• Save money with these teambuilding ideas.It is critical to plan teambuilding initiatives that won’t break the bank or cause leaders within the company to question the real purpose of the event. Midwest Meetings asked industry professionals for their ideas on how to host a great teambuilding event on a budget and here is what they had to say:
Humanitarian Teambuilding
According to Brad Goodsell, president of Executive Travel Directors (ETD) Chicago, community service activities are gaining in popularity because they are generally less expensive and they send a message of fiscal and social responsibility to a company’s employees and the watching public. They are also terrific at reinforcing an organization’s mission and often result in higher employee engagement than traditional teambuilding activities. They are often viewed as more worthwhile because they are ultimately helping those less fortunate with a shared mission.Ideas for this type of activity include; preparing and serving food at a homeless shelter, hosting a Habitat for Humanity work day, collecting supplies for and creating care packages for soldiers, and organizing a winter coat drive or a holiday toy drive for needy children.
What is Really Necessary?
If you still want to host a more traditional teambuilding event, as a planner it is important to ask yourself, “What is truly needed to make this event happen?”
According to Ed Graziano, founder of Corporate Event Interactive, Inc. Chicago, “Items such as decorations, special lighting, and elaborate sound systems may not be necessary and might not be missed by attendees.”He recommends that you save the cost of securing such items and keep in mind that the event is about the teambuilding experience. If you absolutely feel that decorations are necessary for the event, then get creative and see if making the decorations can somehow be incorporated into the event.
Review Your Venue Options
Summer is a fantastic time to host outdoor events and many local parks offer space that is perfect for teambuilding at little to no cost. The thing to keep in mind, if you do secure this type of venue for a teambuilding effort, is that some sort of shelter may be needed in the event of inclement weather. You may also have to secure additional beverages or adjust your day’s events in the case of extreme heat. In addition, you’ll want to keep in mind the travel required by attendees to get to this destination and whether or not bugs may be an issue.
Combining Events
Is it necessary for your teambuilding event to be a stand-alone event or could it be combined with something else? Teambuilding sessions can be effectively incorporated into the start of in-house strategic planning sessions, human resource training sessions, seminars or motivational speeches by leadership. The key is to clearly know what your goal is from the teambuilding initiative and to get buy-in from all levels of the organization. Then do your homework so that your shortened teambuilding session will have a dramatic punch that leaves everyone energized for the rest of the event.
Did Someone Mention Food?
Everyone knows that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, and that the same could be said about a good teambuilding event. Good food can pull out the best enthusiasm from attendees. However, this doesn’t mean that you spend a fortune on a gourmet meal. Instead, consider hosting a potluck where each attendee is asked to bring something instead of catering the event or better yet, work together as a team to create a meal. Both options cut down on the cost of catering and offer a new way for participants to enjoy a meal together.
Finally, don’t look at teambuilding on a budget as a negative thing. It can help you focus on what really matters and allow you to simplify. When done well, an organization can still reap many benefits of a high quality experience.
According to Brad Goodsell, president of Executive Travel Directors (ETD) Chicago, community service activities are gaining in popularity because they are generally less expensive and they send a message of fiscal and social responsibility to a company’s employees and the watching public. They are also terrific at reinforcing an organization’s mission and often result in higher employee engagement than traditional teambuilding activities. They are often viewed as more worthwhile because they are ultimately helping those less fortunate with a shared mission.Ideas for this type of activity include; preparing and serving food at a homeless shelter, hosting a Habitat for Humanity work day, collecting supplies for and creating care packages for soldiers, and organizing a winter coat drive or a holiday toy drive for needy children.
What is Really Necessary?
If you still want to host a more traditional teambuilding event, as a planner it is important to ask yourself, “What is truly needed to make this event happen?”
According to Ed Graziano, founder of Corporate Event Interactive, Inc. Chicago, “Items such as decorations, special lighting, and elaborate sound systems may not be necessary and might not be missed by attendees.”He recommends that you save the cost of securing such items and keep in mind that the event is about the teambuilding experience. If you absolutely feel that decorations are necessary for the event, then get creative and see if making the decorations can somehow be incorporated into the event.
Review Your Venue Options
Summer is a fantastic time to host outdoor events and many local parks offer space that is perfect for teambuilding at little to no cost. The thing to keep in mind, if you do secure this type of venue for a teambuilding effort, is that some sort of shelter may be needed in the event of inclement weather. You may also have to secure additional beverages or adjust your day’s events in the case of extreme heat. In addition, you’ll want to keep in mind the travel required by attendees to get to this destination and whether or not bugs may be an issue.
Combining Events
Is it necessary for your teambuilding event to be a stand-alone event or could it be combined with something else? Teambuilding sessions can be effectively incorporated into the start of in-house strategic planning sessions, human resource training sessions, seminars or motivational speeches by leadership. The key is to clearly know what your goal is from the teambuilding initiative and to get buy-in from all levels of the organization. Then do your homework so that your shortened teambuilding session will have a dramatic punch that leaves everyone energized for the rest of the event.
Did Someone Mention Food?
Everyone knows that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, and that the same could be said about a good teambuilding event. Good food can pull out the best enthusiasm from attendees. However, this doesn’t mean that you spend a fortune on a gourmet meal. Instead, consider hosting a potluck where each attendee is asked to bring something instead of catering the event or better yet, work together as a team to create a meal. Both options cut down on the cost of catering and offer a new way for participants to enjoy a meal together.
Finally, don’t look at teambuilding on a budget as a negative thing. It can help you focus on what really matters and allow you to simplify. When done well, an organization can still reap many benefits of a high quality experience.
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