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The Beginners Guide – Selecting The Right Team Building Vendor For You

THE BEGINNERS GUIDE -
SELECTING THE RIGHT TEAM BUILDING VENDOR FOR YOU

The Beginners Guide series

Finding the right fit and vendor for your event is an important aspect of an event’s success and failure so here are some quick tips on that.

a) Google is your best friend – Google is the most used search engine in the world so we highly recommend that as a starting point when searching for a provider as they will lead you to many results.

b) Shortlist a few vendors to contact – Look through each vendor’s website to get an idea of the activities they do & their client portfolio. A picture is worth a thousand words. Many vendors use stock photos to spruce up the design of their website/ activity so if they don’t show any real photos of their activities, try checking out their gallery or asking them for photos.

c) Reach out to the respective vendors to get a quote and proposal – Try to provide the vendor with as much information as possible as this will help the vendor to get a more in-depth understanding, enabling them to provide the most accurate quote and proposal possible.

Here are some key details we often ask our clients.

– Event Date & Time

– Demographics Of Your Participants

– Objectives

– Past Activities Conducted

– Preferred Locations

– Budget

d) Vet through the proposals you receive. Here are some guiding points.

Pricing – Compare packages across the various vendors and shortlist those that fit your budget. Quick tip, it is important to do an apple to apple comparison in terms of what’s included in the package, venue pricing etc as different vendors offer different package types. If it gets too confusing, find a vendor that includes everything you need in their package and check with the rest of the vendors the pricing based on a similar package. PS, expensive does not always mean the best.

Activity options – Based on your team’s interest and objectives, select an activity you feel best fits your needs. No matter what the experts say, you know your team best.

Experience & reputation – Due diligence is essential when appointing a team-building vendor as you’ll be depending on them to execute your event to perfection. Is the team building their core service or simply one of their event types? Ask for past event videos and photos as well as their past client portfolio.

e) Shortlist your preferred providers and request a meeting with them – Meeting the provider will allow you to better understand the activities they do and what they can offer you.

From there, select the vendor that’s the right fit for you and we’re good to go!

To head back to read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here

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Team Bonding Vs Team Building

Team Bonding Vs Team Building

We often get questions on the difference between team building & team bonding so we thought why not answer it here.

Team Bonding
What does the term bonding actually mean? Similar to how a bond can be referred to the binding of an individual to a contract, investment or agreement, bonds between humans refer to the unifying quality that connects individuals to one another. This is important in a team/ group setting where it refers to a unifying bond between an individual, to others in the group and to the group as a whole and if present, may translate to greater desire to work hard for the group often done through fun activities. Some examples of team bonding activities include sports activities such as Telematch Games, Archery Tag, Bubble Soccer & Dodgeball, activities featured in our Mini Olympics Challenges or outdoor fun-based activities such as our signature Amazing Race & Running Man Challenge. PS, it can even be as simple as attending a cooking class, bowling night or a simple board game day in your office.

Team Building
Team building on the other hand, is slightly different. Whilst team bonding focuses on creating a unifying bond, team building is useful for those that want their team to be more productive and stronger as a whole with still a small element of bonding. This concept recognizes that every member brings to the table their skills, strengths & weaknesses and by working together as one, the team can become much stronger. The activities in team building create opportunities for members of the team to better understand working styles, preferences, strengths and pitfalls of their teammates and are designed to help build skills such as problem solving and communication as a team and create takeaway aka “Aha” moments for reflection through team activities that often can be applied to the everyday office life. The biggest benefit of team- building is often the long-term results. Some examples of team building activities are one world pipeline and our custom building the dream team activity.

So Which Is For Me?
The answer is, that depends. The biggest question we always ask our clients at the start is what do they want to get out of the activity? At the end of the day, it really boils down to what you feel your team needs. If the team is already a high performing team and the focus is to create unifying bonds, then we would recommend conducting team bonding activities as they have a stronger impact in forming bonds than team building. However, if team performance or working on a particular area is your focus, then team building is right for you as you get the best of both worlds.

To head back to read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here.

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Leadership Tip – Making Team Conflict Productive

Leadership Tip - Making Team Conflict Productive

We’ve always believed that the strength of a team is in different people of different backgrounds with different perspectives and different personalities coming together for a common cause and goal, all with the burning passion to get the best out of each other.

