Kick-off Event at the Start of the Year: Turning the Meeting into a Team Experience

In January, many teams sit down together for the first time in the new year: figures, goals, plans. That is exactly when companies bring us in, so the day of meetings becomes a day the team keeps talking about. Since 2001 more than 100,000 people have taken part in our team events, and we are rated 5.0 stars from 66 reviews on Google. The kick-off schedule is almost always the same: the meeting in the morning, the shared experience in the afternoon. Here is why that works, which three formats are booked most often for it and how much notice you should allow.

Why a shared experience suits a kick-off

A kick-off is meant to get everyone on the same page and make them look forward to the new year. The meeting takes care of the first part, rarely of the second. After a morning full of presentations the energy is usually gone, and the goals for the year remain a slide deck.

A team event in the afternoon turns that around. Everyone gets up, works in mixed teams and shares a moment people remember. The best fit is a format where the teams create something together at the end. That is exactly the message of a kick-off: everyone has their part, but the result only works together.

The typical schedule: meeting, team event, dinner

1. Morning: the meeting. Review, goals, strategy. That part is entirely yours.
2. Afternoon: the team event. Two to three hours, at the conference hotel or on your own premises. We bring the material, our guides run the event.
3. Evening: dinner together. After the event there is plenty to talk about, and the mood is different from the end of a day spent in meetings.

In January there is a lot to be said for an indoor format. All three suggestions below work indoors, and two of them also work outside if you want to brave the weather.

The three formats booked most often for kick-offs

Domino Challenge: thousands of tiles, one shared picture

In the Domino Challenge, every team builds its own section out of dominoes. At the end everything has to fit into one run, and when the first tile falls the whole room is watching. Designs are up to you, including your company logo or the motto of the year. Nobody needs experience, just a little calm and patience.

Key facts: 2 to 3 hours, 10 to 500 people, indoors, from 39.95 € per person net.

XXL Chain Reaction: many sections become one whole

The XXL Chain Reaction works in a similar way, just with more material: marble runs, ramps, tunnels, domino effects. Each team builds its part, and in the big finale it should all become one connected chain reaction. If your kick-off is about showing that every department contributes to the overall result, there is hardly a better picture for it.

Key facts: 2 to 3 hours, 20 to 500 people, indoors and outdoors, from 44.95 € per person net. We bring the building material and tools.

Beat the Box: puzzles against the clock

In Beat the Box, small teams crack locked aluminium boxes. Puzzles, codes and clues lead from lock to lock while the clock keeps running. To win, teams have to communicate and split up the tasks. The format suits groups who would rather puzzle than build, and all it needs is tables.

Key facts: 2 hours, 10 to 500 people, indoors and outdoors, from 44.95 € per person net.

All prices are per person and net of VAT. From 30 people the price per head goes down; the exact scale is on each event page. For kick-offs with several hundred people, have a look at our page on team events for large groups. What a team event costs in total is worked out with three examples in What does a team event cost?

How much notice you need

With kick-offs we see two kinds of enquiries. Some companies plan early and get in touch in October or November, while they are looking for the conference hotel. Others have had the meeting fixed for a long time and decide one to three weeks beforehand that something shared should be added in the afternoon.

We see both. If you ask early, you have more choice of format and time slot. If you are late, send the enquiry anyway: you already have the rooms, and the programme can often still be fitted in.

For the enquiry, this is enough:

• Date and place of the meeting, ideally with the name of the hotel or the address.
• Approximate number of people. You only need the exact number later.
• Time slot for the team event, for example 2 to 5 pm.
• Room: is there a separate room for the event, or will it take place in the meeting room?

Conclusion

A kick-off with a team event is quick to plan: the meeting stays as it is, and a shared experience is added in the afternoon. We take care of the rest, with our own material and guides who have been doing this since 2001. The formats companies book most often with us for this are the Domino Challenge, the XXL Chain Reaction and Beat the Box. All three work indoors, suit anything from small teams to several hundred people and each in its own way show what a kick-off is about: everyone contributes, and you win together.

Enquire now, ideally with the date and place of your meeting.

René