A Brand Spanking New Team Event This Summer

Have you heard of Koala hugging someone? That is one of the many zany activities you will perform for the crazy Urban Goose Chase taking over America and Canada!

This smartphone-based scavenger hunt, mixed with a dash of Fear Factor, is coming to a city near you. Teams will tackle hilarious challenges against each other to win a prize of $300, and earn massive city-wide bragging rights.

On event day in your city, you'll receive entertaining missions on your smartphone using a cool app. Decide which ones to conquer depending on how many points you want. WARNING: You'll be stretching your boundaries and laughing hysterically in no time!

This event is perfect for anyone looking for a fun bonding or team-building activity. For a company specific scavenger hunt, check out our Wild Goose Chase. This conference activity is super affordable, starting from just $10 per person depending on group size.

Participants can easily download the mobile app and play the game as an ice-breaker or networking activity, during breaks or as part of evening social functions. It is a great way to interact with colleagues and collaborate on fun team challenges.

Can you guess what a Koala hug is? Leave us a comment below!   

Adding technology to your programs and events.

According to meetings and technology expert Corbin Ball, technology continues to move forward at a fast pace, and it’s changing the channels of communication. In the past we've all attended meetings and been asked to turn off our phones. Today, attendees are encouraged to tweet during conferences and share their experience and inspire conversation. Virtual meetings quickly connect people from all over the world. 

See the world with a Smartphone Scavenger Hunt

Gone are the days of pens and note pads. Instead, attendees expect wireless everything. People are plugged into their Smartphones and iPads, streaming content and collaborating in the cloud. Convention facilities are noticing these new trends and responding by adding convenient charging stations.

Smartphone scavenger hunts and apps spark engagement between attendees and can allow teams to explore the destination city. These popular conference enhancements are easy to set up, scalable for large groups and can be played anywhere.

Take our quick survey about adding technology to your events! 

Contact our team and find out how we can help you create memorable technology-based events for your next meeting!

Team bonding in 30 minutes or less

Last week I gathered my team of 20 together for our annual 'Outback Summit', an opportunity for us to get together as a team and discuss a variety of topics important to our company and our people.

Our team is scattered geographically across the globe. Yes, Skype is a great tool for virtual meetings, and allows us all to see each other every week or so. But seeing each other in person is SO much better. It gives us all a chance to get to know each other far better.

This year we played the "About Us" game. Prior to the Summit we all submitted a list of "5 things you probably don't know about me" to one of the Summit organizers. She then compiled the lists and handed them out to all of us.

We then had 10 minutes to figure out who each person was. It was like speed dating at work! It was fascinating to me how little I really knew about many of my crew. Marybeth has been to Antarctica and gone for a swim there. Philip was a national level trampolinist in the UK. Jules has jumped off well-known bridges in the middle of the night. Who knew?

I walked away from this quick activity with a new appreciation for my team and who they are as individuals. At the office we're all guilty of forming opinions of colleagues based solely on interactions and outputs at work. This activity will break down those characterizations, and be a lot of fun too!

Regardless of your role in your workplace, take 5 minutes today to email your colleagues and ask them for their 'list'. Compile the lists, then at lunch on Friday play the game. Just like me, you'll be glad you did.

5 Steps to a Corporate Culture Shift

The definition of Corporate Culture is "the collective values, attitudes, and behaviors of the organization's staff". Common sense will tell you (and it is borne out by countless studies on the issue) that if your company suffers from low morale, profitability is significantly lower than it could be. Trust me, it's costing you.

Quantifiable consequences include:
- Absenteeism
- Lack of productivity
- Turnover
- Poor customer service
- Sabotage

Have you ever sat beside a coworker who is unhappy in their job? Like a contagious disease, poor morale will spread from individual to individual unless steps are taken to inoculate against it.

In order to eliminate negativity in a corporate culture it is necessary to improve the values attitudes and behaviors of the individuals within the organization. This can be done in five simple steps:

1. Assess the extent and major causes of the problem through a formal cultural assessment survey as well as through an informal interview process.

2. Management must set the tone and lead by example. Progressive managers treat all employees with honesty, respect and dignity. Employees will follow the example.

3. Improve communication. Verbal, written, email, body language communication etc. must be respectful in tone. It is never appropriate to yell, use sarcasm, to condescend, to discipline in front of others.

4. Review employee performance honestly and fairly. Praise whenever warranted. Reward superior performance.

5. Hold regular staff social activities and employee development programs in order to build trust, camaraderie and as a demonstration that the company values their contributions.

A culture shift requires time, resources, and commitment. The return on investment, however, is substantial.

James Corbett
CEO