Pre-event activities to inspire and motivate your events team

Are you trying to get your head in the game ahead of a big event? Corporate team building activities can be just the tonic to help bring your events team together and boost businesses overall.

Behind the goofy names and silly antics sometimes involved, corporate team building activities do have a scientific backing and measurable impact. No matter how much time or budget you have, it’s more than possible to incorporate them into your venue or events company. So, why not give them a go for a team-wide lift ahead of a big event?

We’ve skipped the cringe factor with these ideas so you don’t need to worry about suggestions for ‘human knot’ ice breaker (again). Here at Congress Centre, we have some ideal team building activities for bringing your team closer and getting them excited ahead of a big event…

What the science says

Studies show that team building and good communication can lead to a team working better together in the long run, in and out of the office…

Dedicating time to some colleague-to-colleague bonding can actually help solidify the foundations of a business. Having a healthy corporate culture can positively impact everything from productivity to employee retainment, it’s definitely worth the investment.

So, now for those non-clammy hands team building exercises…

Campfire Tales

A classic favourite that will take you back to those childhood camping days. This task will be sure to inspire storytelling and improve team bonding.

Teams gather in a circle and share their workplace experiences. Along the way, they learn things about each other and relive old memories. You won’t literally have a campfire (for health and safety reasons, of course) but you can expect the same warm and fuzzy feeling.

Objective: Communication, sharing, common experiences, creating friendships

How to play:

1. Create a set of subject words that will kickstart a great storytelling session. Think of words like “my first”, “my best”, “travel” etc and write them on post-it notes.
2. Divide a whiteboard into two sections. Post all sticky notes from above on one side of the whiteboard.
3. Ask one colleague to pick out a subject word from the sticky notes and use it for inspiration about an experience to share. When they’ve finished telling the story, move their chosen sticky note to the other side of the whiteboard.
4. While your colleague shares their experience, others should start noting any words or sentences that remind them of work-related stories which are similar. Paste these new words on the whiteboard on more sticky-notes.
5. Keep going until you have a “wall of words” where all the stories are interconnected!

Strategy: Storytelling is a core part of the human experience. By having a storytelling session focused on work-related stories, it can encourage large groups to loosen up and share some personal experiences.

Vogue – Strike a Pose!

Have you ever wanted to be on the cover of a glossy magazine?

You and a team of your colleagues need to think up a cover story about the event you’re working on. A great exercise in creativity that can also inspire your team to think big and think creatively!

Objective: Get your team to think big and get motivated though imagining future success.

How to play:

1. Get into teams of 3-6 and get a hold of some markers, pens, and anything else for creating your magazine cover. Doing them on computer works well too.
2. In your team, imagine a magazine cover story about your company or an upcoming event they might be working on. There’s no need to pose for photos or write an entire article (although you can if you’d like!). Using ideas and photos you already have can actually help with getting creative together.
3. Start putting together elements to go on the cover. The main ones you should include are:

• A cover image
• A cover story headline
• Short quotes from team members, leaders or anyone else fitting
• Sidebar headers about other imagined, related stories.

4. When the teams have completed their covers, gather them to be judged. The best magazine cover wins!

Strategy: Seeing your event or business’ success featured in a magazine is the high-point of any organisation. This fun game helps your team members think BIG and look to the future for maximum success, which is also super motivational!

Truth and Lies

Just like truth or dare, this straightforward game is great for getting people to open up and can generate more than a few laughs along the way!

Objective: Break the ice and get colleagues comfortable

How to play:

1. Have each colleague come up with two truths and one lie.
2. The first colleague shares their three statements with the rest of the group, who have to agree on which is the lie together.
3. Move on to the next person. Repeat until everyone has shared their truths and lie.

Be as creative or outrageous as you wish for maximum laughs and a feeling of sharing and closeness for your team!

Strategy: There is no competitive element to this game. Instead, it’s designed to get people to open up and get to know each other better. The opportunity to lie can also get some hilariously outrageous statements from players, which further improves the group’s and can provide some massive laughs along the way.

Terror tastes (Blindfolded food tasting)

How much do you trust your colleagues? Do they have good taste?

This team-building activity can be a make or break event team trust – all in the name of fun. It only takes a blindfold and selection of foods – things with strong tastes like sauces, pickles and spice work best. Feel free to make it as challenging as you please, our only recommendation is this might be best to save for a Friday afternoon.

Objective– A real ice breaker and trust game!

How to play: One by one, you can take it in turns to either gain your trust from your colleagues or lose it by torturing their taste buds and giving them a nasty surprise.

Strategy: The ultimate in trusting your colleagues and being brave and taking a step in to the unknown.

NB: Make sure you’re aware of any allergies first or this could end be much less fun than intended!

Marshmallows. Spaghetti. Tape.

A fun creative problem-solving and collaboration exercise for the workplace, plus if you get peckish, you have snacks on hand!

Objective: A less-straightforward-than-expected game focusing on problem solving and skill-based work as a team!

How to play: You’ll need 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti, one roll of masking tape, one yard of string and one marshmallow for every team. (what a shopping list!)

Then, using just these supplies, it’s challenge time! Which team can build the tallest tower?

The rules are simple, the marshmallow has to be at the very top of the spaghetti tower, and the whole structure has to stand on its own (So, no hands, body parts, or other objects supporting it) for at least eight seconds.

Strategy: Working together as a team to create the best results!