There’s a lot of moving pieces when it comes to planning a corporate team building event. The key to successfully hosting one is to stay organized, and keep your planning team on the same page.
To help you do that, here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you plan a team building experience of any size - whether for a small department or for your entire international company.
1. Define your goals and objectives: Outline what you hope to achieve with the team building event and then define the primary and secondary objectives of your event. For example, a primary goal might be to improve collaboration, and a secondary goal might be to get two departments better acquainted and working together. Once you know your goals, identify the expected result from the event and determine how to measure your success.
2. Choose a theme: Consider current social / cultural / seasonal trends, and the availability of supporting decor or props, and pick a unique theme that best fits your company’s corporate culture and objectives. For example, your theme might be "giving" and your event could include booths presenting local charities or a fund-raising game/activity. Browse Teambonders giving back themed activities...
3. Create a budget: Estimate the costs for each component of the event, such as entertainment, catering and decorations, to create a realistic budget. Place a financial cap on each item and stick to your plan.
4. Create a planning team and timeline: Gather a team of enthusiastic people from various departments to help you plan the event.
5. Assign tasks: Assign each task to a person in the team, such as deciding the catering options, choosing décor elements and scheduling activities.
6. Create a guest list: Decide whether your employees will be allowed to bring a guest or whether the event will be a staff only affair. You'll need a close estimate of numbers of attendees for catering and activity planning.
7. Pick a location: Venue selection is one of the most important considerations while planning a corporate event. When choosing the location, make sure that it is easy to access and has adequate parking and amenities.
8. Pick a date: When deciding the date, consider the availability of the venue and the schedules of the attendees.
9. Organize catering: Consider dietary restrictions and determine the food items to be served at the event. Hire a reliable caterer who can deliver quality food items according to your needs. Have you thought of holding a culinary event? Check out our Live Chef Challenge program and more..
10. Arrange for audio/visual equipment: Based on the objectives of the event, arrange for the necessary audio/visual equipment to help make the event memorable.
11. Consider transportation and accommodation: Decide whether you want to arrange for transportation and accommodation for your staff members.
12. Plan entertainment and activities: Think of fun activities that will help engage the guests and add to the overall experience of the event. Make sure they align with your corporate culture and objectives to maximize the event’s success. Teambonders is ready to help with program selection and customization. Did you know our professionally hosted activities can be customized with tidbits of information specific to your company, including game show questions!
13. Invite attendees: Create a personalized invitation list and ensure that all the invites are sent out in advance. The buzz will start with the invitation so be sure to make it attractive and engaging.
14. Promote the event: Use various mediums to promote the event and reach out to the maximum number of people. Get creative! How about going beyond a poster and create a video to promote the event.
15. Set up your event: Set up the venue and make sure that it looks the way you want it to. Whenever possible, try to prep your event setup in advance. This includes putting together props, grouping items together by purpose and ensuring everything is packed and ready to head to the venue. When it comes to setting up for a Teambonders activity we've got you covered and will help make sure everything is set to go.
16. Monitor the event: Keep a close eye on the event’s proceedings and address any issues that arise. During your planning process, it is a good idea to plan for different worst case scenarios so that you are ready to adapt and create a seemingly perfect experience.
17. Follow-up: Send follow-up messages to all of your employees to find out how they felt about the event. This will give them an opportunity to share feedback that will help improve your next corporate function.
Teambonders is a team of skilled corporate event creators and facilitators, committed to raising the spirit of inclusivity, camaraderie and fun through interactive and exciting team building events. Contact us today if you need help bringing your corporate team building event to life.
