The Impact Cup: A Simple Way to Recognize Ideas That Matter

A Simple Way to Broaden Recognition at Your Next Event

If your company offsite or association event is only focused on sharing BIG IDEAS and celebrating HUGE WINS … you’re likely missing some great best practices from the rest of the room.

It’s often the “hey, we tried this” or “we are working on that” micro-innovation conversations that never make the agenda. Sure, people will share ideas over coffee or a beer… But others might hold back thinking, “I’m not sure this is that big of a deal,” or “Maybe I should wait to share until this is fully baked.”

In this week’s Asking for a Friend, I share one practical, easy way to get people talking about the micro-innovations they’ve tried (or are trying) in an informal way.

Recognizing Impactful Ideas Beyond the Stage (an Asking For a Friend Video)

Click on the image to watch this Asking For a Friend video

You’re not replacing formal recognition. You’re rounding it out.

Think of it this way:

• Formal recognition = the highlight reel
• The Impact Cup = everything that made the highlight reel possible

A Simple Practice

Here’s how to do it:

At lunch, put a stack of paper on each table labeled “Impact Cup.”

Then ask people to jot down:

• One impactful idea they had this year
• The impact it made
• What they learned

Why The Impact Cup is a Meaningful Way to Recognize Ideas

1. It complements your formal recognition

You’re still celebrating your award winners.

This just fills in the gaps—the smaller wins, the behind-the-scenes ideas, the “we tried something and it worked” moments.

It makes recognition feel more complete.

2. It gives more people a voice

Not everyone is going to win an award.

But almost everyone has something worth sharing.

This gives people a low-pressure way to contribute—and when people feel seen, they’re far more likely to engage and collaborate.

3. It turns “stories” into useful ideas

Instead of:

“We did this thing…”

You start hearing:

“Here’s what worked—and here’s what I’d do again.”

That’s the difference between a nice story and something others can actually use.

4. It sparks conversations

Once people start sharing at the table, you’ll hear things like:

• “Wait—how did you do that?”
• “We tried something similar…”
• “That could actually work for us”

And suddenly your event isn’t just content—it’s connection and idea-sharing.

Are you looking for an engaging, interactive keynote speaker for your next event? We’d love to talk about how we can help you create a fun and meaningful event with practical takeaways.