Given the number of businesses looking to conference and book meetings out of Greater Melbourne post Covid, the interest in focussed, fun and impactful team building has skyrocketed, and the Geelong region and the Surf Coast are the beneficiaries of the influx of conference delegates. Just over an hours drive out of Melbourne CBD, the Geelong region has so much to offer in terms of conference venues and services, and a bunch of great team building activities on offer at all of them.
After nearly 2 years of remote working, its now time for teams to reunite, plan, and get the focus well and truly back on improving team performance again. Whilst working from home was welcomed by many employees, it did nothing for team dynamics, collaboration and engagement. The Geelong region saw an influx of people relocating from Melbourne during lockdowns, just to ensure they had some sort of life, some freedom and less chance of running into Victoria’s overzealous police force.
Getting teams back together and with a focus on team synergy, forward planning and collaboration, especially on projects that were sidelined when the pandemic started, conferencing is ramping up again. The increase in demand for meaningful, well planned team building programs has sky rocketed Australia wide, with Victoria seeing a huge uptake in companies seeking team building activities in Geelong, and the Surf Coast regions.
How to select a team activity to suit your team?
Lets face it, anyone can sell an experience as a ‘teambuilding’ activity these days, be it stand up paddle boarding, bowling, laser target shooting, axe throwing, escape rooms, the list goes on. All great activities on their day, yet calling them teambuilding is la bit of a stretch! Sounds good, yet the is more to the story!
When considering Geelong team building options, its is really important to look at the experience as a whole, and see if it is planned and well-constructed as a corporate activity, and what will the likely outcome be 1 hour after the activity is finished. If you are anxious that some participants will ‘ho hum’ the experience, then you should probably look at an alternate activity.
Having complete trust in both the activity you choose and, in the team delivering it, will ensure you get maximum traction and great feedback from all participants post event. Ask the provider how long they have been delivering team activities, if they have any qualifications or accreditations, and most importantly, what happens if something goes wrong on the day Are they insured, do they complete a Risk Assessment and Safety Plan to ensure your people are in safe hands.
There are so awesome providers, offering a huge range of fun team building activities in Geelong and surrounds. Confidence only comes from clear communication between the provider and the client, and ensuring every detail is covered. This is so important, especially with large group team activities.
The decision to have a contained team building activity (in one location), or a multi-location activity (think Amazing Race), will depend on how many ‘moving parts’ there are on the day. The more ‘moving parts’ the more chance of something going wrong on the day. An experienced team building company will have solutions to most problems that arise, and problem solving and troubleshooting are mostly kept to a minimum, allowing the focus to be on the activity, rather than on something that’s gone wrong.
Team Building for a Cause
If we have learnt anything from the past two years it is that as inflation sky rockets, housing prices keep going gang busters, and with a worsening rental housing crisis, many Australians are now experiencing severe financial hardships, homelessness, and family challenges.
This has seen an influx of companies wanting a more meaningful team experience, something that not only gives back, but offers a connection with the local community. These CSR types of activities include Community Kitchens to feed those living rough, working bees and volunteering days, as well as making bikes and toys for children in foster or kinship care.
Some great suggestions for CSR Team Building activities in Geelong include these very popular and professionally delivered activities including:
The Bike Factory
A fun and engaging team challenge where teams compete to earn bike parts, before building the bike and presenting to under privileged kids.
Community Kitchen
Think MasterChef crossed with a Soup kitchen! This dynamic role driven activity brings out the best in team collaboration, creativity and giving.
The Bear Factory
Designing, making and decorating your very own Teddy Bear, to then be presented to young kids doing it tough, is hugely rewarding. Can be delivered remote or in person.
Helping Hands
A more formal workshop where participants assemble prosthetic hands for land mine victims, mostly children, across the world. Engaging, filled with lots of emotion, and focuses on the little things we can do to make a positive impact on those less fortunate than ourselves.
WaterWorks Program
The challenge for many populations in war torn African refugee camps is access to clean drinking water. This program sees teams building and packaging water filtration systems to be sent to Africa.
Amazing Race to the Bike Factory
Teams race around the local area collecting bike parts in an Amazing Race, before making their way back to the finish line to assemble the bikes to then present them to children doing it tough.
Using fun, well designed team activities as a conduit between companies, and people with real need in the community, is what makes XL Events CSR activities so popular Australia wide. They have a huge network of amazing ‘boots on the ground’ volunteers, who assist is getting the bikes, the warm meals, prosthetic hands and the like, to the people who most need them.
“Everyone that partook in the Bike Factory challenge loved the event and had lots of fun. They said the best part of the day was giving the bikes to the children. Made them feel warm & fuzzy inside and a sense of achievement for the greater good.” Sonia Harris, Alinta Energy, Sydney
For more information about these or any other Geelong team building activities, visit xlevents.com.au/team-building-activities-geelong/
The post Team building ideas for Geelong appeared first on XL Events.