Ultimately, when you have a strong team like that, conflict on the team will be inevitable. Before you start feeling upset, demoralised & overwhelmed about it, fret not because when conflict is managed effectively, it is more often than not a good thing.  Plus, we’ve got your back so here are our 5 tips to making team conflict productive for your team.

Know Your Team
If you’ve gotten to this part, you’ll already know our stance on having diverse personalities, skills and experience in the team. Recognizing the value of each member’s strengths and weaknesses, skills and traits and how it helps the team and complements the rest of the team will help lay the groundwork for effective conflict resolution when conflict arises. Building team awareness across the board and appreciation of different styles will also put teams in perspective during discussions.

Pro-tip, if you feel that during discussions not everyone is actively participating, go one step up and reach out to those who are less vocal within the team and work with them and encourage them to ensure their ideas get added into the mix.

Address Common Conflict-Related Problems
Conflict is a good thing but two common problems we see in teams that could lead to negative outcomes are displays of passive-aggressive behaviour and the presence of one or two domineering personalities. If you notice any one member within your team displaying such behaviours, it’s important to quickly nip it in the bud through a private conversation with them sharing the examples you’ve seen and explaining why it’s affecting the team and becoming detrimental as well as trying to find out their motivations.

Model A Conflict-Positive Attitude & Promote Diverse Thinking
Constantly work to build a mutual understanding among the team that conflict is normal and healthy. For example, during tough moments of frustration share quotes on how having team conflict could potentially lead to better ideas and show them that you value and appreciate spirited debate. Show them it’s ok and actually ideal to tackle issues head-on when done constructively so they don’t second guess themselves when the outcome does not go positively in their favor. At the end of a heated discussion, thank the entire team for their passion and commitment and embrace the “lessons learned”.

Resolve Disagreements In A Way That Satisfies Different Members Within The Team
This goes back to knowing your team but in a different way. Apart from knowing their strengths and weaknesses, keep in mind that different conflict resolution strategies work best for different people. Keep all the different personalities in mind during conflict resolution. Some members might feel humiliated when things do not work out their way or some might not be comfortable being called out. If required, meet with them privately.

Make Time To Listen
Sometimes, when deadlines are creeping up and the team can’t seem to agree on a resolution or get past a certain conflict barrier, it might be tempting for you as a leader to force an end to the issue through power or go with the person with the most experience. Don’t allow yourself to get to this. Make time to listen to all sides so you can better understand the core of the issue and help the team to develop a solution.

Pro-tip, If you tend to always side with the most experienced person and force a discussion, this could also potentially lead to a bigger problem within the team where the rest of the team members might give up challenging ideas if they feel you will not listen.

If you have any other tips you would like to share, we’ll like to know! Don’t worry, we’ll credit you and provide you and your team with a special discount off our team building activities. Email us at [email protected].

To head back to read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here. If you haven’t already read about how good team conflict helps your team, read about the 5 ways team conflict is good for your team here.

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Finding The Right Venue For Your Team Building Event

Finding The Right Venue For Your Team Building Event

With so many venue options in Singapore and so many different configurations, it’s hard to decide what’s right for you. Here’s a peek in the world of venues starting with venue types.

In essence, there are two types of venues in Singapore.

1) Venue + Food Places – Venue + Food places refers to venues where you have to pay a rental fee for the venue and have to cater food separately either from food caterers in Singapore or from the venue’s catering partners.

Within the venue + food venues, there might also be hidden costs such as rental of tables & chairs (Not all venues come with logistics) & AV techs (If speakers & projectors are needed). Some examples of such venues would be Marina Barrage indoor venues, Lifelong Learning Institute or Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre.

Why consider this option. Although there might be more cost elements to consider, venue + food options tend to be much cheaper with such venues often working out to be less than $10-$20/pax. Add that in with catering of $10-$15/pax and other miscellaneous items above adding an estimated additional $5/pax, it could work out to roughly about $25/pax-$40/pax.

We highly recommend tapping on such venues if budget is a concern because less doesn’t always mean worse. We’ve found some really nice venues for really good rates before.

