Looking for great business anniversary celebration ideas? You’re in luck! We’ve compiled a bunch of them, taking examples from real businesses and the real ways in which they celebrated.
By far, the most popular way to celebrate is to hold a contest or provide giveaways. A common theme among many examples is to somehow relate the anniversary year to the activity. So read some, and think some, and we’re sure you can come up with some great ideas that will fit your business’ culture and budget, while celebrating a milestone that’s a pretty big deal — your business’ anniversary!
List of Anniversary Celebration Ideas
Jump to a section by selecting a category below, or just browse the various plans for business anniversary celebration ideas. If an idea sounds interesting, you can read more about how each business implemented its celebration by following the link to its full business anniversary exclusive.
- Hold a contest or giveaway
- Go back in time
- Offer something unique
- Design and Promote a Business Anniversary Logo
- Conduct a grand opening or tour
- Hold a ribbon cutting
- Offer discounts
- Donate to charity
- Engage employees
- Hold a gala or celebratory event
- Create an Anniversary Video
- Write a Press Release
Hold a Contest or Giveaway
Giving away company swag – or some of your own products – is a great way to celebrate your anniversary. As the contest’s popularity grows, your brand is exposed to a larger audience of potential fans. Add your logo to shirts, hats, or cups and give the products to employees. Or even send them to loyal customers. A contest is an easy and fun way to promote your business’s achievements.
Examples of Contests and Giveaways:
- Gave away 50 cases of potato chips each week during their “85 days of summer” celebration
- Grand prize – a trip to Soaring Eagle Water Park and Hotel in Mt. Pleasant, MI
Tim Hortons Donuts – 60th Anniversary
- “Dueling donuts” challenge – customers created and entered their own donuts into a contest to win $10,000. The winning donut was also added to the Tim Horton’s menu.
Beltline Bar – 50th Anniversary
- Held a “Burrito Buddy of the Week” contest in conjunction with a local radio station. Participants nominated a friend or co-worker to win a $25 gift certificate to the Beltline Bar. Then once a week – on “Burrito Tuesday” – a name was drawn and the winner was announced on the radio.
Gerald R Ford International Airport – 50th Anniversary
- Kick-off event featuring free cupcakes, popcorn, games, and prizes for passengers and the public
- A contest featured prizes including a $200 car detail giveaway and three 5-compartment rolling backpacks
- “Love at First Flight” contest – honored couples married 50 years or more offering a grand prize of one night’s stay at an upscale hotel, a $100 gift card to local restaurants, a dozen red roses, and hockey tickets.
Chicken of the Sea – 100 Years
- Name the mermaid contest. The winner received $10,000
Morris Animal Foundation – 65 Years
- Contest/fundraiser: eBay auction to attend their black-tie gala with Betty White as their guest. The winning bid was $10,300; the winner received 2 round-trip airfare tickets, a hotel stay, and VIP tickets to the gala, seated at Betty White’s table.
- Adventurrito Treasure Hunt. Participants pre-registered online. Each day Chipotle released a new puzzle to complete, then selected 20 winners at random each day for 19 days to receive free burritos for a year. On the 20th day, the players who correctly solved the first 19 puzzles were entered in a contest where 20 players won 20 years of free burritos.
Steamboat Ski Resort – 50th Anniversary
- Steamboat ski vacation for 4
- Heli-ski trip for 2
- 4 monthly prizes: Rossignol skis and bindings, Burton Snowboard, Steamboat summer vacation for 2, Rossignol skis and bindings
- 50 days and 50 daily prizes including lift tickets, ski and cowboy apparel, sleigh ride dinners, and massages
Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery – 100 years
- Free souvenir wine glass and wine tasting on select days
Go Back in Time
Demonstrate your journey’s milestones to both customers and employees by reintroducing past company styles and historical artifacts. Nostalgia not only fosters a sense of recognition for the progress you’ve made but also serves as a delightful and whimsical way to reminisce. It’s like opening your business’s time capsule.
Examples of Historical Celebrations:
- Employees dressed in original uniforms from the 60’s and handed out complimentary birthday donuts to passers-by
- Created a website featuring historical photos and info about the founding of the restaurant.
Warner Bros – 100th Anniversary
- Created a curated historical experience for fans by exhibiting WB cinematic works from throughout the years.
Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber – 125 Years
- Shared their historical moments each month with photos on Instagram and called it their “hist-o-gram” series.
