With the need for company departments to work as a unified team, it’s essential to motivate employees and develop their skills in innovative ways. PA Life takes a look at the huge range of team-building activities on offer, from indoor skydiving and a survival camp to a Dragons’ Den experience and cookery classes.
AIRKIX (pictured)
airkix.com
Type of activity: Battling against winds of up to 110mph, indoor skydiving will test your core strength to its upmost while allowing you to experience the closest thing to free-falling without a plane in sight. Airkix is the perfect way to bond with colleagues in a thrilling environment.
Price: From £29.99 per person (group discounts available)
Group size: Up to 200 flyers when booking exclusive use
Unique selling point: Airkix is the UK’s first purpose-built wind tunnel that provides indoor skydiving and body-flying. With locations in Manchester, Basingstoke and Milton Keynes, it’s convenient for offices in a number of major cities.
ANIMATE & CREATE
animateandcreate.com
Type of activity: Teams work together to create a stop-motion animation video. Everyone is given an introduction to the technique and an outline that details the aim of the session. Then, in smaller groups, delegates brainstorm ideas for their piece and plan out everything to match the brief, leaving themselves enough time to build models. Filming requires all the delegates to take on a role to ensure the animation is smooth. After each video is screened, their animations are sent for post-production editing.
Price: £66-£150 per person
Group size: 10 to 200-plus
Unique selling point: Companies can design the brief if they wish to use the final pieces for a certain purpose, such as for the company website, to show in reception or for a marketing campaign.
BEAR GRYLLS SURVIVAL ACADEMY
beargryllssurvivalacademy.com
Type of activity: In a dynamic survival experience, teams will learn to build and light fires, construct emergency shelter, use a knife, abseil, survive in extreme weather, cross a river and forage for grubs and rodents. Specifically tailored to the corporate world, the bespoke, high-energy Ultimate Team Building Course is said to be unlike any other outdoor-based experience – driving participants to work smarter, not harder. Ideally suited to organisations looking for results-driven team building, staff incentives and corporate events, the course brings people face to face with a little bit of healthy Bear Grylls adrenaline.
Price: Based on budget
Group size: Flexible
Unique selling point: Designed by Bear himself, the course is led by his team of official Survival Academy instructors, who have worked alongside him in challenging environments around the globe.
CACTUS KITCHENS
cactuskitchens.co.uk
Type of activity: Groups can take part in a half-day experience at the Michel Roux Jr cooking school, learning to prepare a two-course meal from the school’s highly trained chef and assistants. You will have private use of the state-of-the-art kitchen, which includes Miele ovens, Kitchenaid mixers, Michel Roux Jr GreenPans and Global knives.
Price: From £199 per person
Group size: Minimum charge is based on 12 people and the school can accommodate up to 18.
Unique selling point: The experience takes place at Cactus TV’s media complex in central London, above the set of BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen. Attendees can enjoy canapés and prosecco on arrival and during the session even try their hand at the show’s competitive omelette challenge.
CENTER PARCS
centerparcs.co.uk/meetings
Type of activity: Groups can work as a team to buy the equipment needed to build a medieval weapon called a ballista and use it to battle obstacles; follow co-ordinates to travel ‘around the world’, buying equipment to complete a pipeline; climb through the trees and make important decisions together along the way; or construct a playing piece to take part in a giant board game, where the object is to get as much money and property as possible to take over the board (pictured).
Price: From £42 per person
Group size: Minimum of eight and up to 200
Unique selling point: With five locations set in more than 400 acres, Center Parcs offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to suit a range of team-building needs.
CHOCOLATE CRAFT
chocolatecraft.co.uk
Type of activity: Get to know your colleagues and work together to design and create handmade chocolates. Have fun developing a new chocolate brand, designing logos, mottos and packaging. There are seven formats available that can be tailored to suit your time frame and budget.
Price: From £50 per head for a two-and-a-half-hour activity to £70 for an all-day activity for a group of 25 – with discounts available for groups of 40 or more
Group size: 10 and upwards, depending on the activity
Unique selling point: Chocolate Craft is a company that supplies artisan handmade chocolates to high-end London stores. It combines its in-depth knowledge of chocolate with expertise in event management to deliver a range of memorable, interactive and fun team-building activities.
