Team Building is a good thing for every company. Have you recently been tasked with planning a corporate team building event? Here are 4 tips for choosing the perfect event venue for this gathering.

What is corporate team building event?

A corporate team building event is simply a gathering of employees doing an activity outside their normal work portfolio to build camaraderie and unity amongst the entire team. This could be a one-day event. This could be a weekend getaway. The purpose is to build trust and relationships with one another. Studies have found that coworkers who are actually friends tend to work better together and get more done.

How do you plan a corporate team building event?

Planning a corporate team building event should not be overly complicated. If you have been tasked with this assignment, there are plenty of resources to help you have a successful event. Here are few tips to host a great and productive meeting with your team.

Know the Goals.

Make sure you talk to your leadership about what the goals of this event are going to be. Are we simply trying to raise team moral? Are there certain numerical goals we are trying to accomplish. Make sure that you and your boss are on the same page. If you are the boss, take some time to decide why you are having this event. This will help navigate what you are doing.

Plan Ahead.

Set a date and then work backwards from there. Everything that can be done ahead of time should be done before the big event. You will need to select where you are having this meeting. You will need to decide what activities are being done. Remember, do not do this alone! Implore a team to join you and give each person a responsibility. For work functions, usually the team is required to be there so use the people who are coming!

Get People Excited.

Make a list of people from the office who will be invited to this corporate event. Send out invites. Get people excited for the event. In your budget, leave room for some legit prizes where people will actually want to get involved. See if there are any donations to be had for some things that people will enjoy. Free trip to Hawaii? You can dream, right!? Along with prizes, you want to make sure that your event adds value to the employees job and overall life. No need to waste people's time.

What are some tips for choosing an event venue for corporate team building?

One of the most important decisions you will make for a team building event is where the event will take place! An event venue can make or break any gathering. Here are four tips we found that will help you navigate through this decisions.

#1: Don't go cheap on the budget.

Good event rental spaces are not cheap. This is one area in your event where you will want to make sure you have adequate money to spend. A great event venue will save you money later in your planning when it comes to decorations, photo ops, etc.

When doing your research on a location, make sure to look at multiple different sites. If the price is too good to be true, most likely it is probably not legit. Make sure to go visit the site before you pay a down payment or sign a contract. Pictures and even videos can hide many things.

#2: Choose a Space that has a cool vibe.

If you work in the office, you probably work with these coworkers every day in a business-like place. Choose a location that is totally different. If you are allowed, choose a spot that people will remember and talk about for months to come! Select a venue where photo ops are all over the place!

If they remember the space, they'll probably remember what took place there as well.

#3: Make sure the event venue has what you need.

You will need to have an estimate of how many people will be attending your event so you can choose a location correctly. If you have having 100 team members at your event, that looks very different than 500 team members. Knowing these numbers will help you select what space you can choose. Here are some important questions to ask when choosing a location.

• How many people can fit in the main room?
• Do I need break out rooms?
• What about parking?
• Are there tables and chairs available?
• How early can I get in the building to set up?

#4: Book Early.

As with any event, book your venue as early as possible. The earlier you plan your event and get the location set, the better prices tend to be and the more availability at the venue. If you are planning an event last minute, it can be hard to get the dates you want. Prices tend to go up the closer you book to a certain date. If you know your date, start planning!

We hope this article helps you plan your next corporate team building event. Here is another great article on team building. Happy planning!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I get into the venue the day before to set up?
A: This will depend if there is another event the day before or not. If you need the extra day, you can always work it into your contract and the beginning of the process.

Q: Do I need to know an exact number of people when signing a contract?
A: You can give most venues an estimate number of people. If the number changes, let the venue know. It usually is not a big deal.