Group activities on an incentive trip can serve many purposes. They are great for setting a team-building tone on the trip, even if that's not the primary goal of the activity. For example, a catamaran cruise for 30 people could provide a social atmosphere for team members to interact in a way they don't usually get to. Activities can also be a great way for incentive travelers to network on their trip. A competitive game of volleyball serves as a great way to relax while fostering a little healthy competition. Seeing co-workers in a different light outside the office is sure to promote inclusive conversation that will eventually lead to improved communication inside the office.
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen
Lawn Games
Lawn games, like horse shoes, bocce, cornhole, or kan-jam, can be booked for your group at most hotels for a nominal fee (we recommend including in your contract negotiations). Some resorts even allow outside games and activities to be brought in by event planners at no extra cost. Lawn/beach games are great for groups, as their casual nature doesn’t require extensive commitment from participants, ensuring that multiple groups of players will be able to enjoy a turn and get involved. While operating under the guise of casual fun, group activities like lawn games also serve as an excellent opportunity for team building.
Programs designed for more players, such as a volleyball tournament, beach olympics, or cardboard boat regatta, require more set-up on the resort's end, and therefore often require a higher fee. The benefit though is that these events are more group-oriented and far more participants can partake at once. For companies sending large numbers of employees on incentive trips, these kinds of activities make far more sense, both financially and from a practical application standpoint.
Activities Budget
For groups with a large activities budget, there is a wide range of options that everyone will enjoy. A beach olympics event can be made up of many games, each only lasting a short duration to ensure participants move on to another activity before losing interest. A cardboard boat regatta is a great activity for a facility with a pool (create your own vessel out of cardboard and race against your coworkers' boats before they inevitably capsize). Activities like this are ideal for groups, as they require collaboration and encourage competitive spirit.
As with most aspects of an incentive trip, the activities will be largely based on the composition of your group. Regardless, there are always a few options that are crowd-pleasers across the board. Sunset catamaran cruises, whale watching tours, or even just cabana lunch get-togethers all ensure the opportunity for networking and socializing in a casual, fun setting.
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