally more willing to participate when they aren't singled out in front of the entire room.
Secondly, table-based activities encourage teamwork rather than placing pressure on individuals.
Finally, they help maintain the flow of the programme because guests don't need to move around the ballroom.

Some of my favourite alternatives include digital polls, company trivia, photo challenges, interactive lucky draws and music bingo.

These activities create conversation, laughter and friendly competition while allowing guests to remain comfortable throughout the evening.

One senior executive once joked to me after an event,

"This is the first annual dinner where I actually enjoyed the games."

Ironically, he never stepped onto the stage once.

The Three Questions I Always Ask Before Planning Games

Whenever a client asks whether they should include games, I usually ask them three questions first.

1. Who will be attending?

Will the audience consist mainly of employees, senior management, dealers, clients or a mixture of different groups?

Different audiences have different expectations, and the programme should reflect that.

2. What is your company culture?

Some companies are naturally energetic and competitive. Others are more reserved.

Neither approach is better. The best annual dinner programme reflects the company's personality instead of trying to imitate someone else's event.

3. What do you want guests to remember?

When people leave your annual dinner, what conversation do you hope they'll be having on the way home?

Perhaps you want them to remember a hilarious table challenge.

Perhaps you want them talking about the inspiring award winners.

Perhaps you simply want colleagues who haven't seen each other all year to reconnect over dinner.

Every answer is perfectly valid. The programme simply needs to support that objective.

The Best Annual Dinner Programme Is Never Just About Games

After hosting hundreds of corporate events, one lesson has stayed with me.

Guests rarely remember how many games you organised. What they remember is how the evening made them feel. They remember reconnecting with colleagues, celebrating award winners, laughing during an unexpected momentm and the atmosphere in the room.

Games can certainly help create those memories, but they should never become the purpose of the event.

A successful annual dinner isn't measured by the number of activities squeezed into the programme. It's measured by whether the evening felt authentic to the people attending.

Final Thoughts

After hosting hundreds of corporate events, one lesson has stayed with me.

Games can certainly help create those memories, but they should never become the purpose of the event.

A successful annual dinner isn't measured by the number of activities squeezed into the programme. It's measured by whether the evening felt authentic to the people attending.They're the ones that feel natural, thoughtful and perfectly suited to the people in the room.

If you're planning a company annual dinner and aren't sure what approach will work best, that's exactly the conversation I enjoy having with my clients. Every audience is different, and the best programme is always the one designed specifically for your people, not simply copied from another event.