Team building events and activities are great opportunities for employees to work together in a collaborative way to reach a common goal while developing strengths and fostering communication. Companies are looking for more creative activities, too. Stale conference room team-building and yawn-worthy office potlucks are a thing of the past.
NYC is the perfect backdrop for event planners to seize this growing demand for team-building events. Help your event clients to branch out of the office and find some fantastic and unique activities that will have the whole office buzzing. Today, we’re sharing just a few of the fun and “think outside the box” ways to plan a corporate event that is exciting and engaging. Dazzle your company clients when you introduce these team-building ideas!
Benefits of Team Building Activities
The success of any company has a lot to do with the strength of its team. Team building activities can help immensely with team bonding. Moreover, regular non-work-related activities allow employees to connect to each other in a different and often more relaxed setting. Businesses today are all about company culture and looking for unique ways to bring new elements of fun to employees. Recognizing why team building is important is the first step in deciding what activities you’ll choose for your event clients’ teams.
- Encourages creativity – Teams have to come up with solutions to challenges outside of the workplace that can often have them thinking outside the box. So, team building activities can provide a fresh perspective on how to use that creativity when going back to the office.
- Boosts office morale – What better way to boost morale than to take a break from the job and do a fun activity with staff and co-workers? Also, building stronger bonds with the people in the workplace will always create a more positive work environment.
- Increases productivity – Improve work results by defining the strengths and weaknesses of the team. Team building activities can give great insight into how to best utilize team members by seeing who works well together and how you can improve co-working dynamics. Additionally, all of these insights can translate into more productive group projects in the future.
- Cultivates leadership – Some people are natural leaders, and team-building activities are a great way to see who could be a potential leader for your teams. Naturally, leadership potential can come to the surface in a more relaxed setting, especially when you allow the team to designate how they want the activity to be run.
- Highlights teamwork and collaboration – Through collaboration and working together, the team can find different ways to accomplish goals. Therefore, having to interact through diverse activities will have a positive impact on how a team works together.
- Connects remote teams – Working remotely has become more popular over the past few years, and companies have been finding it challenging to include these employees in in-office team-building activities. So, going off-site provides more opportunities to include your remote employees.
- Inspires problem-solving skill development – Some team-building activities involve games, puzzles, and fun challenges to solve. Getting teams to work together in finding solutions off-site inspires improved problem-solving skills on the job.
Explore Team Building Activities in NYC for Your Next Corporate Event
1. Slate
This adult playground will bring all the fun to your next team-building event. So, escape the office and watch co-workers have an incredible time with their fan favorites, including ping-pong, bowling, pool tables, skeeball, and their brand-new arcade room. Additionally, Slate also has comedy shows, live music, and other live performances. Their entertaining amusements will have everyone on the team having a fantastic time!
2. Spin
Spin is a premier social ping-pong club that can bring a unique experience for the whole team. Try out this unassuming ice-breaker that encourages engagement and socialization throughout the whole event. Set up a friendly tournament or mix-and-match players for an interactive and relaxed activity.
3. Spyscape
This immersive and interactive museum will have your event participants put to the test in this world full of secrets. Spyscape offers a custom-tailored team-building event that’s perfect for your next corporate event. Additionally, they offer your own designated “Situation Room,” which includes the exclusive use of their high-tech VIP space. Bring out the best qualities of your team members with this exciting journey.
4. Museum Hack
This NYC museum tour is self-described as sassy and quirky. Museum Hack specializes in team-building activities by focusing their tour on turning co-workers into team-workers. They can customize any tour route for team events to match your client’s corporate values. Included on this tour are unconventional stories about history and art, plus games, activities, ice-breakers, and photo challenges, all geared toward team building.
5. ZogSports
Looking for a corporate event that promotes getting active and living a healthier lifestyle? ZogSports offers a way to get out of the office and get active. They help with a number of team-building activities that include field days, sports games for teams, league tournaments, game nights, and much more! Their sister company, ZogCulture, takes the fun a step further by offering a slew of in-person and virtual events.
