Team building events are great for strengthening relationships, boosting morale and overall having an enjoyable day. It gives something for the team to look forward to and encourages a bit of friendly competition. We’ve put together our list of tips on planning a fantastic team building event that everyone will enjoy.
Budget
The first step to any team building event is to assess your budget. You don’t need to spend a lot to get everyone having a great time. Draw up how much allowance you have, and research-based on this. If you have a bigger budget, things like paintballing or go karting are always fun. However, it’s also nice to get everyone outside for some games and activities, and it doesn’t break the bank.
Choose an activity
You can stick to one activity or schedule different ones throughout the day. This mixes things up and keeps everyone’s attention on track. Team games like rounders and football are great for warm days and to get everyone active. Mix it up by having sports and also creative problem-solving activities. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, discuss with your team and see what they’d enjoy. You can always create polls to see the most popular choice.
Get your teams together
There are a variety of ways you can group the teams together. Asking your team to group themselves can sometimes cause unnecessary problems and isn’t always the most efficient solution. Having teams of different departments is fun if the numbers add up. This also usually creates more of a competitive attitude. Failing this, you usually can’t go wrong with picking names out of a hat.
Choose a venue
Now you know what activities you are doing; you need the perfect venue. Team building outside is usually preferable but obviously, sometimes this isn’t always feasible. Choose a venue with both event spaces and plenty of space outside. This way, you can adapt depending on the weather. Choose a flexible venue so you can tailor your day to your team. Speak to the team at the venue and see if they would be available to help set up or run the games.
Get your supplies
Make a list of any supplies that you may need. Again, you don’t need to spend a great deal of money. Ask around your team for certain things so you can borrow them. If you need to buy things, ensure you save them for the next event. Ask your selected venue if they can provide anything that you may need. Some venues have sports equipment that you can hire for the day.
Date
Rally everyone together to decide the best date. Keep an eye on the weather and try to choose a day that will be sunny but not too warm. Fridays are always popular for team building as it gets everyone relaxed ready for the weekend. It might be good to organise minibuses to take your team to the venue. This way, you can have a few warmup games on the journey.
Catering
Enquire what sort of catering they offer at your chosen team building venue. You don’t need to have a sit-down meal, but refreshments served throughout will refresh your team. At lunchtime, ask your venue to provide a buffet and allow people to relax and chat. This is a bit more special than having everyone bring their own lunch and is a thank you to your employees for working hard.
Choose a prize
It doesn’t have to be a big one, but a little prize for the winning team creates that extra sense of competition and effort. It could be a little selection of treats for the winners, or that the winning team can leave slightly earlier one day. Get creative with it and ask around your team to see what they’d like. The main thing for the day is that everyone enjoys themselves and gets the chance to mingle outside of the office.
If you are looking for a flexible team building event space for your team building activities, look no further than Kents Hill Park. We are located in Milton Keynes, with excellent transport links to the rest of the country. Our purpose-built facility is one of the largest dedicated training and conference centres in the UK. Don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team for more information.