Anyone with good sense knows there is no “I” in team. Unless, of course, the “I” now stands for “interest,” as in make your next corporate event or office party the most interesting outing of the year. But you already know the benefits of hosting these camaraderie-based work engagements. What you really need are some big ideas and fun team-building activities to incorporate that outdo what you put together last year. Today, we’re highlighting some of the biggest trends in team-building and corporate event entertainment. Get your staff involved, problem-solving, and having fun with any one of these genius games and team-building suggestions.
Why Team Building Activities Matter
Researchers understand that team-building activities improve any modern workplace. According to author and speaker Jamie Turner, who has advised such industry giants as Microsoft, Holiday Inn, and Coca-Cola, leading researchers find that team-building activities improve working relationships. They also boost communication, collaboration, cohesion, productivity, market competitiveness, and more. But if your activities and event engagement aren’t on point at your NYC office event, you’ll miss out on all of these staff advantages.
Employee Retention – An Unexpected Benefit
What company is not focused on employee retention these days? Turnover is expensive. The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology reports that employees who engage in team-building exercises enjoy more job satisfaction, making team-building an even better investment.
Get Inspired with These Popular Team-Building Activities
Whether it’s outdoor recreation or service projects that you seek, edgy indoor crafts, contemporary fun, or compelling games, create a memorable event with this short list of proven team-building activities below:
1. Human Knot
Untangle the human knot and create humor and connection in your team with ease. Participants first stand in a circle, extend their hands to randomly grab those of others across the circle, and then work together to untangle themselves without letting go. This activity encourages communication, teamwork, and problem-solving as members must cooperate to find a solution.
2. Escape Room
Discover clues, solve puzzles, and reach goals, translating important workplace skills through play. Teams are sequestered or locked in a themed room and have to quickly solve a series of riddles, puzzles, and clues within a set time to escape. This activity promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and effective communication under pressure.
3. Beach Clean-Up
Host an office party or corporate event cookout at your favorite waterfront spot, and clean up a beach in your company’s name, leaving behind a great impression for your brand and bolstering the self-esteem of your employees.
4. Egg Drop
Participants will work in teams to attempt to design and build a contraption using limited materials to protect a fragile egg from breaking when dropped from a predetermined height. This game and event activity encourages creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
5. Scavenger Hunt
Teams of co-workers are given a list of items or clues to find within a certain area, competing to be the first to complete the list or gather the most items. This activity promotes teamwork, strategic thinking, and effective communication.
6. Memory Wall
Team members write positive memories or highlights from their time together on sticky notes and place them on a wall for everyone to see. This activity fosters a sense of community, appreciation, and shared experiences.
7. The Cardboard Boat
Teams and employees are tasked with designing and building a boat using only simple cardboard and duct tape, which they then race across a body of water. This activity emphasizes resourcefulness, collaboration, and hands-on engineering skills.
There are literally hundreds of options for team building exercises for companies large and small, for both indoor and outdoor events.
Let Us Join Your Corporate Event Planning Team
From the first contact with our event planners at EMRG, you’ll know that we are on your team when it comes to creating excellence in the office party or corporate event experience. We are here to help you celebrate quarterly milestones or to mark the end of a great year even as you dream of the next thing.
At EMRG Media, we specialize in outstanding corporate events and office parties, and we do it in a New York minute. We are the Big Apple’s top New York event planner, with the expertise and savvy that you need. You want the best, right?
Contact us today, and we’ll get started. We are always thinking big and thinking forward – we are New York City, and we are you.
