Team building comes in a variety of forms, but perhaps one of the most thrilling and fun is karting. We caught up with Fiona Tayler, Corporate Events Manager at TeamSport Indoor Karting – the UK’s number one provider of indoor karting venues – to find out what makes the venues perfect for corporate events.
Tell us a bit about how TeamSport Indoor Karting got started.
The business is 24 years old and opened its first track in Guildford, Surrey. This one venue set new standards even then and fuelled the opening of more tracks in the local area. By the end of the first decade the company had five tracks and was already the largest indoor karting company in the country. New tracks were added across the South of England and by 2013 the company was sold and the present management team took control. With financial backing TeamSport Indoor Karting has seen a period of rapid growth and today operates 19 venues across the country. Our newest venue under The Manchester Arena will be the UK’s first underground track and will feature a multi-level circuit, meeting and party rooms, licensed bar and spectator gallery.
What makes karting a great activity for corporate teams?
Karting is a great activity for corporate teams to participate in. TeamSport Indoor Karting has a range of race events designed specifically for groups and our Team Challenge is ideal to bring people together and get them working as a team out on track. It’s fun, fast and everyone regardless of experience, has a role to play in helping their team win.
What sets TeamSport Indoor Karting apart from other karting venues?
TeamSport is committed to investing in venues that provide karting experiences like no other. Customers race on multi-level circuits, drive the best karts in the industry, and we offer a range of race events to suit all group sizes and budgets. In addition we also provide meeting rooms, licenced bars, great spectator areas and offer a selection of delicious food too. By focussing on these we’ve differentiated ourselves and strengthened our position as the UK’s number one indoor karting provider. We’re extremely proud of our tracks and the facilities we offer; our staff are professional and deliver exceptional customer service.
What kind of support does TeamSport Indoor Karting offer PAs when they book events?
It’s important that PAs feel confident that the event will go smoothly, so to help we provide a dedicated person at the venue to liaise directly with prior to the event. They’ll make contact to gain an overview of the day’s running order so food and drinks can be delivered at the right time; they’ll help with any deliveries that may be sent and also with connecting technical equipment to our projectors and screens on the day.
Can you give us an insight into what a typical event at a TeamSport venue looks like?
A typical event at TeamSport will see delegates arriving at around 9am and greeted with fresh pastries, tea and coffee. They’ll then settle in the meeting room, make use of the AV equipment, wifi, pads and pens and spend the next few hours working. A choice of food is offered for lunch, ranging from stonebaked pizzas to hot fork buffets. After lunch, delegates will register, change into race suits and watch the safety briefing before heading out on track for an adrenalin-fuelled afternoon of karting. This typical day usually finishes around 5pm when guests can celebrate – or commiserate – their performance in the bar.
Of course, you don’t have to make use of our meeting rooms; we host many company team days where employees are treated to a race event followed by food and drinks. It’s a fun way to spend time together and creates lasting memories.
Any other benefits corporates can take advantage of?
In addition to rewarding your staff, why not consider TeamSport Indoor Karting for hospitality and networking evenings, product launches and parties. Our facilities lend themselves perfectly to these type of events and our experienced event co-ordinators can advise how best to run a bespoke event. We offer exclusive hire of all our venues, which many companies take advantage of.
To find out more about TeamSport Indoor Karting, visit team-sport.co.uk