2) Venue With Food Places – Venue With Food places refers to venues where you pay a package price per pax and includes usage of the venue and food. Examples of such venues are hotels or country clubs or convention centres. Venues like this tend to start from $45/pax up to potentially a $100/pax although there are some attractive promotions occasionally. If you are looking at hotels, we highly recommend RWS Sentosa, MHotel & Hilton Hotel whilst if you are looking at convention centres, check out Suntec City  Convention Centre.

With that out of the way, it’s time to look into other consideration points when selecting your venue.

a) Venue size – Is the venue size suitable for your group and for the activity selected? Quick tip, for team building activities, you often need slightly more space than a traditional theatre-style seating with certain activities requiring 2-3 times more space so work with your vendor to ensure the venue is sufficient.
b) Nature Of Activity –
i) What is the nature of the activity?
ii) Is it an outdoor/ indoor activity?
iii) Does the venue have any restrictions? Eg. no inflatables or painting allowed?
c) Has time been buffered in for setup before the event and tear-down after the event?  A good time to set aside is 1 hour prior for setup and 1 hour post-event for teardown however take note this differs from activity and activity as well as requirements so check with your team building vendor before securing your venue.
d) Does the venue have a wet weather contingency for outdoor events?

If everything has been considered, you are ready to move on to the next step.

Head back to our awesome guide to planning your team building event here.

To read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here

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5 Quick Activities To Connect & Build Bonds With Your Team During Circuit Breaker

5 Quick Activities To Connect & Build Bonds With Your Team During Circuit Breaker

With the government’s latest measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 and the number of cases rising almost daily, staying home & working from home has become more important than ever to help stop the spread.

Unfortunately, this also means no more random desk chatter or lunches with colleagues as well as less chances to bond with your colleagues although shoutout to zoom for being a lifesaver for virtual meets.

As team-building experts having organized over 1,000 events from amazing races, team bonding games to experiential team-building, we know how important it is to keep your team together, connected and engaged despite the circumstances so  we thought we’ll do our little part and share with you 5 quick mini activities/ initiatives to try out during this work from home period.

Virtual Home Tour
In these trying times, staying connected and united is more important now than ever. Instead of having everyone keep to themselves and working in isolation, take the opportunity to get everyone to share a little bit more of their personal lives and provide a sneak peek into their homes & families.  Remember, it’s the little things that matter the most.

Group Virtual Workout
There are a million and one benefits to exercising and we won’t waste your time sharing it here as we only want to focus on two. First, exercising helps reduce stress and in times like these, helping & encouraging each other is important. Second, exercising together with colleagues helps keep everyone accountable. If exercising is not for everyone in the team, try having a mediation session instead.

Speed Typing Challenge
If your team is a competitive one, help keep the spirits and energy up through an online typing challenge. This is especially good to do during a dull day or halfway through a virtual meeting. Click here for a quick link to one. To keep it exciting, consider setting up a zoom chat prior so you can watch everyone’s game face and egged each other on.

Werewolf
If you are searching for a dynamic team game to engage your team whilst keeping everyone sharp. Werewolf might be the game for you. A game of wits, deceit and skilful manipulation based on careful listening and voting and lots of discussion, players will have to figure out who else is on their team and find a way to help their team win without exposing their identity. The best part, this game can be played on Zoom or Google Hangouts.

Pixel Art
Did you know that apart from collating, accounting and recording data, spreadsheets can also double up as a space for teams to work together to enhance their creativity? Introducing spreadsheet pixel art where you can add a little code to sheets that can automatically replace numbers with a colour to fill the cell. So allow creativity to breathe freely as teams work to make a complete art piece together. If you are looking for a template to start with, we’ll be happy to share ours. Reach out to us at [email protected] and we’ll send one to you. No questions asked.

So until we meet physically, stay safe & stay home!

 To head back to read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here

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5 Popular Office Perks To Retain & Boost Morale

5 Popular Office Perks To Retain & Boost Morale

Ever heard of the quote, take care of your team and they will take care of your customers and the rest will take care of itself?

Employee retention and engagement are core to a company’s growth and with millennials making up a large part of the workforce today, workplace perks have now become more important than ever. Gone are the days where a good salary package, health-care plan and retirement plan would suffice. Employees now want and expect more. A survey conducted in 2015 by popular job and recruiting site, glassdoor proves just that.

