How to Observe Upcoming Key Industry Holidays

From team-building exercises to shopping local for employee gifts, there are a lot of ways to celebrate unofficial holidays in Greater Des Moines’ (DSM’s) key industries. Leadership can observe these days and recognize employees and mark their contributions across the industry sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and technology. See the list of upcoming unofficial holidays below as well as a few of the DSM businesses that can help you celebrate them with your employees!

Upcoming Unofficial Holidays in 2025

• Wednesday, April 23, 2025: Administrative Professionals Day
• Tuesday, May 6, 2025: Nurses Day
• Saturday, June 7, 2025: International Supply Chain Professionals Day
• Saturday, June 28, 2025: National Logistics Day
• Friday, July 25, 2025: System Administrator Appreciation Day
• Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025: National Nonprofit Day
• Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025: IT Professionals Day
• Friday, Sept. 26, 2025: HR Professional Appreciation Day
• Friday, Oct. 3, 2025: National Manufacturing Day
• Monday, Oct. 6 – Friday, Oct. 10, 2025: Customer Service Week
• Sunday, Oct. 12: National Farmer’s Day
• Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025: National Rural Health Day

Also, bookmark this page and mark your calendar for Employee Appreciation Day on Friday, March 6, 2026 to easily plan for next year’s holiday!

How Your Organization Can Celebrate

Each of the days listed above is an opportunity to acknowledge your organization’s professionals and recognize how they benefit your company and industry. This could mean planning team-building activities for the day to strengthen connections between co-workers or gifting something meaningful to employees to mark the day. From a challenging escape room to volunteering with another local organization to bringing in an expert in team building, there are a lot of options locally. Check out the businesses below to learn more:

Team-Building Activities in Greater Des Moines

• Bowlero Great Escape in Pleasant Hill has private event rooms great for a corporate gathering.
• Escapeology in Clive offers escape room experiences, with teambuilding options that focus on collaboration, participation, communication and problem solving.
• Plan a team-building event at Smash Park in West Des Moines! There are customized trivia options, axe-throwing challenges and more available.
• The Culinary Annex in West Des Moines offers private classes if you’re looking for a unique option for team building in a completely different industry from those listed above.
• Corporate Giving Gardens are an on-site volunteer opportunity with a big community impact. Start one for your company with the help of United Way of Central Iowa.
• Work in IT? Mark IT Professionals Day by mentoring students or conducting a workshop through TechJourney.
• Look for volunteer opportunities within industry-specific associations. Consider the Association of Business & Industry Foundation, which includes companies across many industries, offers volunteer opportunities through Business Horizons and Leadership Iowa University. Or check out ways to mentor up-and-coming professionals in your industry. The Central Iowa Society for Human Resource Management offers mentorship, and is a great way to connect HR professionals who want to give back to the DSM human resources community.
• Find a local speaker who will motivate your employees through the Midwest Speakers Bureau. Search speakers by location or by topic ؅— there’s one for team building as well as other topics like innovation, leadership and motivation.

Shop Employee Gifts in Greater Des Moines

You can also shop locally for employee gifts to mark the unofficial holidays listed above. Support the DSM businesses below and show your appreciation for your employees, too!

• Create a custom banner or poster to celebrate your employees or show your appreciation through a custom yard sign from Beeline + Blue in Des Moines.
• Ladie Lex Scented Candles in Des Moines offers handcrafted wellness products such as candles and room sprays as well as self-care experiences through candle-making classes.
• Create corporate gifts for employee appreciation, teambuilding and more with Happy DSM in Historic Valley Junction in West Des Moines.
• For a larger organization, consider saying thank you with Over the Top Catering in Pleasant Hill. The mobile ice cream truck comes to you and creates a fun way to gather everyone together for a sweet treat!
• Have you considered transforming your office space for the benefit of your employees? Surprise them with a relaxing workspace thanks to the Trendy Gardener in Des Moines.

You can also celebrate all your employees on Monday, June 2, 2025 during National Leave the Office Early Day by “gifting” employees with time for themselves!

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