Offer Something Unique
Be creative by offering a unique new product or sale catered toward your anniversary. The more unique the better you stand out and the more visible you become in mentions on social media and in the news. Some ideas for unique products and experiences include scavenger hunts, tours by a fully suited mascot, fireworks displays, and releases of new limited-time products.
Examples of Unique Anniversary Offers:
- Customers could purchase one-of-a-kind 50th anniversary travel mugs and reusable beverage cups
- For the entire anniversary year, customers were served beverages in 50th anniversary cups
Chicken of the Sea Tuna – 100th Anniversary
- Toured various communities in the U.S. with the Mermaid herself as host. Distributed samples and offered prize giveaways.
Afton Apple Orchards – 25 Years
- Dock diving dogs, music, face painting, and a beer tent. “Ears to 25 Years” displayed on an anniversary cake.
- Designed a 15-acre corn maze.
Macatawa Resource Center – 15 Years
- Ribbon cutting where 15 doves were released as a symbol of their 15 years
Steamboat Ski Resort – 50 Years
- Live music
- 50th anniversary merchandise tent
- Time capsule opening from their 25th anniversary
- Texas-sized birthday cake – 3 ft tall, 700 lbs.
- Torchlight Parade
- Fireworks synced to music – largest display in the resort’s history
- Prizes hidden in gondola cars
- Steamboat 50th Anniversary tap at participating bars
Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery – 100th Anniversary
- Unveil a Centennial sign
- Celebrate each fruit “season” in their anniversary year: Peach Festival, Apple Time, etc.
- Create a video about the history of the farm
HopCat Brewery – 5th Anniversary
- Crack fries eating contest (house blend seasoned beer battered fries)
- Limited edition release of a 22-ounce bottle of Oil Rigger Russian Imperial Stout
Design a Business Anniversary Logo
Build upon your company branding by creating a unique anniversary logo. An anniversary logo adds pizazz to giveaways and sale items. Some companies even have past items with anniversary logos that are now valued collectibles to brand loyalists. Having a logo to celebrate your business anniversary helps bring all your print and digital marketing materials together and is a way to quickly and clearly announce your milestone.
Example of Anniversary Logos:
- Designed an anniversary logo to build upon their brand and culture
- Used the logo in their anniversary video to promote their cause.
- Created In-N-Out 75th Anniversary logo that is featured on their website for the year 2023.
- Sold limited edition merchandise with the 75th Anniversary logo.
West Michigan Whitecaps 25th Season
- Used the logo on 25th Season commemorative t-shirts, sweatshirts, and lapel pins that they sold in their tourist shop.
- Printed the logo on tickets for the season and in other promotional materials
- Held a giveaway for 25th Season Replica Jerseys for the first 1,000 guests on opening day
Conduct an Anniversary Tour
Welcome clients and the community to your building and show them what makes your business tick. If you’ve had improvements over the years, a tour of your company will help show the proof of your progress. Offer snacks, drinks, and promo items with your logo to gift your event attendees.
If you are a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, you can leverage their network by having them share the event and add it to their public calendar. Planning and promoting well in advance (at least a month ahead) would help to grow attendance.
Examples of an Anniversary Tour:
- Kite flying, horse-drawn wagon rides, and tours of their “natural” play area and treehouse cabins.
Hold a Grand Opening or Ribbon Cutting
Nothing is greater than holding a big pair of scissors in front of your business. Even if you have been in business for many years, you can still hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate new aspects of your business. A prominent business anniversary year is the perfect time to do this. Other reasons might include a new office location, a new logo design, a commemoration or dedication of a sign or piece of art, the launch of a new product line, or any significant change in the status of your business.
Examples of Ribbon Cutting Events:
Macatawa Resource Center – 15 years
- Held a Chamber ribbon cutting to celebrate expanded space and continued growth.
Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery – 100 years
- Unveiled their centennial sign at a Chamber-sponsored ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Whether small or large, discounts are a welcomed gift for customers. Aligning the discount amount with your years in business is a great way to invite your customers to celebrate your anniversary. For example, a grocery store celebrating a 50th anniversary can promote a large line of buy one, get one 50% off items.
Examples of Anniversary Discounts:
Afton Apple Orchard – 25th Anniversary
- 25% discount on pick-your-own apples
- Free scoop of ice cream with a meal
Beltline Bar – 60th Anniversary
- Draft beer and a burrito for $7.99 on specific weekdays
West Michigan White Caps Minor League Baseball – 20 years
- Specials for each day of the week, Sunday through Friday, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Day where the first 1,000 kids ate free, and Tiger Fridays where former Detroit Tigers come to meet fans and sign autographs plus free giveaways to the first 1,000 fans in attendance.
Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery – 100 years
- Discounts on gift barn purchases
- A glass of cider and a donut for 100 pennies
It’s important to recognize and appreciate the hard work of your employees who contribute to the success of your business. If you have team members who have been with you since the beginning, consider celebrating their work anniversary by offering them special gifts. Highlight employee achievements in your promotional posts and news pieces about your anniversary. Showcase your company’s culture and brand to paint your company in a positive light.
Example of Celebration for Employees:
House of Flavors – 66th Anniversary
- Commemorative staff t-shirts for all employees to wear during their anniversary year celebration
- Displayed a large banner in each restaurant declaring their pride in 66 years
Celebrating a business anniversary goes beyond internal achievements; it’s an opportunity to give back to the community that has supported your journey. Incorporating a charitable element into your celebration, such as donating to a worthy cause, magnifies the positive impact. Not only does this gesture resonate with the values of corporate social responsibility, but it also showcases a genuine commitment to making a difference.
By channeling a portion of the anniversary celebration budget towards a charity, you engage employees, customers, and stakeholders in a shared mission of compassion and goodwill. This not only enhances your company’s reputation but also fosters a deeper sense of purpose, making the anniversary celebration truly meaningful and memorable.
Examples of Charity Contributions:
- Google.org contributed 10M to the future of technology, a gift for robotics and AI programs for youth across the US.
Chicken of the Sea Tuna – 100 years
- Website contest to nominate an individual, cause or organization to be awarded $10,000. 10 winners in all — total $100,000 for 100 years
Harley-Davidson – Celebrates 120 Years
- Charity motorcycle rides that give proceeds to local causes. They hosted 2 rides, one each day of their event, and donated to two local charities benefiting families of military, firefighters, and law enforcement.
Mark your business anniversary with a vibrant party or gala event to commemorate milestones and foster connections. Make it a unique celebration with a theme that mirrors your brand’s journey and principles. Craft invitations that stir anticipation and set the tone for the festivities. Showcase pivotal moments in your company’s history through innovative displays or a visual timeline.
Elevate the ambiance with live entertainment, say, soulful music or captivating performances. Add a personal touch with a highlighted speech by founders or key team members to share the company story and insights. Boost engagement at the party with interactive activities like engaging games or friendly contests. Amplify the event’s impact even more by collaborating with local businesses or charities to underline community ties.
Examples of Anniversary Celebrations:
In-N Out Burger – 75th Anniversary
- Planned a festival event at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California with a food truck and drag races.
- Concluded the event with a concert by iconic musicians and fireworks.
Morris Animal Foundation – 65th Anniversary
- Hosted a black tie event “Gala of Hope – An Evening with Betty White.” Highlighted the work of the foundation along with Ms. White’s lifelong commitment to improving the lives of animals. Dinner, music, silent and live auctions.
Little Mary’s Hospitality House – 30 Years
- Prime rib dinner and silent auction fundraiser
Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery
- Blessing of the Blossoms event – blessing, bluegrass band, speakers from apple, grape, and wine councils, free wagon rides, door prizes
- Give Thanks event – limited edition centennial hard cider, wine tasting discounts, % of proceeds donated to a local charity
- Picnic under the Maples event – hayrides, kids games and prizes, free wine tasting, special cherry or pumpkin spice flavored donuts, live opry house style music
Showcase your business accomplishments in a business anniversary video. A video is a great platform to share both digitally and in person at tours or gala celebrations. To boost company and customer morale, include short video comments from your long-time clients and employees. In your anniversary video you can also present images from your start and progress through to where you are now to visualize all the work and growth you’ve made through the years.
Examples of Anniversary Videos:
- Disney Parks created a 40-minute video to commemorate their 50 years in business, including park employees and the ever-famous characters of Disney.
Paws with a Cause – 40th Anniversary
- Paws with a Cause created an Anniversary Video showcasing some of the non-profit work the organization has done in the community over its 40 years.
Write a Press Release
An excellent avenue to get the word out about business highlights, especially company anniversary events and plans, is to write and distribute a press release. Local news outlets often welcome a positive post and may cover the story online, in print, or both. This publicity helps bring visibility to your business from a wider audience, resulting in more leads and sales.
Example of a Business Anniversary Press Release:
- DC Entertainment created an official press release on the 75th anniversary of Batman comics, declaring July 23rd “Batman Day.”