Here are 5 office perks used by some of the world’s biggest companies to engage their employees. We’ve combined it into 5 easy parts PS. if the world’s biggest companies are doing it, it likely won’t hurt to follow. I mean if we want to be the best, we need to learn from the best right?

A Cool Workplace
From having a cool office design (check out this inc article here ), to open workspaces that also allows for collaboration, to games at work from a Nintendo switch to foosball tables and even an arcade basketball machine to the most important, a well-stocked pantry, many companies have constantly try to up the cool workplace games. Try one or a few of these initiatives and we’ll guarantee it’ll be a hit with many and more importantly will help boost morale because who doesn’t like to come to work in a fun place?

Flexible Work Options
Flex Hours – Instead of having a standard 9am-6pm workday, go flex where productivity is measured in terms of work done and not time spent in the office because if one gets their work done, it doesn’t matter when or how long they’re in the office for. If this is too big an undertaking to take on, start with something like allowing employees to come in anytime with a time-frame and leave with a certain time-frame and work from there.

Sabbatical Program – While this entire concept isn’t entirely new, sabbatical programs were previously offered more to in the academia stream but more than ever, we are seeing many top companies including this in their perks. From top consulting firms such as Bain & Company & KPMG to everyone’s favorite fast foods, Macdonalds, this programs are becoming more popular than ever so consider this into your repertoire and allow your employees to take a short break from their job to prevent burnout or allow them to pursue their life-long dreams without losing their commitment to the company.

Educational Opportunities
Providing training and development opportunities to employees will not only help employees showcase their skills and talents and allow them to perform better at their roles. This further education also provides them the chance to grow professionally and keeps them motivated providing a win for all. Just in case your CFO is asking what happens if you invest in your team and people leave? Ask yourself, what happens if there’s no investment and they stay

Group Activities Amongst Departments Or The Entire Company
Having team dinners or meals during festive occasions, a team-building event for the entire company or even small team-bonding activities for a department not only gives the team a break and helps them feel appreciated, it also helps strengthen bonds and allow employees to get to know each other on a personal basis out of the workplace allowing them to cultivate friendships and relationships that could grow into something bigger both for themselves as well as the company because who doesn’t enjoy coming to work in an environment that feels like a family. If budget permits, consider taking them overseas for a retreat.

Health & Fitness
This brings us to our next point, Health & Fitness. Studies have shown that there is a positive link between exercise and one’s brain health. New evidence of an association between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain health. What are ways you can encourage this in your workplace? Organize sports/ activities clubs such as running groups or other interest groups or if you have the budget to do so, try providing a small budget to all employees to encourage them to exercise every month.

One disclaimer, we’ll like to mention that organizations are all different in nature and different industries might have different requirements/ needs so try it out and see if these work for you and make modifications if necessary and don’t be disheartened if they don’t. It just means you’ll have to look under more stones for answers.

To read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here

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5 Benefits Of Virtual Team Building

5 Benefits Of Virtual Team Building

With the pandemic accelerating a shift online, companies can now connect teams from all over the globe to work together on projects. But… how do we then build team rapport, productivity & connectivity for remote team? Virtual Team Building might not be the one size fits all solution however it’s a great tool for companies to use. Here, we will explore the top 5 benefits of virtual team building.

#1. Increased Productivity
One of the most apparent benefits of virtual team building is increased productivity. Of course, productivity is key to any successful business, but it can be hard to achieve when working with a distributed team.

When employees feel connected together on projects, they can share ideas and work more efficiently. That can lead to better results for your business.

#2. Improved Communication
It can be hard to communicate with team members in different parts of the country or world. If communication is difficult, you might feel like you’re not getting the most out of your team.

Virtual team building can help to improve communication among employees. When workers are physically present in the same room, they can easily have side conversations and interrupt each other. But when they’re communicating online, they’re more likely to stick to the task at hand and focus on the discussion.

This improved communication can lead to a better understanding of the project and its goals. It can also help build trust among team members, essential for a successful team.

#3. Enhanced Creativity And Problem Solving
It can be tough to develop new ideas or solutions when you’re stuck in a meeting room or office all day. But, sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery to jump-start your creativity.

You know that creativity and problem-solving are essential for your team’s success, but it can be hard to find the time or space to let your mind wander.