DEN OF DRAGONS BY CHILLISAUCE
chillisauce.co.uk
Type of activity: The Dragons’ Den-inspired team-building day not only tests skills such as teamwork, communication, presentation, creativity, leadership and delegation, it involves employees coming up with new ideas to improve the company they work for. It culminates with groups pitching the best ideas to their directors, alongside a panel of high-profile entrepreneurs.
Price: From £350 per person
Group size: 20 to 120
Unique selling point: The event takes place at the original venue used for filming Dragons’ Den in south London for that added authentic feel and is crafted to suit clients’ needs. Businesses can choose to pitch ideas to Will Butler-Adams, CEO of Brompton Bicycles; Simon Calver, CEO of Mothercare; Michelle Mone of MJM International and Dragons’ Den victor Levi Roots, among others.
DE VERE VENUES WOKEFIELD PARK
tinyurl.com/odst8ff
Type of activity: Motorised pursuits add an element of fun to team-building activities. Quad biking in particular allows delegates to learn a new skill in an unfamiliar environment, enhancing their listening, communication and collaborative skills. The competitive edge and high adrenaline nature of this type of activity also assists in boosting team spirit.
Price: From £125 per person, including a day delegate package
Group size: Up to 20
Unique selling point: Open-air activities are a good way to build stronger connections between colleagues while getting them out of the everyday office environment and into the great outdoors. De Vere Venues Wokefield Park, near Reading, is ideally suited to outdoor activities such as quad biking, boasting more than 250 acres of outdoor space.
EPSOM DOWNS RACECOURSE
epsomdowns.co.uk
Type of activity: The racecourse offers bespoke cookery classes to recreate signature dishes under the expert guidance of its head chef. It provides and interactive activity for all culinary abilities. Participants can enjoy getting a hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art kitchen, developing their skills to prepare a two-course meal. The package also includes a wine-tasting class with a professional sommelier, after which delegates can sit down and enjoy the fruits of their labour and stunning views of the track.
Price: From £120 per person
Group size: Minimum of 10
Unique selling point: Enjoy a behind-the-scenes experience at the world-famous racecourse as you recreate dishes that have featured on menus at the Investec Derby in the heart of the kitchens at the Duchess’s Stand.
GO APE!
goape.co.uk/events/corporate
Type of activity: Head to the treetops for an unforgettable adventure your office will be talking about for weeks. Your day can include the zip wire Tree Top Adventure, forest Segways, outdoor catering, a dedicated host and much more. With 29 leafy hideouts dotted around the UK, there’s sure to be one local to you. So whether it’s flying high through the forest canopy on zip wires, or exploring the country’s woodlands on all-terrain Segways, there is an adventure waiting for your company.
Price: From £32 per person
Group size: Up to 200-plus
Unique selling point: Swinging through the canopy, wiping out at the bottom of zip wires and going on an adventure brings people together like nothing else.
HUNTSHAM COURT
huntshamcourt.co.uk
Type of activity: The corporate package at this country house hotel offers a fun way to release office tension and bring the team closer together while learning a new skill. Clay shooting takes place at the nearby Shalden Shooting School with expert tuition for mixed ability groups and friendly competitions to see who in your group has the best aim.
Price: A two-night, exclusive-use, mid-week break costs from £150 per person, based on double occupancy of 19 bedrooms.
Group size: Up to 38
Unique selling point: A secluded oasis tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world, Huntsham Court is a Grade-II private mansion nestled in the Devon countryside, close to Exmoor National Park.
LEE VALLEY
gowhitewater.co.uk
Type of activity: White-water rafting could be key to getting your team motivated. Lee Valley offers packages to suit all budgets and requirements, including room and equipment hire and catering. Colleagues can go white-water rafting on the 300m competition course. With water moving at a swift 13,000 litres per second, and a 5.5m descent, teamwork is essential to ensure the raft navigates the course while overcoming eddies and drops. You might also want to try other activities, such as hydrospeeding, which is similar to bodyboarding.
