10 ideas for Team Building activities that didn't exist before

Delphine de Whereez , 05/04/2021

10 new ideas for Team Building activities in Paris and the Ile-de-France region

The early 2000s were yesterday! The Internet was at its peak, the smartphone and 'Plus Belle la Vie' were making their first steps into our lives.

Yet Team Building was still a very vague concept... 30% of companies were trying to set up these activities aimed at strengthening team spirit and cohesion between employees. There was little talk of fulfilment at work. And when it came to an outing with colleagues, bowling had a merciless duel with go-karting. Today, companies are taking this issue seriously as a way of facilitating teamwork, and teleworking, democratised since the covid crisis, has reinforced this awareness. Today, there are 50% more events organised. Team cohesion has become essential. And so has the need to get away from it all.

Companies are looking for the most innovative and unusual proposal possible. One that will leave a lasting impression on employees and strengthen team spirit.

Whereez brings this variety of choice to the fore. On Whereez.com, the unusual and the original have become the watchwords for a unique experience. Here's a quick look at 10 activities that we would never have imagined doing in a company 15 years ago:

01 - Introduction to the Laser Sabre

In the shoes of a Jedi? OK, OK, Star Wars is nothing new...! But now it's possible to learn how to use the film's cult weapon, the light sabre, surrounded by your colleagues, in a way that allows you to express your emotions, with a touch of mentalism... This isn't a murder party! And that's a new and effective way of strengthening team cohesion!

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02 - Introduction to Quidditch

Much more than just a sport, this is a chance to get to know your colleagues in a game you've never played before. You'll have the chance to discover a highly unusual team building activity at a very reasonable price. Imagine a race with a broom between your legs, balls of different shapes, goals in different places on the pitch... The scene may seem funny, but it's an effective way to get your teams moving!

You'll recognise the sport from Harry Potter. Half sport, half fun, but 100% laughs!

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03 - Introduction to Graffiti in Paris

"Paris under the bombs" sang a group in the 90s. Considered marginal at the time, graffiti has been democratised and introductory workshops in the creation of Street-Art frescoes are now available.ation of Street-Art frescoes on free walls are now offered to develop creativity and strengthen team cohesion. Participants will love this creative experience! Make way for the rehabilitation of artists in an urban space that is reinventing itself.

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04 - Create your own hat from A to Z

How about a Team Building workshop on fashion design? From shaping, to decorating, to baking (and yes, hats do go in the oven), participants will have the privilege of discovering a trade and making their own style! This workshop is an original and unusual way to get your teams involved in preparing your company's next 'chic' event!

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05 - Axe throwing!

Have you heard of the axe-throwing tournament? Since 2018, this fun and playful 'competition', which comes to us from Canada, has been welcoming Parisian companies to a venue in the capital. So get out your checked shirts and take aim! And keep your distance from the targets...! The objective may seem accessible, but is the challenge really that simple?

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06 - Go-karting on ice, ice hockey, basketball on ice and seminars in an ice rink

Get all your colleagues on the ice, exchanging shuttlecocks in an ice badminton tournament... or a basketball match! Learn to play hockey like a team preparing for the Olympics! Shoot the breeze during an ice karting session...

This multi-activity session is an unlikely way to strengthen team spirit, and no-one would have thought it existed... even though it's just a skate away!

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07 - Hands in an apiary

Growing awareness of the need to protect our bees is leading to new activities on the subject. It's now possible to get together with colleagues for an introductory beekeeping workshop. Nature is coming to town, so let's all get dressed up and go for the hive products. Thrills, pleasures and discoveries guaranteed!

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08 - Cooking with insects... and a survival course

Yes, it used to exist... but in a survival programme on TF1. Today, it's a truly chic and sophisticated cuisine that's part of the original Team Building proposals. Full of protein, mystery and adrenaline, experience a rare culinary adventure! This workshop is also available as a half-day "Survival Course", combining several workshops to help you become real "resourceful" outdoorsmen! In this natural setting, there's everything to do: build your own hut, make a fire, take part in an orienteering race, cook (after an insect hunt, of course!) - will you be up to the challenge?

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09 - Virtual Reality Time-Space Investigation in 1900 Paris

Virtual reality has come of age! Are you familiar with traditional treasure hunts and escape games? Do you enjoy solving puzzles? Well, this time you'll have to use a virtual reality mask to immerse yourself in Paris in the 1900s, where you'll have to rack your brains and uncover the mystery of a young woman found drowned in the Seine. It's the perfect way to surprise your teams with one of the most unusual Team Building activities in France... Take to the quays of the Île-Saint-Louis!

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10 - Making wooden pallet furniture

The activity in video: https: //www.youtube.com/embed/QCDpBICUJMo

15 years ago, there was very little awareness of the importance of ecology and "Do It Yourself". Today, more and more people want to create for themselves and use recycled materials to build. Furniture, shelving, desks... what if furniture makeovers were the new trend? Motivate your teams and you'll see that sawing a pallet together will strengthen bonds!

