You've taken it upon yourself (or have been "volunteered") to organize a social event for your team. You're enthusiastic but also a bit anxious. Where do you start? Will the team like what you come up with? Will they show up?
After organizing 200+ events, I found a 4-step "planning flow." When you get the most important stuff done (secure your budget and pick an experience), everything else will follow. I hope my checklist will help relief some of your event-planning anxiety. It's a long read but I promise, it's fun and it's worth it.
Step 1. Secure your budget
Once you and your team decide that you “should get together one day,” many things will be up in the air for a while. It’ll take some time to figure out what kind of event your team prefers and who’ll attend. You can’t control everyone’s schedules. So, forget about them for now. Instead, do what's in your control: secure your total event budget.
Why start with the total budget?
It’s in your control. It limits the options you’ll run by your team. It helps you find, negotiate and organize a better experience.
No budget is too small. You can start with zero. Based on my past events, here is an estimate I recommend for activities:
If you want a fancier team bonding event, add 50% to your budget. Keep ~10% of your budget for last-minute expenses like insurance. Set aside $25 for a meal at the office and at least $60 at the restaurant.
If you don’t know your group size, estimate on the higher end. If you underestimate, you will end up renegotiating per-person prices with vendors. If you overestimate, you will afford a better experience or keep the extra money for your next event.
A common mistake is waiting to secure your event budget until you decide on your date and guest count. These details are not important because they can be adjusted later. But the longer you wait to get the budget, the later you’ll book, the fewer choices you’ll have, and the more messages you’ll have to exchange with your event vendors.
Step 2. Inspire your team
Equipped with your total budget, you can shop around. You may still not know your date or group size, and that’s okay. Inspire your team with exciting ideas, and they will commit faster!
How do you come up with novel team-building ideas, especially when you want your entire team to like the event ?
Don't:
Don't automatically go with the usual corporate event suspects: a happy hour, and escape room or a mini-golf session. Find several options your team may enjoy. Don't hire a team building event management company for simple one-day events. Save the budget for your team. Don't just rely on Google or AI search to give you creative ideas. The algorithms are such that you will land on the same things over and over again. Do:
Browse Spaciously for hundreds of creative social event ideas. I know, shameless plug! We've worked very hard to add as many unique activities as possible so that every team can find what works best for them.
Get inspired on Spaciously
Browse hundreds of experiences on Spaciously for extraordinary event ideas for your team. You can filter by city to see what’s available in your location. To get inspired, remove all filters and browse all activities. Some might not be available in your city yet, but I’m happy to add them if you ask me through our chat or email me at hanna@spaciously.io. If you love an idea, I will make it available to your team.
Pick 5 experiences that fit your budget
List 5 experiences that fit your budget and present them to your team. Go for a variety to inspire your team and understand what they like. For example:
An excited team is a committed team! When you pick a group activity everyone loves, book it on Spaciously with a few clicks. The earlier you book, the more options you’ll have!
For straightforward, tactical advice, also read:
Step 3. Commit (sort of)
Can you book if your date and group size are still up in the air? You can and should. Your team’s plans may change, but you shouldn’t worry about that.
Don’t worry about a date change
When you book on Spaciously, for example, you can often cancel up to 7 days before the event and receive a full refund. Even though we can’t guarantee your money back after the cancelation period, we’ve consistently helped clients deal with last-minute changes. We can do this easily because we work with small business owners who control their schedules.
You decide to take your team out for lunch before your activity, and now you are worried that you will be 30 minutes late. Just let us know, and 99% of the time, we’ll adjust the time of your activity. You booked an event at your office, and your building announces that it has bed bugs (yes, this happened). We will help you move your event elsewhere or work with your instructor to push your date and time.
Don’t worry about your group size
Some people may decide to join at the last minute, and some might not show up. With Spaciously, you can add up to 5 people to your event up to 3 days before the event date. If your total budget is limited, book for fewer people just in case and add up to 5 people later. And if even more people sign up, just let us know. So far, we’ve accommodated all clients with bigger groups.
Step 4. Agree on the logistics
If you are going to your host's location , ask them about these details:
Parking: What the closest, the cheapest and the safest place to park? Sometimes, it's easier to take public transit or an Uber. (I'm looking at you, Downtown San Francisco!)Building access: How will your host know when you arrive?Nearby amenities: If you are booking an activity and want to have dinner afterwards, ask your host! They know the neighborhood well and will have recommendations.What to wear and what to bring: Talk through the tiny things that will make your team members comfortable. Here's what I always have on my checklist: water, sunscreen, sunglasses, aprons, name tags, hand sanitizer, tissues, pens and paper.
If you are bringing an experience to your office , you have a few final details to sort out:
Equipment: Get a list of required equipment from your host. Equipment requirements are usually simple and common sense. For example, if you are booking a cooking class, you need to have a fridge, a stove, and counter space. A shared checklist will keep you and your host on the same page.Insurance: Check your building’s insurance requirements. 99% of office buildings require a certificate of insurance (COI). Most hosts have COI with the coverage you need for your event. However, they must add your building as an “additional insured” to their policy. Depending on the broker, it takes up to 2 weeks. In addition, some buildings require COI that cover cases that have nothing to do with events. In 80% of cases, buildings have adjusted their requirements and accepted the hosts’ COI. If the building insists on extra coverage, you may need to get a one-off event insurance, which may cost from $100 to $500 depending on your group size.Contact information: Exchange contact details with your host. You’ll need them on the day of your event.Building access: Share detailed parking and building access information.
When you book with Spaciously, we help you figure out these details.
Team building event coordination can be nerve-racking because there are so many details to focus on. But you don't have to be a professional event organizer to have fun with your team. All you need to do is to just get started. Have your budget ready. Everything else will fall into place as you collaborate with your host and plan your team building day. If you have questions about team-building events, chat with our team or email me at hanna@spaciously.io
