Christmas Events Begin

We have still been running plenty of outdoor team building events, probably due to the mild winter. On Thursday we have the first of our large Christmas events in the form of a Winter Wonderland in the new Itchen Suite at the Southampton Football Club. The team in the unit is busily putting together all the theme decorations; we're going to transform the huge suite into a snow covered winter landscape, Elves are being measured for costumes and it's all a bit surreal.

Promotional Team Building Event

Today we held a promotional event at Somerley, a stately home close to our offices in Ringwood. In the grounds they have Old Somerley which is the site of the old house which burnt down before the current house was built. It seems to be a rule that stately homes have to burn to the ground and be rebuilt at some stage in their history. They now have a very attractive walled garden and a single storey building for hospitality which has been finished to a very high standard. We worked in conjunction with The Holt who have some static team building challenges in the woods there and we took along Laser Clay Shooting and Human Table Football. Guests from various companies took part in these activities, had a good lunch and went away with our brochures considering team building events for their companies, or so I hope.

Nine Team Building Events

There are nine team building events today and although that's a fairly high number for us we don't seem too pushed. Sometimes the content of the events make these busy days easier than other occasions just because the type of events fit with our staffing. Last October we moved into the offices we are now in. We have about 5,000 square feet with a mixture of offices and storage and this has enabled us to increase our stock of equipment. Other advantages of this location are that we're just off the motorway system and we are opposite a large van hire company. When we were based in Lymington the distance from the motorway combined with picking up and dropping off hire vans pretty much added a day to each event. Today we have a military style operation with vans coming in loading up and leaving with their team of instructors.

Here we go again!

There is always an increase in business after the holidays. I think people feel that they have been away, maybe lost some connection with each other and the business and the best solution is a team building event. Most of us in the office get our holidays out of the way before this starts but the effect has already started and a couple of people are still away so it's rather manic. We're having to turn away bookings that we usually would try to cover but frankly if clients want us to travel and won't pay full price it's not really going to happen, particularly when it's like this. 10th September is a real hotspot with 6 events, one of which is a huge It's A Knockout for 2,000 people requiring more than 40 staff. It will be one of the biggest of the year and we're all looking forward to seeing the field. When you've had a hand in putting together a large scale event it's really exciting to see it come together on the day.

When team building attacks!

We're all reeling from an event last night for a client who will remain anonymous. It was an event for trainees for a large financial. They were all men and sometimes these events can be a bit boisterous. It was an evening event and by the time they all arrived with us they had clearly had a skinfull and then they proceeded to drink heavily for the rest of the evening. By the time the events came round many of them were reeling on their feet. One of our older chaps was dressed in the chilli costume and for some reason they decided to try to remove his underpants. It was schoolboy prank style wedgies I think, but it still left our poor chap rather shaken. We had an attractive female instructor working and she had a lot of trouble. Most companies use drinking as part of their team building and I agree that this can work but sometimes it just goes too far. When they are that drunk I really don't think they care about the events; our priority then becomes damage limitation and making sure our own staff are safe. I understand the venue was trashed as well. Some companies need to be a bit more careful about the culture they promote.

August's Team Building events

August is traditionally a quieter month, however we have events every day this week. Unfortunately the weather isn't great; there was a storm last night and it's generally overcast. The events we do have are generally entertainment rather than team building, although there's always an element of each in every event. Today is also the Monday of Cowes Week, the famous yachting event. We have two yachts out with client teams on board today and this overcast weather with very little wind is bad on both counts. Never mind, we always put on excellent catering and plenty of drink so they will still enjoy the day.

A new week

This is a lighter week with the holiday effect kicking in. We are taking the time to repair, renew, paint and generally sort out our kit after one of the busiest runs of events that we have experienced. Our own team building went very well, although there were a few sore heads the morning after. The events during the day were excellent; low ropes, high ropes and general team challenges. They were a more challenging batch of activities than those we tend to deliver to our own clients but even those who were a little reticent enjoyed them. The acting workshop that many people were concerned about was great fun and, as always, people were surprised at how much they enjoyed it. It's amazing how the mind conjours up terrible images of what something is going to be like and it is always much better when it happens.

Our own Team Building

I had been expecting things to be quieter this week as business tends to decrease when the school holidays start, however it's been busy and we've had three or four events most days and five today. There are a few over the weekend but the main event is our own company team building. Last year we went to Paulton's Park and enjoyed the rides but this year it's more serious. We're going camping complete with team activities; high ropes etc, a barbecue and plenty of drinks afterwards. The itinerary went around the office this morning and we found out that we also have a drama workshop. Opinions are divided and some are really upset about it. It's fascinating to observe as this is what happens within our client companies in the run up to their events. There's always plenty to learn!

