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Category: Outdoor Team Building

Dominion Energy Employees Team Up to Build Wheelchairs for Great Causes

On Thursday, May 5, 100 employees from Dominion Energy gathered in Chester, Virginia to build 22 wheelchairs for disabled veterans and low-income residents in the community. They had a great time, contributed to two great causes, and enhanced their relationships with coworkers through collaboration.

In this video from WTRV-CBS6, photojournalist Chris Jenkins hears from Dina Takhchi, Chair, Dominion Energy Diversity Council about the activity and the plans to donate 11 of the wheelchairs to Chapter 50 of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), with the remaining 11 going to the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ben Nice expresses his gratitude and explains that his department will use the wheelchairs to aid low-income residents in the county.

Best Corporate Events facilitator Eric Nodler keeps the action of the Build-a-Wheelchair® program moving, handing out tools and parts to the teams as they earn them through answering trivia questions and other activities, and setting up a wheelchair race among participants to test their finished assemblies.

The WWBT-NBC12 news team also covered the event. Reporter Ashley Hendricks spoke with Ralph Baskerville, Commander of DAV Chapter 50, who explained the need for the wheelchairs and expressed gratitude to Dominion Energy and its employees for this donation.

As Dina Takhchi noted, many Dominion employees are veterans or have family serving in the military. They took pride in giving back to those who have given so much for our country, while improving their teamwork skills and having some fun on a beautiful spring day.

Choosing the Best Venue for Team Building: Considerations for the (Not So) Great Outdoors

An effective team building program can accomplish several important business objectives: improving employee communication, engagement, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership skills, among others.

It requires an investment in time, resources, and taking employees away from their regular roles. To optimize your return on that investment, it’s essential to create an environment where employees are comfortable and able to focus on the team building activity.

While it’s natural for workers to want to get out of the office and enjoy the fresh air, outdoor venues are usually not the best setting for team building (with the obvious exception of scavenger hunts or other activities specifically designed to be held outside).

Here’s why—and how to create the best environment for success, whatever environment you choose.

Focus on the—hey, squirrel!

Team building facilitators want to introduce activities in a way where nothing will interfere with the group’s ability to succeed. With any outdoor venue, almost anywhere and at any time, weather is a concern: heat, cold, wind, and/or rain can make conditions miserable. In a public outdoor setting such as a park, there are also potential distractions from other people, pets, extraneous noise, Frisbees, balls of various types, and other sources.

The goal of the facilitator is to explain and deliver activities in an environment with as few distractions as possible. This maximizes your group’s ability to succeed and increases the positive impact of your workshop.

In a purpose-built indoor space—such as a large meeting room on a corporate campus or a ballroom in a hotel or casino—it’s much easier to eliminate distractions so everyone can focus on the team building activity. The climate is controlled, the sound system is built-in, and tables and chairs can be easily arranged to fit the program.

But if you really want to be outdoors…

There are times when the allure of the outdoors is hard to resist. Maybe it’s (forecasted to be) a gorgeous Friday afternoon. Maybe it’s (forecasted to be) one of those first 70-degree days of the spring in Minneapolis, or the fall in Phoenix.

If that’s the case, here are a few strategies to maximize your chances of success:

Have a backup indoor space where you can host the team building activity in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Choose a private, dedicated, or reserved location where you’ll be free of distractions from other people, animals, and extraneous noise.
If you are traveling to a different city and your backup indoor space isn’t adjacent to your outdoor space, arrange for transportation in case it becomes necessary.
Three to five days out from the program, check the current weather forecast. If it looks less than ideal, consider moving the program indoors. If that’s not an option, decide if you simply want to warn employees to dress for the weather (e.g., it looks like it will be gray and cool but dry) or postpone the event (storms are likely). You want participants to benefit from and enjoy the activity—not to be miserable because they’re too cold, too hot, or too wet.
Have a “plan A” and a “plan B” to address the conditions. If it looks like the day will be damp, but not a washout, you may choose to move activities indoors, or keep it outside but use different materials (e.g., no paper or cardboard).

Wrapping it up

It’s easy to understand why people love the idea of doing team building activities outdoors. But nature doesn’t always accommodate.

Depending on your situation, you may decide the risks of trying to pull off a successful outdoor event are too great, and an indoor venue really is preferable. Or you may arrange for an outdoor location, with a backup indoor space or at least a “plan B” in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.

What’s most important is to create an environment where distractions are minimized; where you have plenty of space for the activity (follow the recommendations of your team building provider); and where employees are comfortable and able to focus on the activity. That will maximize the enjoyment for participants, the benefits they get from the team building program, and the return on your organization’s investment in increasing employee engagement.