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You're spoilt for choice... It's up to you! Or have someone do it for you ;-)

Why choose Whereez to organise your Team Building events?

Over the last few years, there have been more and more Team Building outings, and new ideas, ever more creative and original, have abounded! But it's not always easy to find your way around all the Team Building activities on offer in France's major cities, and even outside the metropolitan area.

At Wheerez, to help you organise such a day, we have selected the most unusual workshops, which will enable your teams to share a moment out of time! Opportunities to strengthen cohesion between your employees who are used to working in teams.

We've selected a few above, but there are plenty of other possibilities: Burger quiz between colleagues, 007 evening, or 3D LegoⓇ construction workshop, there's no shortage of ideas to boost motivation and team spirit in your company.

Choose from our selection of activities to inspire your teams, and contact us for a personalised quote. We'll listen to your needs and wishes and work with you to fine-tune the preparation and organisation of your event, taking into account your objectives and priorities. With or without an events agency, we'll work with you from idea to completion to ensure that your team-building activity is a success!

Give your events a positive social impact

Choosing Whereez means choosing a sustainable social model. Our partners are young, committed and up-and-coming companies from the local economy. They therefore need a boost to their growth in order to develop and recruit locally.

New team-building activities: feedback from our customers

At Whereez, we've tried out these Team Building proposals (lucky us!), and if we're offering them here, it's because we loved them!

But the best thing is to listen to what our customers have to say about them:

Jérémy, who took part in the activity Jeu de piste en réalité virtuelle dans le Paris de 1900:

"The treasure hunt was really fun, as well as solving the riddle with a technology we're not necessarily used to using, it made us discover beautiful Paris, I'd recommend this activity."

Flo', following her participation in the Graffiti in Paris activity:

"I was light years away from ever thinking of doing graffiti on a wall... what an artistic and human discovery! It was a real bonding experience for my colleagues!

Pascale, after doing Graffiti in Paris:

"A great afternoon of fun and culture that gave me a different perspective on tags and graffiti. Bénédicte captured our attention by sharing her passion with us. She introduced us to some artists and an art form that, because we didn't know much about it, we wrongly equated with vandalism. Drawing not being my forte, I was a little apprehensive... In the end, using a simple and effective technique, Félix enabled us to free and share our creativity together. It was all done in good humour and in glorious weather."

FAQ

What is team building?

The term "team building" is used in companies to encourage cohesion, motivation and team communication.

The principle of team building is to get employees to take part in an activity together, outside a traditional working environment. Several studies have shown that promoting mutual support and solidarity by giving employees common objectives helps to increase their productivity.

Team building can take many different forms and cover many different areas, depending on your objectives: sports activities, escape games, coaching sessions, culinary workshops, etc.

How do you organise a Team Building event?

First of all, you need to define the objectives of the team building: strengthening internal team cohesion, improving communication, well-being at work or team spirit. Boost team motivation? Resolve a particular conflict? clarify responsibilities? The objectives can be many and varied.

Once the objective(s) has/have been defined, the profile of the participants needs to be analysed: what is their age range? do they tend to be sporty? are there more women than men? what are their expectations? ...

Now you're ready to look for an activity that suits your audience and meets the objectives of your Team Building event. All that's left is to think about how your day will unfold and when you'll be carrying out the activity, and then to ask your management about the budgetary constraints involved.

At Whereez, we regularly advise our customers to be as clear as possible about management's needs and constraints so as to avoid spending too much energy looking for a 5-legged activity!

Last but not least, be innovative and try to get off the beaten track by offering unusual activities selected by a specialist agency like Whereez.

How much does Team Building cost?

The first reflex we have with our customers is to think in terms of budget per person. When you organise a Team Building event, we don't know the number of participants in advance.

However, your management has certainly asked you to respect a dedicated budget. So how do you keep to this budget?

First of all, we advise you to negotiate a budget per person with your management. This will allow you to cover yourself against an unexpected increase in the number of participants, for example.

The price of a team building event varies according to a number of criteria. Here are a few examples of criteria that will affect the price of a team building event:

- The location chosen for the team building. The greater the distance to be covered, the more you are exposed to travel costs, which may be more or less significant depending on the equipment to be transported, access to public transport, the need to cover the organisers' living expenses (accommodation, meals, etc.), etc

- The duration of the team building: the longer it takes, the more it costs!

- The type of activities andentertainment (Escape game, Virtual reality, Murder party, Treasure hunt...)

- The number of participants. Many Team Building activities charge by the number of people, or by increments (the increments very often correspond to the number of facilitators needed to ensure the workshop runs smoothly)

- The number of facilitators and their scarcity. For the same mixology workshop, it will be more expensive if it is run by a very well-known mixologist, for example. We could take the same example with a chef for a cookery workshop.

- The equipment needed

- The objectives of the team building event (team building, motivation, communication, company seminar, etc.).

As you can see, there are plenty of criteria to explain the price of a Team Building event. In our experience, a reasonable range would be to find activities costing between €30 and €80-90 per person, excluding VAT.