Over the past year of working from home it’s become clear with the reduced face-to-face time, little interactions and conversations that were commonplace during a regular day of work at the office are impossible to replace in a virtual environment.
Leaders are now recognizing the ever-increasing value of in person team-building events for nurturing a collaborative, engaged, connected workplace.
At the same time, organizers are being faced with new considerations that complicate things. Fluctuating public health protocols, hesitancy around indoor, close-quarters activities and the number of businesses that have closed all result in planning a team-building event becoming an exercise in frustration.
However, there are still options for planners to explore that offer unique and effective experiences.
One such option is WildPlay Element Parks. Located in Colwood behind the Q Centre, WildPlay has been offering treetop adventure courses and ziplines for over 15 years. These courses are made of different obstacles suspended between platforms in the trees – think cargo nets, log bridges, ziplines, and even a Tarzan swing or two.
While the company offers several different courses to accommodate all skill levels (there’s even a popular Kids course and new Zipline Tour), they’ve begun seeing more interest from businesses wanting to bring their staff together for an outdoor adventure.
“There’s definitely been an uptick in corporate and team-building events,” says Cassie Bloy, WildPlay Victoria Park Manager. “It seems like companies are looking for something that’s fun and unique while also being COVID safe. Because we’re outdoors and socially distanced, we check all of the boxes.”
That’s exactly what Kix Citton was looking for when she went to plan a much-needed team-building event. “We’ve seen in the last year our organization really had to make some pretty significant moves quickly,” she says.
As Executive Director of the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society (NBIS), she knew that her team needed an experience that could help bring them together after the tumultuous year that everyone was having. “Team building at WildPlay was an opportunity to continue to build on the strength of the relationships that we have between our staff and then just deepen the trust and have a good time.”
The NBIS team also took the opportunity to use the outdoor space at WildPlay to engage in fun challenges and exercises before tackling the Adventure Courses. It was the sort of experience that lives on long after it ends, creating the memories that all team building events strive for.
According to Citton, “WildPlay is such a gem… I really see this as an opportunity for businesses to come out and bring their teams and have a really unique opportunity to see each other in a new light.”
In addition to providing that increasingly rare face-to-face time between teammates, successful team building events leave participants feeling good about their company and team. “Learning something new about themselves and their teammates is the bonus cherry on top,” says Bloy.
WildPlay’s 2021 season is open until December 19. For corporate event booking inquiries, contact groups@wildplay.com or call 1-855-401-0123.