Summer Solstice Is Upon Us

The warmest season of the year is here! Officially summer starts on Friday, June 21st this year. But with our headquarters right here in sunny Florida, we know it can almost feel like summer year round! Summer is a perfect time for outdoor team building activities. Is your company getting ready to plan a summer outing, conference or meeting? Do you want to get your team together for something fun? Team building activities facilitated by #1 event organizer, Best Corporate Events is the answer.

In many locations, summer is a great time of year to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Most professionals work in an office building all day. Therefore, people would appreciate the opportunity to get out, stretch their legs and get the blood flowing. But finding an event that suits all shapes, sizes and fitness levels can be challenging. The last thing a corporate event should do is make anyone feel excluded. BEST offers many options for team building activities for groups of any size.

Some of our favorites

Activities such as Team Olympics and Corporate Survivor are excellent choices. These two events incorporate a wide range of activities involving skill, strategy, collaboration and of course, fun!

One of my favorite outdoor team building activities is played with a giant slingshot. We broke into teams and were given an empty bucket, a slingshot, and water balloons. We had to launch the water balloons across a large lawn area to one of our team members. The other team member was holding the bucket and attempting to catch the balloons. Needless to say, there were a lot of broken balloons and a lot of laughs. This same activity could be played with tennis balls if you prefer to keep everyone and everything dry.

Another fun event is the land ski team challenge. Imagine an entire team, sharing one giant set of skis. One person on the team has to act as the leader and coordinate everyone’s movement to make it across the field to the finish line. Teams will have to use coordination and communication to successfully cross the field swiftly without anyone tumbling over.

There are other activities that are more physical, like sack races and land raft. These activities always need cheerleaders and strategizers on the sidelines, giving everyone a chance to participate in some capacity.

**Check out our top 5 BEST team building events** for a fun day your group will never forget this summer.

Team Olympics

A set of fun and engaging games combining competition, basic athletic ability, and high-energy music. Teams will compete in Ski Team Challenge, Sack Races, Flipper Flash Relay, Team Anthem and more in an attempt to win the Gold medal. “Challenge by Choice” offers individuals the ability to determine their own level of physical participation without missing out on any of the fun.

Catapult

A highly competitive event in which teams use their creative brainpower and problem-solving skills to construct a working catapult. Catapults will launch objects for distance and accuracy. Team members will catch objects in various containers at different distances. During this hilarious phase of the competition, the pressure to perform is high as each team attempts to maximize its points.

Build-a-Raft

Ignite your teams’ competitive and collaborative fire as they work together to build and race their very own makeshift rafts, attempting to earn as many points as possible! Everyone is actively involved throughout, as team members must collaborate to transport their rafts from the start line and launch them into the water. This dynamic event can take place in any suitable body of water.

Corporate Survivor

Corporate Survivor is a riveting series of team building activities that will test the full measure of your team’s physical & mental abilities! While some challenges require alliances to be formed with other tribes, losing team members to a different tribe will force everyone to quickly adjust and seize the opportunity of gaining new tribal members with new ideas and skills!

SmartHunts®

SmartHunts® are fun, challenging, hi-tech corporate scavenger hunts delivered on iPads® we provide. Utilizing audio, video, QR Codes, and GPS tracking. SmartHunts are a combination of sightseeing, gaming, laughter, and team-building customizable to the area you will be exploring. Included is a live-feed slideshow of photos and videos of your teams during their adventure!

So don’t be shy, plan to get outside and have some fun with one of our exciting outdoor team building activities. You never know, your team may win the gold!

Go Outside and Play!

When companies are trying to think of something to do to get their team together for some fun, they might consider team building. Many may wonder if the best choice is for indoor or outdoor team building activities.

In many locations, summer is a great time of year to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Most professionals work in an office building all day. Therefore, people would appreciate the opportunity to get out, stretch their legs and get the blood flowing. But finding an event that suits all shapes, sizes and fitness levels can be challenging. The last thing a corporate event should do is make anyone feel excluded.

Check Out Our Lineup Of Outdoor Activities

Activities such as Team Olympics and Corporate Survivor are excellent choices. These two events incorporate a wide range of activities involving skill, strategy, collaboration and of course, fun! By utilizing the philosophy of “Challenge by Choice,” each individual is given the ability to determine their own level of physical participation without missing out on any of the action.

One of my favorite outdoor team building activities is played with a giant slingshot. We broke into teams and were given an empty bucket, a slingshot, and water balloons. We had to launch the water balloons across a large lawn area to one of our team members. The other team member was holding the bucket and attempting to catch the balloons. Needless to say, there were a lot of broken balloons and a lot of laughs. This same activity could be played with tennis balls if you prefer to keep everyone and everything dry.