Price: From £850
Group size: Nine to 54
Unique selling point: Lee Valley is the London 2012 venue where Team GB won gold and silver during the Olympic Games.
LONDON ZOO
zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/
Type of activity: Get your colleagues working as one unit to learn the haka, a traditional Maori call to action. After discovering the history and purpose of the performance, you will learn to do it yourself, bringing your team together in tribal unity. You can also add some friendly competition by splitting into two groups and adding variations on the haka to face off against each other.
Price: From £35 per person, depending on group size
Group size: Minimum of 30
Unique selling point: Your haka master will have your group working as one tribal team, totally focused on perfecting this ancient ritual. Women as well as men are both essential to the haka and you are guaranteed to feel completely empowered.
MERCEDES-BENZ WORLD
mercedes-benzworld.co.uk
Type of activity: The venue has driving facilities that can provide anything from a general experience to something that can be tailored to help develop specific team-building skills, such as communication, empathy and leadership. Teams may be faced with giving directions to help their blindfolded colleagues navigate the course. Whatever the mix, each delegate is participating in a unique, exciting environment and never under pressure to take things any way other than at their own pace.
Price: From £140 per person
Group size: From nine to 99, but more or fewer can be accommodated.
Unique selling point: The venue offers a number of flexible packages to suit many requests. All driving activities take place at the original Brooklands circuit, the world’s first motorsport track.
PAELLA FELLA
paellafella.co.uk
Type of activity: Cooking paella from scratch is creative and competitive. Teams race against the clock to set up their workstations, prepare the ingredients and cook their paella using traditional methods. The outcome is a tasty dish you can eat while reflecting on what you’ve learned.
Price: From £1,700 for a group of 12
Group size: 12 people and up in teams of four
Unique selling point: After 28 years in professional sales and business development, Director Nick Blythe started up Paella Fella as a sideline business to raise funds for charity and community projects. He was inspired by a pilgrimage to Spain, where an international paella competition is held. Having watched the competition for years, Nick was finally invited as the only Brit and he realised this activity would be perfect as an aid to business and team development.
THE SNOW CENTRE
thesnowcentre.com
Type of activity: The Snow Centre is a venue that combines excellent conference facilities with affordable and rewarding team-building activities. Fun pursuits on the snow are certain to raise a smile and encourage positive interaction. Activities include skiing and snowboarding lessons and recreational sessions on the slope. For novice skiers, there is sledging, Rubber Ringos or snow scooters, while for an entertaining team night out, experience the Snowman Skittle Challenge, whizzing down the slope to knock over 6ft snowmen. Away from the slopes, team members can enjoy some après-snow relaxation at the Lodge with panoramic views and delicious Alpine food options.
Price: From £89
Group size: Four to 250
Unique selling point: Experience real snow at a fantastic venue.
WELL MET AT LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
wellmetconferencing.com
Type of activity: Delegates looking for a multi-activity residential programme or a team development day can enjoy a range of things to do from kayaking, open canoeing, rock climbing and abseiling to hill walking, mountaineering, archery, sea-level traversing, ice climbing and caving.
Price: Available on request
Group size: No minimum group size
Unique selling point: Well Met Conferencing knows that each and every workplace is different, and that the requirements of team building will change massively from one project to the next. Because of this, its dedicated provider, Carnegie Great Outdoors, works with each client individually to tailor a bespoke package to suit their needs, helping to improve your team’s communication or leadership skills.
WHITTLEBURY HALL
whittleburyhall.co.uk
Type of activity: Whittlebury Hall works closely with a selection of companies to provide clients with a range of activities, including a treasure hunt, clay pigeon shooting, dry-slope skiing, golf, go karting, helicopter and hot-air balloon flights and off-road driving. The venue can put you in contact with the provider to tailor the event to your exact specifications.
Price: Depends on group size
Group Size: Varies, depending on the activity; contact Whittlebury Hall for more information.
Unique selling point: The property provides meeting, training and conference facilities and accommodation in one convenient location. Team-building activities can be held on site and delegates may unwind after a fun day at the spa, the leisure club or at any of its four restaurants.
