How To Plan A Team Building Event

Team building is an integral part of any organization. Whether it’s for professional development, morale boosting, or both, doing things like going out for pizza and drinks after work is great way to do this.

However, organizing such events can be tricky. Who pays? What time frame should we plan for? Is there anything we need to book or coordinate?

We have all been in situations where we needed to bring people together, so how about we take care of that for you? We are going to discuss some easy ways to organize a team-building event!

Here are our top tips:

1) Determine the purpose of the event

This will determine what kind of event you want to hold. Will it be a competition? A get-together? Or maybe just sharing experiences?

You can also choose to do something specific like hosting a movie night or having a potluck. It really depends on your group and what they would enjoy.

2) Pick a date and time

Make sure to pick a day that everyone has availability within and no major commitments outside of work.

Also, make sure the timing works for everyone! Some people may only be available during certain times of the week, while others could be anywhere at any time.

3) Book a venue early

It is better to find a place earlier rather than later as most venues require at least one month notice and sometimes more than two.

Provide details about the location

Location is one of the most important parts of planning an event!

If you’re hosting your team building activity at a specific venue, make sure to include this detail in the blog post above. Also, be sure to check out the hotel’s website or social media accounts to see if there are any events planned around teamwork or leadership for that area.

There are many ways to use a restaurant as a site for your teambuilding experience. You can do a cooking challenge, play a game under their theme, have a role-playing exercise using characters from books they promote, or even organize a tour of the place.

However you choose to fit it into your schedule, keep it organized by talking with the staff ahead of time and confirming their availability. If possible, hold the event during off hours so people don’t need to worry about work the next day.

Make it clear what food is served and how to dress

While having an event at your workplace is not necessary a requirement for employee engagement, it can be a fun way to connect with your colleagues.

It does not need to be expensive or too organized – you do not have to hire a company or pay to use the facilities of a restaurant or hotel if that is not your budget.

You can easily organize your own team building activity by hosting a free lunch or dinner at your workplace. This article will talk about some ways to plan a team-building event in the UK.

Try to get an agreement on costs

While holding this event is not expensive, there are some additional costs that need to be factored in. These include the cost of food, beverages, decorations, and/or invitations!

While having these things as part of the event is definitely nice to have, it does add up so make sure you check out how much budget you have for this before planning the rest of the event.

Most venues will allow you to purchase what they call “event services” which usually consist of using their facilities and equipment, offering set-up or use of the facility, serving food or making snacks, providing drinks, etc. Some even offer free events services if you are hosting the event at your venue.

Try to get the agreement on content

As mentioned earlier, creating event-worthy team building activities is like making any other type of good article or website – you have to start with an idea or topic that people are interested in reading about.

Your event should be related to something important to your audience so that they will feel motivated to read more after the activity.

Try to find a theme for your event that applies to most people, or that at least has many different ideas and tips within it. This way, even if some parts seem boring or unnecessary, there’s still enough material for participants to take away.

The easiest way to come up with event themes is by thinking about things you want to learn more about and then looking into the market for products or services that offer those lessons.

You can also do a quick Google search to see what comes up while keeping it simple and neutral. For our example, we'll use how to plan a team building event.

Choose the theme and activities

Choosing an activity or event type is your next step. You will want to make sure you have enough people to run the events!

You do not need special equipment or facilities to give these events a try. Most organizations with large groups of employees host some kind of team building exercise at least once a year.

These exercises are usually organized around a theme, such as “team spirit”, “sharing”, or something similar. The organizers pick the activity and the participants brainstorm ideas for the exercise themselves.

Planning a teambuilding event takes time, so don’t rush into it. Start by looking through our tips here first, then choose one that looks interesting and roll up your sleeves.

Make it clear what time the event starts and ends

Teams will not participate if they have to worry about getting home or how to get back home, so knowing when the event is happening and where makes for successful events.

Making sure there are enough resources (such as transportation) can be tricky, especially during winter months. If possible, one of you should pick the place the team meets, in case some people do not feel comfortable going somewhere else.

Tell your team about the theme and the activities

Now that you have chosen an event theme, it’s time to tell your team members what they will be doing during the event. Make sure to include the date, time, and location of the event as well as any potential participants or attendees.

If possible, send out formal invitations so people can prepare for the event. But if you are planning the event at a public venue or activity such as a meeting room, then telling everyone “come join us for our party next week!” is enough information.

Make sure to let people know how to contact you in case there are changes or questions, and try to give as many details as you can since some people may not communicate very well.

Weekly meetings? Check. Important announcements? You bet!

Most importantly, make sure to emphasize teamwork and communication by having a clear event goal and open conversation.

Make sure the location is safe to go to

Before you begin your team building event, you will need to make sure that the location is safe to be at. You do not want to spend money on organizing the event if the area is unsafe or there are too many restrictions.

For example, if the event takes place in a restaurant, it should be known whether or not employees have access to weapons. If they do, then this could be an issue!

You also must check for potential conflicts with work and/or family. Most companies have an open door policy, so asking if anyone knows of any issues the company may face can help determine if the venue is safe.

After all of these checks have been made, the best way to ensure the safety of the event is by confirming what time the staff goes home and when their next bus or train trip is.