Another fun event is the land ski team challenge. Imagine an entire team, sharing one giant set of skis. One person on the team has to act as the leader and coordinate everyone’s movement to make it across the field to the finish line. Teams will have to use coordination and communication to successfully cross the field swiftly without anyone tumbling over.

There are other activities that are more physical, like sack races and land raft. These activities always need cheerleaders and strategizers on the sidelines, giving everyone a chance to participate at some capacity.

So don’t be shy, plan to get outside and have some fun with one of our exciting outdoor team building activities. You never know, your team may win the gold!

First Day of Winter Starts Now

Winter is upon us

Today marks the official first day of winter, also known as the winter solstice. On December 21st each year, the points on the horizon where the sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day. So for us non-scientist, what does this mean?

The Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position. The days are the shortest of the year and temperatures are at their lowest.

“As the Earth moves around the sun, each hemisphere experiences winter when it is tilted away from the sun and summer when it is tilted toward the sun,” CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said. “Scientists are not entirely sure how this occurred, but they think that billions of years ago, as the solar system was taking shape, the earth was subject to violent collisions that caused the axis to tilt.”

Thanks to the Earth’s tilt, we experience the four seasons. Except of course in the south. On a “winter” day in January in Florida; temperatures can average as high as 76 while in the northern states they experience below freezing temperatures. This is the time of year the Best Corporate Events staff appreciates that our corporate office is in Florida although we are executing team building events across the country year round.

Fun facts:

The solstice occurs at the same moment everywhere on Earth, but it is observed at 24 different times of day because of the world’s 24 time zones, according to National Geographic.
The Apollo 8 spacecraft launched on December 21, 1968, becoming the first manned moon mission.
Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth on December 21, 1620.
The word solstice derived from the Latin sol, meaning “sun” and sister meaning “to make a standstill”.

Sources:

https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Florida/florida-temperatures-in-january.php

Medal Games: (now changed to “Let the Games Begin”) Video of the Week

Got a team that’s ready for a physical challenge? Check out this video of groups swimming, leaping, running, and moving in unison, all in pursuits of a real medal! We offer a simply dazzling array of activities in our Medal Games program, all specifically geared towards building your team’s cohesiveness and success. As team members cheer on their peers and strategize their best possible approach to each challenge, they forge bonds that last. Seeing who’s adept in a potato sack race is just an added bonus!

Best Corporate Events and SmartHunts® Hit the Big Apple!

“New York, New York! A helluva town!” –Bernstein, Comden, and Green, authors of ‘On the Town’

SmartHunts, our high-tech scavenger hunts featuring an Apple iPad for every team, are spreading! As part of our partnership with Planet Hollywood® and Buca di Beppo®, SmartHunts® are now available in Las Vegas… and the one and only Times Square in the heart of New York City! Whether it’s sightseeing throughout the area and running into celebrity look-a-likes who help you on your journey or bonding with the Godfather’s ‘family,’ these programs are unique, full of energy, and incredibly fun! Plus, they actively make teams better at collaborating and sharing information. We’re proud to offer SmartHunts that include dinner and drinks at a star-studded location, right in the heart of the Big Apple!

Catapult: Video of the Week

Never underestimate the power of positive rewards! Just as they do in many of our corporate event offerings, the top teams participating in the Catapult program receive a real award medals for their success. It’s a tangible way of rewarding active participation, innovation, and exceeding expectations, and it truly works – look at the grins on the face of the team member holding up his medal in this video! Because the winners get to keep those rewards and bring them back to the office environment, they remain a physical reminder of the collaboration, fun, and learning at which they excelled!

Top Ten Events

“Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.” -John C. Maxwell

Clients often ask which programs are our best sellers, so we’ve launched a new page on the Best Corporate Events website: Top Ten Events! It features our most popular events – with links to their individual pages containing full descriptions, videos, and requirements – and will be updated every six months with the latest data. Looking for team building programs that have been honed to perfection and truly work? You’ve found them!

Bridge to the Future™: Video of the Week 2

Sometimes, when you see numbers flash across a screen, they don’t have much meaning. So let’s put the incredible statistics in this video of our program Bridge to the Future™ in context. First it shows 100 participants building a 56 foot-long bridge. That’s the average length of a railroad car. And the latter part of the video, 500 people build a 215-foot bridge. That’s 2/3 the length of an entire football field, and our lead facilitator successfully drove a golf cart over this cardboard and duct tape bridge the entire length! Check it out!

Welcome to the BEST blog, a collection of team building articles, industry insights and news about our large collection of programs and events offered in locations across North America.

Need help getting started or want a quote? We are here to help.