5 High-Impact Team Building Activities for Today's Events

Every company is looking for cohesiveness, but water cooler chatter and sales meetings hardly build the kind of teamwork it takes to move a company forward. Cohesiveness can mean the difference between being number one, and not being ranked at all. But for the kind of bond that leads to success, you need to be daring — 100 miles per hour daring. So we looked around to find some of the greatest, high-velocity activities that will create a lasting experience, and the relationships that lead to results. Here’s what we found.

Laurel Park: Courtesy: Laurel Park

Horsing around Accepted Here

When it comes to choosing an ideal venue for hosting an activity-oriented event, there’s no endorsement quite as solid as one from a former employee. That’s how Melissa Cavanaugh of Mavenspire, a business and technology consulting firm based in Maryland, came to find Laurel Park, a horse racing track and grounds that cover 360 acres.

Following a morning of presentations and meetings, the Mavenspire participants dined on a catered lunch in the clubhouse, then made their way to the grandstand area of the clubhouse, where they could roam the grounds until the 7th race. That race, dubbed the “Mavenspire Classic,” featured the company’s name in the program as well as on the track’s board. The employees got to watch the race from the winner’s circle and afterwards, present the winning jockey with a silver plate.

“The catering staff was extremely helpful and accommodating,” says Cavanaugh. “Everybody thought it was a really great event. They said, ‘I hope we get to do more of this sort of thing.’”

[What] Laurel Park racetrack
[Where] Laurel, Md.
[Web] www.laurelpark.com
Whole Foods Market Lamar Culinary Center: Photos courtesy: Whole Foods Market

Can You Stand the Heat?

The Central Market & Whole Foods Culinary Center in Austin, Texas, offers private hands-on cooking classes as well as Iron Chef competitions reminiscent of the popular reality TV show. Local planner Cindy Lo of Red Velvet Events sees multiple benefits from using food-inspired activities for events. “Not only do I have the flexibility of making it an Iron Chef competition, but we can also take care of a meal if it’s not in the budget to have a separate meal activity,” says Lo. Each group typically comprises 25 people or fewer, which allows everyone to get involved with the cooking.

“It’s an intimate event,” says Lo. “You really get to chat with your neighbor, learn a new skill and most importantly, taste-test and pair the food with wine.”

The Iron Chef events are also extremely popular. Groups compete against each other in a nearly full-day event. Just like the TV show, a secret ingredient is given to each team, and they are asked to come up with an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert using that ingredient in each. Those who aren’t chefs are allowed to bring a recipe book for help.

Kathy Tauber, president of Houston-based event planning company Great!Gatherings, is a proponent of Iron Chef competitions. “People love food. It makes friends out of strangers and bridges many gaps,” she says. “Once Hollywood made chefs celebrities, food was thrown into the limelight and everyone wanted to be an Emeril, a Mario, a Lydia. I think this provides companies with a cost-effective activity with manageable expectations.”

[What] Whole Foods Market Lamar Culinary Center
[Where] Austin, Texas
[Web] www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Anchors Aweigh: Courtesy: Anchors Aweigh

A Pirate’s Life for Me

Ariana Lohf of Webb Scarlett deVlam, a brand design consultancy in Chicago, had her colleagues mount the Red Witch Tall Ship of Anchors Aweigh and cruise around Lake Michigan for a three-hour tour and a memorable experience. When the 25 team members arrived, they were divided into groups based on their sailing or boating experience and then ‘captains’ were chosen and advised to pick their teams. Next, everyone was allowed to board the ship, and after a few quick introductions and safety rules, they began their journey.

Each team was invited to assist in sailing the boat and was taught a bit about how the sails themselves operated. For Lohf and her group, it was a hit.

“Our president is a huge fan of water activities,” says Lohf. “I reviewed other programs but picked Anchors Aweigh for a few key reasons: It was an outdoor activity, the majority of our team had never been sailing on Lake Michigan, and we liked that the activities during the trip were flexible.”

[What] Anchors Aweigh
[Where] Chicago
[Web] www.corpevent.com
College Basketball Experience: Courtesy: Iiams Images

Be Like Mike

When Erin Curtin needed an activity-based event for the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s PRISM Awards, she turned to the College Basketball Experience.

Curtin was initially impressed with the fact that the venue was new and decided it would give her event the energy she was looking for. Guests experienced an interactive “coach pep talk,” a hall of fame and numerous hoop shooting games, explained Curtin. She played off the basketball theme by adding mini foam fingers to all the place settings, basketballs to centerpieces and numerous other thematic elements.

To add excitement for the event, tube socks with the event website and date were sent to each guest as a save-the-date.

“The attendees were excited about the venue and the entire basketball theme because it made for a fun, unique and enjoyable event for an annual awards ceremony,” says Curtin.

[What] College Basketball Experience
[Where] Kansas City, Mo.
[Web] www.collegebasketballexperience.com
Bondurant School of High Performance Driving: Courtesy: The Bondurant School

Burn Some Rubber

Andrea Stewart of Event Services of America was first introduced to the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving through a co-worker. She went for a visit, toured the facility and took a test run on the track.

“I had never experienced anything like Bondurant’s version of racing and was overwhelmed to say the least,” says Stewart. “I was excited to have it as an option for the next client seeking a thrilling experience for their attendees.”

The most recent group she took was 17 people for an afternoon on the track and then dinner. The track activities included kart racing — taking a Pontiac Grand Prix out that can reach speeds of 60 mph — and Hot Laps, in which the guests were taken around the track by a professional in a C6 Corvette and hit speeds of 90 to 100 mph.

“Our group absolutely loved it…they want to go back again,” says Stewart. “It was one of best team-building events that they’d done.” Indeed, for any future team-building request, Stewart noted, “Bondurant is the first place I’ll go.”

[What] Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
[Where] Phoenix, Ariz.

[Web] www.bondurant.com