6. Pizza School NYC
NYC is known for its pizza, so it’s only fitting to do a team-building activity to celebrate this famous dish. Pizza School NYC is the perfect spot for some delicious team-building fun! Their pizza pros will demonstrate dough-making and help facilitate the group creating their own pizzas from scratch. Once everyone is done, it’s time to eat and socialize.
7. Kick Axe Throwing
Step into this rustic setting for a team-building activity that is unique and outrageously fun! Kick Axe Throwing has ten axe-throwing ranges to give co-workers an unforgettable social experience. Also, they offer bar and food packages, along with some axe-throwing enhancements to bring up the mood of any party. Additionally, these include live entertainment, a photo booth, a s’mores station, and more!
8. Pickleball Pop Ups
Pickleball has grown in popularity and there are dozens of pop up pickleball opportunities around New York City. Pop ups are impromptu pickleball tournaments that pop up on tarmacs, at hotel’s, and in parks. And they’re great for team-building, too! In Central Park alone, there are 14 courts available. Also, there are four in Manhattan’s Union Square that continue to be free to use on Thursdays. Private lessons, pickleball pop ups, and office pickleball tournaments are all the rage!
9. Beat the Bomb
Beat the Bomb is a completely new take on an escape room experience. Work together to try and disarm a mock explosive by playing a series of high-tech video game rooms. Additionally, play paint bomb or foam bomb to enhance your experience. You can also choose Game Play, an immersive game where your client’s group can enjoy food and drinks while playing over 15 mini-games. Teamwork is the key to success at Beat the Bomb!
10. Area 53
This Brooklyn adventure park will have something for everyone on your team to enjoy. Area 53 combines rock climbing, roller skating, indoor paintball, and a dual-level laser tag room to take your next team-building event to another level. Also, it’s not just a place for kids, as this spot hosts many adult-only events throughout the week. Moreover, they offer private party rooms and package deals to help in planning your next team-building event.
11. Watson Adventures NYC Scavenger Hunts
One of the most collaborative and teamwork-related activities is a city scavenger hunt. Watson Adventures has a number of different hunts all over the city. So, explore one of the many NYC neighborhoods or museums while tackling humorous questions with your Hunt Host on-site to facilitate your search. They’re fun and engaging, and you’ll have to work together to complete each scavenger hunt.
FAQs About Team Building Events in New York City
Explore some of these additional FAQs about the growing demand for team-building events in NYC.
Q: Why is it important to think outside of the box when it comes to choosing a team-building event?
Whenever employees hear “team building activities,” their minds can go to boring conference room ice-breakers that can be awkward and simply not fun. So, it’s important to choose unique events that will engage participants, get them working together, and foster stronger relationships with one another.
Q: Are team-building events effective?
Absolutely! They can be very effective if executed in the right way. So, facilitate an organized activity that’s out of the office. Encourage the team to have fun with one another in a non-work setting. Expect stronger bonds, improved communication, and better problem-solving skills that might otherwise take years to foster.
Q: How can team-building events improve company culture?
The impact of team building can be felt throughout the entire company. For example, these events improve the trust between team members, foster better communication, and strengthen relationships. The investment in the team will always help improve the company’s culture, which translates to improved productivity and better employee retention.
Q: What types of NYC businesses can benefit from regular team-building events?
As an event planner, you can be targeting all kinds of business types when promoting your team-building event services. Moreover, small companies and massive brands are all starting to explore these events. From service businesses and retailers to corporate offices and warehousing facilities, any company with employees can benefit from hosting team-building events.
Find All the Team-Building Event Inspiration at The Expo
Get inspired for all the team-building events and corporate events you take on as an event planner by attending The Event Planner Expo. It’s the premier conference attracting thousands of event professionals who are looking for BIG ideas, better business growth insights, and opportunities to build strategic relationships! So, get tickets or reserve your booth by clicking HERE.
