The simulators are the same; the goal is different. A private party is about the guest of honor and having fun, so keep the format loose, the cars easy and the music loud. A corporate event usually has a business goal, such as team building, client entertainment or a brand moment, so it needs a schedule, a structured competition, often custom branding, and paperwork: a certificate of insurance for the venue and an invoice your finance team can book correctly.
Format
- Private party: open seat, people drive when they want, a few "beat the birthday host" challenges. Light structure keeps it social.
- Corporate event: a run of show with time slots by team or department, a qualifying window, then a final in front of everyone. Structure makes sure every guest gets a turn and the event ends on time.
Competition style
At a party, a single leaderboard and a prize for the fastest lap is plenty. At a corporate event, team scoring (average or combined times per team) puts the focus on the group rather than the one person who already sim races. People also tolerate a line better when it's social: David Maister's classic paper on the psychology of waiting notes that occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time and that solo waits feel longer than group waits (Maister, The Psychology of Waiting Lines). A visible leaderboard and a commentator give the line something to watch.
Branding
Private parties rarely need it. Corporate events and brand activations often do: logos on the rigs, branded screens, a sponsor's name on the leaderboard. Custom branding from SimsForHire starts at $500, plus tax and insurance.
Paperwork and budget
- Insurance: SimsForHire is fully insured in the United States and provides certificates of insurance on request. Corporate venues and hotels usually ask for one.
- Pricing: $2,750 per full-motion rig per day, $2,000 event minimum, plus tax and insurance. Staffing is included for up to 4 rigs.
- Tax treatment (corporate): under current IRS rules, entertainment expenses are generally not deductible, but there are exceptions, including recreational expenses for employees such as a holiday party or summer picnic; meals at those employee events are also excepted from the 50% limit (IRS Publication 463). Client entertainment is treated differently from an employee party, so ask your tax adviser how to classify your event.
Catering and timing
At a party, food and drinks run alongside the simulators all night. At a corporate event, plan the racing around the agenda: open the rigs during arrival and networking, pause for speeches, then run the final when everyone is in the room. Keep drinks away from the cockpits either way.
Examples
SimsForHire's work includes corporate and brand events such as the Hard Rock Miami activation at Miami International Autodrome (8 rigs, 1,000+ guests), a private activation at Wynwood Marketplace (850 guests), Art Basel 2025 with Vossen × OFFSPEC, and private dealership events. See case studies, corporate events and private parties.
Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com, or request a date. We reply within 24 hours and can book with as little as 24 hours' notice.