Culture is built IRL, not in a Slack channel

The silent killer of great teams

If you’re a business leader right now, you’re probably feeling it.

Employees are bouncing faster than ever—LinkedIn’s basically a revolving door—and the ones staying? Many are coasting in a fog of disengagement, fueled by “mandatory fun” Zoom calls and hollow #kudos on Slack.

The problem isn’t that people don’t care.
It’s that companies stopped giving them something real to care about.

Not intentionally manufacturing your company culture is killing you slowly, and quicker than you think.

Let’s kill the myth of “organic culture.”

In 2025, one of the hardest things for a company to do is to hire and keep the best talent. When top level job seekers, and your best staff members, are on cloud nine with their recent performance and pay, it is culture that makes or breaks the deal. Leaving culture to chance is a cocktail of mixed vibes, unclear values, and inside jokes that alienate more than they include and ultimately end to people leaving.

The truth?
The best brands manufacture culture on purpose.
They design it, build it, and most importantly, bring it to life IRL for everyone to enjoy and share.

They are doing this through internal celebrations and immersive events.

The goal is to turn every opportunity into a celebration, driving brand loyalty, strengthening team culture, and reducing turnover.

Enter: the internal event glow-up

Here’s the move smart companies are making:
They’re crafting immersive, shareable experiences that connect their people to the brand, mission, values and each other. It is all about finding ways to celebrate your team and hitting them with a whole lot of surprise and delight. Think less “monthly pizza party” and more:

• Games and activities that tie together brand with product and service

• Visually stunning environments with balloons, custom graphics, props, and more

• Branded food, drinks, and giveaway merch

• Interactive elements that surprise and delight

All of it thoughtfully designed to make employees feel like VIPs inside their own company.

Let’s say you just crushed a company-wide KPI. Or you’re rolling out a new training. Maybe it’s your five-year anniversary.

Congrats! Don’t let a quick “nice job, team” be the end of it.

Elevate it. Make it loud. Make it EPIC.

Branded signage sets the scene.
Custom graphics lock in the theme.
Theme aligned food and drinks are the minimum.
Games, giveaways, and team swag bring the energy.

This isn’t fluff or an unneeded expense, it’s how you reinforce your brand message, values, and culture. You’re transforming operational necessities into a celebration that teaches, motivates, and builds culture in real time.

And that’s how it sticks.

IRL culture in action: Ingram Micro’s immersive internal experiences

When it comes to building a culture that resonates, Ingram Micro sets the bar high, transforming routine events into unforgettable experiences.​

They've hosted "Bring Your Kids to Work Day," supported by vendors like Dell Technologies and Lenovo, turning the workplace into a family-friendly environment. ​

Their President's Club events go beyond recognition, supporting local non-profits like Buffalo Goes Grey, blending celebration with community impact. ​

And their vendor days are an opportunity to train the team in a themed immersive environment with graphics, balloon setups, and branded food.

Ingram Micro does this right.
They turn trainings into experiences.
They blend brand, fun, and purpose.
Their culture is built

The Bottom Line

If you’re serious about retention, brand loyalty, and team energy, you’ve got to show up where culture actually lives…IRL.

Internal events are the glue that bonds teams to your brand and to each other.
And in a world where talent is entitled a bit more than it once was, those moments are your edge.

So no, Slack can’t build culture (though it doesn’t hurt to have), but a fully immersive internal experience that feels like your brand has come to life? That’ll have your team sticking around and showing up.