When it comes to indoor team building, your venue can really make or break the activity. The perfect setting can help enhance the overall experience for your employees, whereas a not-so-great one can really put a damper on — or even hinder — the whole thing.
So, how do you make sure that you're choosing the right venue for your indoor team building activity? There are a few factors to keep in mind when you start the planning process. Before making your decision, do some research and mark the following six things off your checklist:
Consider the specific date or time of year that you're wanting to book your indoor team building venue. Unless you’re tied to a specific date or day of week, flexibility can be helpful when it comes to cost. If there are big conventions, other events, or holidays taking place around the same time, availability will likely be low and prices will be high. Venues tend to book up fast in the month of December, for example, because of holiday parties. These are some of the reasons why we always recommend planning your event as far in advance as possible.
Do you have enough space? Consider the size of your group and if the venue can fit all attending employees comfortably. Keep seating style in mind, too: will your event require a theater, ballroom, or classroom setup? Different types of seating styles can drastically affect capacity and price (side note: some venues will charge for chair, table, and linens, too). Will you need a stage or extra space for Audio Visual Equipment? You’ll also want to consider the type of indoor team building activity you’re running and what kind of space requirements it may have. For example, an activity like Charity Bike Buildathon will call for additional room for building supplies and stations for people to assemble the bicycles at.
73% of companies use social media for promotional purposes during their event — is there high-speed Wi-Fi for your attendees to access their social media, event materials, or work emails at your indoor team building activity? Do you need Audio/Visual Equipment? Some venues have A/V included in their rental agreement or built into their space. Check to see if that's the case or if you're able to rent from a third-party supplier if you need to or would rather do so — it can potentially save on cost. Also, is there staff available on-site that can support you with any technical issues? This is very important to note, especially if your indoor event relies on A/V in any capacity. Plus, A/V usually needs additional electrical power sources, so you'll need to budget for that as well.
Is it easy to get to the venue? If your group is doing an indoor team building activity as part of something like a company retreat, is the space walking distance from your accommodations? Most hotels offer discounts on meeting room rates when you book your stay with them, which is something to keep in mind if you’re looking for convenience. Otherwise, is transit an option? Is there enough parking nearby or available on-site and does it come at an additional charge? Is there wheelchair access? If the venue is difficult to find or gain entry to, that can delay the start time of your activity and push back whatever else you might have planned for the remainder of the day.
If you're going to be at your venue for long hours, you might want to consider catering. Having snacks, meals, and refreshments available are important for keeping your colleagues fueled and not feeling burnt out! See if your venue offers a catering service or if you're able to bring external food in. The venue may discount their rental fee or waive it entirely if you choose to use their in-house catering service. The level of discount will be contingent on the cost of the space, the size of your group, and a minimum Food and Beverage (F&B) spend. When evaluating your catering providers, you’ll want to make sure that they can accommodate any food sensitivities, allergies, or restrictions that your team may have. And, if you plan on using the venue’s catering services, see if you can set up a tasting to sample the menu. If you're serving alcohol, check to see if you'll need a license, to bring in your own alcohol, or hire a bartender — or if these things are all included. Also, find out who is responsible for cleaning up.
Once you narrowed down your top venue options for your indoor team building activity, contact the venues and set up a site visit. When you get there, take note of these important points:
Need some more inspiration for your indoor team building venue? You can try consulting some venue search websites like Venuefinder and thisopenspace, or take a scroll through the sites on the following list, which have been recommended by our Employee Engagement Consultants. These venues, located across North America from Vancouver to New Orleans, are diverse and offer a wide range of fantastic amenities.
Rizzo CenterLocation: Chapel Hill
Number of Meeting Rooms: 32
Capacity in Largest Space: 350 people
Twilight Epiphany Skyspace by James Turrell
Location: Houston
Number of Meeting Rooms: 1
Capacity in Largest Space: 120 people
Location: Whistler
Number of Meeting Rooms: 12
Capacity in Largest Space: 350 people
Location: Toronto
Number of Meeting Rooms: 5
Capacity in Largest Space: 450 people
Location: Bellevue
Number of Meeting Rooms: 15
Capacity in Largest Space: 1,945 people
Location: Niagara Falls
Number of Meeting Rooms: 35+
Capacity in Largest Space: 3,000 people
Location: San Diego
Number of Meeting Rooms: 14
Capacity in Largest Space: 350 people
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Location: Nashville
Number of Meeting Rooms: 86
Capacity in Largest Space: 10,000 people
Location: Manhattan
Number of Meeting Rooms: 3
Capacity in Largest Space: 300 people
Location: Atlanta
Number of Meeting Rooms: 1
Capacity in Largest Space: 1,500 people
Location: Las Vegas
Number of Meeting Rooms: 20
Capacity in Largest Space: 4,732 people
Location: Los Angeles
Number of Meeting Rooms: 1
Capacity in Largest Space: 60
Location: New Orleans
Number of Meeting Rooms: 2
Capacity in Largest Space: 300
Location: Banff National Park
Number of Meeting Rooms: 5
Capacity in Largest Space: 99 people
Location: Austin
Number of Meeting Rooms: 1
Capacity in Largest Space: 200
Location: Portland
Number of Meeting Rooms: 1
Capacity in Largest Space: 550 people
Location: Toronto
Number of Meeting Rooms: 38
Capacity in Largest Space: 1,670 people
Battery Wharf HotelLocation: Boston
Number of Meeting Rooms: 15
Capacity in Largest Space: 300 people
Location: Chicago
Number of Meeting Rooms: 111
Capacity in Largest Space: 7,000 people
Location: San Francisco
Number of Meeting Rooms: 2
Capacity in Largest Space: 725 people
Location: Richmond
Number of Meeting Rooms: 1
Capacity in Largest Space: 185 people
The Historic Alfred I. Dupont BuildingLocation: Miami
Number of Meeting Rooms: 2
Capacity in Largest Space: 550 people
Location: Montreal
Number of Meeting Rooms: 7
Capacity in Largest Space: 200 people
Location: Phoenix
Number of Meeting Rooms: 1
Capacity in Largest Space: 373 people
Location: St. Louis
Number of Meeting Rooms: 3
Capacity in Largest Space: 800 people
Location: Montreal
Number of Meeting Rooms: 2
Capacity in Largest Space: 275 people
Location: Anchorage
Number of Meeting Rooms: 5
Capacity in Largest Space: 300 people
Location: Killington
Number of Meeting Rooms: 18
Capacity in Largest Space: 1,000 people
Location: Kelowna
Number of Meeting Rooms: 14
Capacity in Largest Space: 1,750 people
The Loft at 600FLocation: Washington
Number of Meeting Rooms: 3
Capacity in Largest Space: 120 people
For further support and expert advice on how to plan an indoor team building activity that your employees will love, just reach out to one of our Employee Engagement Consultants.