More Team Building Ideas and Vendors
The possibilities are infinite… and we keep adding to the Team Building Library on allthingsmeetings.com… here’s the latest…
First up for today… SongDivision
These (cool) guys are all over the country, and they travel too, so the destination choices are many…
Teams write completely original songs with help from musicians who work with the likes of Prince, Adele and David Bowie (and other names they could drop)…then perform them in a ‘battle of the bands’ showdown. The song theme can be about anything you choose… one group had their sales people compose songs so they could sing to their clients about their new products… but the possibilities are endless depending upon your goals. And of course… if you want… there are performance costumes.
Have a smaller group (less than 50) and want to do something really, really cool? Collaborate in a legendary recording studio where (pick a famous person) has written, performed and recorded a hit single!
You’ve seen recording studios in the movies — the enormous mixing desk, the producer watching the band through the soundproof glass. The destinations available are limited to… every major city where there is a recording studio. Just make sure you get control of the Master (I don’t know what that means, but I saw “Ray” and he seemed to think it was important). For more info… https://www.songdivision.com/team-building.asp
And how about a little team building while saving the planet?
The Four Seasons Bora Bora’s resident Marine Biologist (they offered me the job but I had to turn it down) re-creates your company’s corporate logo in an underwater stand that will support coral nubbin grafts (new scrabble word!). The team building activity is best spread out over several days, 75 minutes a day, and guests, with the help of the marine biology team, will snorkel out to the stand and graft two to four nubbins a day. These nubbins will grow, attract local fish and wildlife, and the resort will maintain the “growth” of the corporate logo/stand in the sanctuary for future generations to enjoy. (Note to self — write New Yorker cartoon about beings in the future discovering corporate logos made out of coral).
It’s suitable for every level of snorkeling ability and for all ages. And while you are saving the planet, you can also play with octopus (I am not sure what octopus play, but you’ll find out), feed puffer fish, spot flounders and lion-fish, and essentially realize that you love snorkeling in Bora Bora. I did a shark-feed there years ago and I still think it was one of the coolest things I have ever done. http://www.fourseasons.com/borabora/
Note — if you are taking your group to Bora Bora, take me.
And almost a third idea… I am waiting for details, but it seems as if you can take 4x4’s through the Guatemalan jungle and end up in some ancient Mayan ruin with a large Ball Court (you know, the places where the losers had their heads chopped off… all in good fun, of course).
I am told that the group will be met there by some local Mayan ball players (with heads) and they will divide the group up (with some Mayans on each team), and do whatever it is they did on Mayan Ball Courts. Presumably everyone comes back alive (and that is one of the details I am waiting for… see next blog).
How about team-building on a cruise ship? Hey wait a second… how about having your incentive and/or meeting at sea? (Note… they do stop at land too)… so here are some ideas (but in my words) shared by Shari Wallack, President of Buy-The-Sea … and for those of you who don’t know Shari, she DEFINITELY knows what she is talking about…
Yes, you’ve got the normal ship-wide scavenger hunts, trivia contests, karaoke sing-offs and competitive sporting events using the basketball court, rock climbing wall, ping-pong tables and yes, the iconic shuffle board courts. Shuffle-Board? Sounds…great. But these things have evolved way past your grandma’s team building fun…
Shari recommends Oceania cooking studios found onboard the ship’s Marina and Riviera. This interactive event includes “adventure” shopping in the local markets at ports of call to collect the ingredients (“excuse me… is your iguana fresh?”) and then returning to the, hands-on, fully-stocked, professionally-staffed, on-board cooking school (maximum 24 guests at a time). The chef-guided process is completely collaborative and of course ends with a (hopefully) gourmet meal and champagne all around.
For more info… click here
At the other end of the spectrum, how about Israel’s Eshet Incentives suggestion… Surviving School. Personally, I barely survived school, but I think they really mean Survival School (which I would maybe, just maybe, survive). Ready for this?
Weapons training, Shooting courses, Krav Maga techniques, Tactical paintball and other special extreme activities are based on Israel’s leading Counter-Terror and Security Academy training courses. Team-building activities can last from just two to four hours up to an extreme 10 days (seriously, 10 days). I wanted to ask about airfare refunds on the return flight for those that did not make it through the ten days training, but it’s a detail that can wait.
After (if) you survive your training, you can travel down to the Dead Sea (the lowest point on earth) and soak in thermo-mineral springs, cover yourself in the mineral-rich mud and then float in the extra-salty Sea Water while sipping refreshing cocktails. It relaxes the body and does the skin and the joints a world of good. And if the waiter is a little slow with that cocktail, you can do some of that Krav Maga stuff on them. Unless they took the course too.
For more info… click here.
That’s it for the moment. We’re going to keep adding other ideas to our Resource Library. Let me know if you have any cool ideas to share.