Mid Week Teambuilding Report

The Game Fair at Blenheim went extremely well. Pulse Ranger was very popular, but mainly with children. It works well for both children and adults. Rowan Atkinson was there with his son and they had a go on Laser Clays; he was fairly quiet but polite. This is the last busy week before the holiday lull. Usually the end of July and all of August is more quiet but this year it has carried on later. We will probably only have about 40 events through the whole of August because people go on holiday and firms therefore don't organise events. September through to November will then be very busy as the events start again and make up for lost time. No strange events or incidents to report.

Blenheim Palace

Lots of events today but all pretty straight forward; Command Tasks, Laser Clay Shooting, a Treasure Hunt, some Team Building theory, that sort of thing. I am spending the next three days at Blenheim Palace at the CLA Game Fayre where we will have Laser Clays and Pulse Ranger which is a Laser combat game; like paintball without the pain. We charge the public but it's also a promotional opportunity. So, I've been clearing my desk and preparing for a weekday out of the office. I'm quite looking forward to a break, albeit a hard working one. The total immersion in something with no time to think of yesterday or tomorrow can be as relaxing as a holiday.

More Team Building

Just one event today but tomorrow is very busy with five large events, mostly of a team building nature. There's lots of preparation in the unit today; vans being loaded, kit prepared. A couple of the events are a fair trek away so the teams arrive this afternoon, head to the venue and stay overnight in a Travel Lodge. This became company policy last year - previously we have left early and come home late. However, it's safer this way and clients get a fresh team rather than a tired one. The James Bond event went well at the weekend. There were one or two hitches, but there are on most events - the key is not to have zero problems but to make sure that clients don't feel any problems that there are. That's what separates the best Event Managers from the average or bad ones.

James Bond Theme

Just off to Beaulieu Motor Museum where we have a huge James Bond themed event for 500 people in a huge marquee. We have dancers, decorations, staff dressed as henchmen, lookalikes, casino tables etc. It's a massive event and I won't be finished until about 3 a.m. tomorrow.

Rib Riding on The Solent

Four events today, one of which is a team building Treasure Hunt on The Solent in RibTec speedboats. These are the high speed inflatable side but rigid hull boats used by special forces, the Coastguard etc. They are fantastic fun and teams always come back with huge grins set on their faces. The Treasure Hunt visits towns on the mainland and The Isle of Wight. The other three events are a Go Mad (murder mystery / treasure hunt), Laser Clay Shooting and other activities and finally an It's A Knockout tournament. No staff problems today, no lost Treasure Hunt characters, no rain. In fact the only problem was that the doors jammed shut on one of the vans so we couldn't offload it. One of the reasons we moved into our new premises is that we are opposite a large van hire business - extremely useful for emergency van hire and repairs.   You can find out more about any of our team building events by visiting our website.

Seagull moved on by Police!

Just two events today but plenty of action. We had a big Treasure Hunt in London and one of our characters, dressed in a seagull suit in Trafalgar Square, was moved on by the Police. We managed to find a new location and all of the teams were informed. It all adds to the fun and memorability of the event. That is important because if the fun and games are remembered and discussed in the future it adds to the team building effect. The weather has improved. We're considering adding Inflatable Volley Ball to our range of activities. It's good team building and would stand well next to Human Table Football, of which we now have two sets because it is so popular.

Midweek status

Four events today; one It's A Knockout, one team building day, a day of motorised activities in Bournemouth and a session of Falconry at Tylney Hall Hotel. The latter is fairly straightforward as we just send in a falconer but the other days required four vehicles, 20 staff and all of the usual logistical effort. All went well though. The weather is showing signs of picking up. I do feel for clients who plan a big day for months and then have bad weather on the day. Having said that we have run some excellent events in atrocious weather. The event in Budapest is coming along. I think I will go - it's not a country I've visited and it sounds interesting.

London Treasure Hunt etc

Today is a less hectic day with just two events. We have a day of Team Building Challenges for the Health & Safety Executive, so we are being very safety concious (we always are!) and we also have a London Treasure Hunt. In this event we have two costumed characters and one of these (the Cheeky Chilli) phoned in sick last night. We have managed to get a replacement, but it's always a challenge when this sort of thing happens. So, all is well today. We're collecting in costumes for this weekend's Eurovision Song Contest event. There are some pretty wild ones. I almost wonder if clients will actually wear them, but they always get into the swing of it in the end.

Summer Weather!

This weather is appalling for July. Outdoor team building events tend to be a seasonal thing because, naturally, people want to be outdoors when the weather is nice. We have four events running today and it feels more like November. Hopefully this means better weather later in the year, but it's not good.

We are currently working on a proposal for a Pink Panther themed Murder Mystery to be delivered in Budapest. The team really like events in other countires. The only problem is deciding who gets to go. Earlier this year we sent a team out to La Manga and the schedule meant that there was a spare day before and after the event with accommodation and meals provided. We have to draw lots, as everyone wanted the sunbathing time by the pool.