Tips And Tricks For Planning Your Team Building Event

Wildly Different opened their doors in 2003, but the company’s origins started way before then. Owners, Lisa Jennings and Jane Schuliger, who worked together before starting Wildly Different, often fantasized about the company they wanted to start. It was going to be a simple company that operated just three different types of events and would never have any employees other than themselves. Now, 16 years later, Lisa and Jane are happy to say that vision did NOT come true! Wildly Different is proud to employ 7 full time and 200 on-call staff who can deliver over 150 off-the-shelf events and prides itself on creating custom activities to fit their clients’ needs, living up to the Wildly Different name!

This month, we’ve interviewed our amazing operations team to give you our best Wildly Different tips and tricks for planning a team building event!

1) What is your best tip for planning an amazing corporate team building event?

Maria, our resident Event Glam Girl, says “Have FUN! Teambuilding is meant to get everyone out of their shells. There’s no way to get people out of their shells if you aren’t willing to be creative. Having fun will translate to the event. When you can stand behind an idea, everyone participating can as well!”

A fun corporate team building event is an excellent way to build camaraderie and communication within your team or department. But you also need to make sure that YOU have a strong team by your side when planning an amazing team building event.

Gaby, our Event Superstar, recommends “Create a strong core team to help you during the event and give them specific tasks. Team building events run so much smoother if you ask for help so that you don’t feel like you are doing this alone. If you get pulled to the side, or if something didn’t turn out as planned, you have people that know the event so they can deal with situations while you are busy. Out of anything you could save money on by doing a team building event yourself, event staff shouldn’t be one of them.”

2) What is the best way to approach planning a team building event?

Aeme the Do It All Event Diva, says “The energy of a team building event has to come off strong and fun from start to finish. The energy of the event’s host and the rest of the team assisting will ensure the outcome of the event is positive. Staying confident and cheerful is crucial at events.”

Our Chief Fun Officer, Jane, says “I like to get all of the details and expectations laid out ahead of time and then work a plan to meet those expectations.”

3) How do you stay organized when planning a teambuilding event?

Our Manager of Making it Happen, McKenzie, says “For each event, I refer to an operations check-list. This helps to ensure that deadlines are being met. For custom events or new event concepts, I typically start by creating an “ideal” timeline for the day of the event and then work backwards to determine the logistics.”

To create your own team building event, we recommend first deciding on a clear goal for your event. This will help you make decisions later in the planning processes. After you have a clear goal, make sure you establish a budget for your teambuilding event. Establishing a budget early on will serve as a guide for what you can afford and how extensive your team building event can be. Once you have your goal and budget developed, you’re ready to start the planning process!

4) What is the most important thing to consider when planning a team building activity?

Gaby says “THE TIMING! Timing is very important because we often deal with meeting planners or venues that have activities right before and/or after us. If we aren’t careful with our timeline or aren’t flexible enough to start earlier or end later (within reason of course) then it can be a bit of a challenge for both us and for our client.”

From start to finish, our operations team agrees on the following requirements to planning a great team building event:

A clear goal
An established budget
A strong core team
Location conducive to the activity considering space, set-up, weather, etc.
Organizational tools like event flows, supply lists, and staffing lists
Flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking
Positive energy throughout the event
Time set aside to receive feedback from attendees and staff or volunteers

Be sure to keep these tips and tricks in mind when planning your team building event! If you ever need an extra helping hand, don’t be afraid to reach out to a team building company who has the experience to plan and execute a successful event with ease! Here at Wildly Different, our goal is to create a Wildly Different experience for your group that fits your goal, budget, and vision. We love what we do, and we would love to help you too!

Contact Wildly Different For Your Next Event!