With virtual team building, employees can take their work wherever they go. For example, they can collaborate on projects while on the bus or in line at the grocery store. And they can share ideas in real-time, which can lead to enhanced creativity and problem-solving.

Virtual events are an interactive way to bring your team together. For example, you can have people work together in Abducted games and solve puzzles while trapped within the virtual room! This type of activity will improve problem-solving skills as a team as well as enhance creativity.

#4. Greater Flexibility
The best thing about virtual team building is that it’s flexible. You can use it to supplement your existing team-building activities or as a primary team building means.

Anywhere and at any moment, you may establish a virtual team. So you can fit it into your schedule without having to rearrange your day. And if you have employees who are located in different time zones, you can easily accommodate their schedules.

This flexibility is perfect for businesses with employees who travel frequently or work odd hours. You can also use it to connect with remote workers or freelancers.

#5. Cost Savings
Traditional team building activities can be expensive. For example, you might have to pay for travel, lodging, and meals for your employees. And you might have to rent out a meeting space or conference room.

Virtual team building can help you save money on team building activities. For example, you won’t have to pay for travel or lodging, and you can use free video conferencing tools to connect with your team.

Plus, you can use virtual team building to connect with employees who work remotely. So you don’t have to pay for their travel expenses.

Conclusion
While there are some challenges to virtual team building, the benefits of bonding a remote team far outweigh them. It can help you save money on costs, build relationships, and improve communication. It can also help you overcome geographical barriers and time constraints; if you’re looking for a way to develop your team, consider virtual team building. It’s an effective and efficient way to get the job done so what are you waiting for?

To read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here

 

Virtual Team Building Online Interaction Group Photo
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Our Top 5 Picks For Your Next Virtual Team Building Event

Our Top 5 Picks For Your Next Virtual Team Building Event

 

Are you looking for something fun and different to do with your team? Then, why not try out our virtual team building activities or games! They’re a great way to get to know your co-workers better and have some fun. Plus, they’re perfect for remote teams. Here are our top five picks from our collection for the best virtual team building experience. Check them out and see which one is right for you!

#1. Team Bingo
Too complicated? Too boring? Too draggy? Someone always seems to be overpowering the rest? 

Team Bingo, our most popular activity is the perfect solution for teams looking for a fun and light-hearted team challenge that will get everyone working together creatively in an attempt to complete a series of tasks or rather line. 

From photo, video, dance, physical and team challenges of varying difficulties with a core focus on team and inclusivity, it’s perfect for boosting team morale and interaction. The best part, with a wide selection of games for teams to choose from, they’ll be able to tailor their experience accordingly. 

#2 Domination
Looking for something to bring out the competitive spirit in your team or just a way to allow participants to interact across the board? 

Domination might just do the trick for you as participants battle it out to be the ultimate dominator within the team. Think, outwit, outplay & outlast as they try to be man on top learning new skills, unleashing their creativity & having to adapt as quickly as they can. Before you start trying to connect the dots on how this helps with team bonding, let us help you do so as in this unique no holds barred challenge, instead of killing each other literally, they’ll be placed in different teams for each game requiring them to adapt quickly & work with new team members for victory each round.  

With Domination, there are no boundaries – only winners.

#3. Abducted
“Alone, we can do so little, together we can do so much” – Hellen Keller 

You may have the best team globally, but if they don’t work together, you will not get very far. And if you don’t have a leader, you’re not going to get very far.

Introducing Abducted,  a game we are just so proud off that involves collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and leadership all at once as participants attempt to save 21-year old Katherine who’s been kidnapped by one John Chadwick. Think escape room adventure but without any individual heroes as each elite team and agents within will all be given different info throughout their journey.

Let’s hope they’ll be able to bring Katherine home before it’s too late.

#4. Lost Treasures Of Sundarbans
It can be hard to motivate employees to think critically and work together and PS. Escape rooms are always a good energy booster at the same time.

Cue Lost Treasure Of Sundarbans that we curated based on the Sundarbans Forest the largest mangrove forest in the world and home of the Royal Bengal Tigers where teams will need to think critically, solve problems, work together in order to find the Lost Treasures before another team gets to it first. If you are worried that it might be too hard for participants, don’t worry we’ve got that settled by building fun puzzles that are both simple and complicated at the same time. Think interactive live chat box, the old school nokia snake game, matching, board mysteries and more.

Can your team complete the obstacles, get to the treasures & escape the home of the Royal Bengal Tigers in time?

#5. Beat The Clock
If you are looking for a quick morale booster and a fun game night with lots of laughter, Beat The Clock designed after popular game show Minute To Win is perfect for you as teams or individuals go head to head in mini challenges before 60 seconds run out. From guiding a cookie from their forehead into their mouths without any hands to scribbling as fast as they can, we are silently hoping that their adrenaline doesn’t shoot through the roof and no one ends up in stitches. Don’t worry, everything they’ll need can be found in the comfort of their home.  

Conclusion
Thank you for making it to the end, we hope we’ve managed to give you some creative ideas for your next virtual team building event. If you are keen to find out more or need help selecting the perfect solution for your team, reach out to us and we’ll be happy to assist.

To read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here

 

 

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The Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Next Virtual Team Building

The Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Next Virtual Team Building

 

There are many things to consider when it comes to organizing a virtual team building event or session for your team. The list goes on from the type of activity, duration to the timing and ensuring that everything goes off without a hitch. So if you are now thinking of cancelling the plan, fret not, as we are here to help with this simple step-by-step guide to walk you through the entire process.

What Is Virtual Team Building?

Virtual team building is a term used to describe any activity or event that brings team members together in a virtual environment. It can include a quick online chit chat, ice breakers, a short mass quiz, or a series of games & through the team building games organized. It aims to promote teamwork and collaboration among team members located remotely from one another and allows them to stay connected.

Why Is It Important For Businesses Today?
With more and more people working remotely, virtual team building is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses. By bringing team members together in a virtual environment, you can help them to better collaborate and communicate with one another and, more importantly, stay in touch. That can lead to improved productivity and teamwork, crucial for success in today’s competitive business landscape.

How To Plan For Your Next Virtual Team Building
Now that you understand what virtual team building is and why it’s essential, it’s time to plan your next virtual team building session. The following steps will help you to get started:

#1. Determine The Objective of Your Team Building Session
Before you can start planning your next virtual team building, you need to determine your purpose.
What do you hope to achieve from the activity? For example, are you looking to improve communication and collaboration among team members? Or are you looking for a fun and productive way to bring team members together?
Once you know what you’re aiming for, it will be easier to choose a suitable activity.

#2. Choose An Activity That Meets The Objective
Not all activities are created equal when it comes to virtual team building. Some activities are better suited for promoting communication and collaboration among team members, while others are better for bringing team members together in a fun and productive environment.
For example, if you have a new team and they are coming together for the first time, having a series of ice breaker games focus on introduction & interaction might be most appropriate or if you want a quick team activity that both boost morale & emphasizes teamwork, Team Bingo might be better instead. However if you just want a fun game to challenge your team, a virtual escape room such as Murder Mystery might do the trick.
Once you have ironed out your objectives, finding the right team activity for you will be a lot easier.

#3. Divide People Into Teams
If you’re planning a virtual team building, it’s essential to consider how people will be divided into teams. There are a few different ways to do this, such as by activities, department, or location. But, first, you’ll need to decide what works best for your team and again, drawing back to objectives, what are you trying to achieve. This will then help you make the best decision.
Once you’ve decided how to divide people into teams, communicate this to everyone involved.

#4. Consider The Budget
Budget, although sensitive, is always a very important consideration when planning any event and virtual team building is no different. As you put together a budget proposal, here are a few things that you’ll need to consider.
Team Building Costs – Inhouse or Outsource?
Prizes
Food
With the above, you’ll then be able to determine if you can turn your plan into fruition.

#5. Person in Charge
Like any event, it’ll be good to have someone in charge of leading the event aka a team leader. This can be someone internally or externally if resources are stretched. This person will be responsible for organizing the event and ensuring that everything goes smoothly. They will also be responsible for communicating with team members before, during, and after the event. If you are hiring a company like ourselves, this person can liaise with the event manager. However, fret not using a company might help take the workload of the organizer.

#6. Decide on The Schedule
Once you’ve determined the next virtual team building’s objective, activity, and teams, it’s time to decide on a schedule. Will it take place over a few days or weeks or are you doing this as a monthly thing?
Although different activities might require different time commitments, a quick guide based on our experience would be 1.5 to 2 hours to allow participants to fully immerse whilst ensuring they don’t get burned out from online fatigue.

#7. Marketing Your Event
Now that you’ve planned your next virtual team building and gotten the administrative details out of the way, it’s time to market your event. This will help to ensure that everyone is aware of the event, locks their calendar and knows what to expect.
There are a few different ways to market your events, such as a calendar invite, a fancy poster or getting the bosses to rally the troops.
Choose a method (or methods) that will work best for your business and your team members.
When marketing your event, do remember to include all the essential details, such as the date, time, location, activity, teams, and prizes (It really helps ☺.)

Conclusion
Virtual team building is a great way to improve communication and collaboration among team members. By planning and choosing the suitable activity, you can ensure that your next virtual team building is successful! And be sure to let us know how it goes. We’d love to hear about your good and bad experiences as you put these ideas into practice.

To head back to read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here.

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5 Tips To Planning Your Next Virtual Event

5 Tips To Planning Your Next Virtual Event

The internet has made it possible to connect with people worldwide. It has led to a new way of hosting events, known as virtual events. Virtual events are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer several advantages over traditional in-person events. If you’re thinking of hosting a virtual event, you should keep a few things in mind to ensure its success. We’ve got you covered, from choosing the right platform to setting realistic goals. Here are 5 tips for planning your next virtual event.

Let’s get started!

Why Are Virtual Events Getting More Popular?
There are many reasons why virtual events have become more prevalent in recent years.

One of the most significant advantages of virtual events is that people worldwide can attend them, something not many companies realized before. Therefore, you can now reach a larger audience than you would if hosting an event in person and allow collaboration amongst employees across the world. Additionally, virtual events are often more affordable than in-person events. Again, this is because there are no travel costs involved.

Virtual events can also be more convenient for attendees as they can be held at any time and don’t require people to take time out of their busy schedules to travel to a specific location.

Now that you know some of why virtual events have become so popular, let’s look at how you can plan a successful one.

#1. Define Your Goals For The Virtual Event
Virtual events are growing in popularity, but they can also be tricky. Without a clear goal, it’s easy to get lost in the planning stages and end up with an event that doesn’t meet your expectations.

Define your goals for the virtual event upfront and use that as your guide throughout the planning process. Make sure you set SMART goals first. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound – making them the perfect way to measure the success of your event.

In your goal, you should include what you want to achieve and how you will measure it.

Once you’ve defined your goals, you can plan the rest of your event.

#2. Choose The Right Platform
There are several different platforms that you can use to host your virtual event. It’s essential to choose one that will best suit your needs. You may want to consider the size of your audience, the type of event you’re hosting, and your budget.

If you’re unsure which platform to use, we recommend starting with the most common ones like Zoom. MS Teams or perhaps Google Hangouts. These platforms are easy to use and accommodate many attendees.

No matter which platform you choose, test it out beforehand. This will ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of your event.

#3. Select A Date And Time That Works For Most People
When planning a virtual event, selecting a date and time that works for most people is essential. However, this can be tricky, as you must consider time zones as well as peak/ off peak seasons and days that do not clash with ongoing meetings.

Once you’ve selected a date and time, be sure to promote it well in advance so people can clear their schedules.

#4. Do Up Your Agenda
Now, it’s time to start planning the agenda for your event. With this, you should head back again to the purpose & objectives. Is this to deliver company results & share updates, celebrate promotes or special achievements or bonding for the team? If it’s just 1 or all of the above, having a schedule as well as engaging the different stakeholders will help.

#5. Create a Budget
The final step in planning your virtual event is to create a budget. It will ensure that you don’t overspend on your event and get into trouble. It will also allow you to better allocate for different costs that might come up. Here’s a quick check-list for you.

  • Platform 
  • Speaker/ Speakers
  • Activities (Where applicable) 
  • Streaming 
  • Food 
  • Awards & Prizes

Conclusion
Virtual events can be a great way to connect with your audience & build relationships however having a plan in place is really important to ensure the success of an event. If you have any further suggestions to help our readers, please share them in the comments below!

To head back to read another article in our blog or for more tips on team building, click here

 

Virtual Team Building Online Interaction Group Photo