Everything on EventPlans.ca that goes deeper on team building: articles on the problems planners run into most, the tools to use next, the lessons in the free Academy, and the hubs that overlap with this one.
Read the transcript
Related articles and tools.
Start with the article.
Team building that doesn't feel forced is the short version of this hub: a skill people want, a low stake, a shared meal, and the two-question survey a week later.
Send it to whoever signs off the budget.
Articles.
Tools.
The three organizers use most: the event budget calculator for the per-head number and the CRA threshold check, the post-event survey template for the two questions a week later, and the run of show template for the afternoon.
Elsewhere on the site.
The Special Occasion Permit, Smart Serve and classroom seating entries cover the rules this hub refers to.
Browse the entertainment directory for workshop providers and hosts, the Toronto venues list for activity venues and private rooms, and the Plan an Event index for the holiday party and conference hubs that often share a budget line with team building.
What to submit.
The useful version includes the objective, the format, the venue type, the headcount and attendance, the cost per head from the budget calculator, the two survey percentages, and the one thing you would change.
The days that went wrong are the most useful submissions; the next organizer learns more from a field day rained off without a tent than from a cooking class that went fine.
Reading order.
If this is your first time organizing, read the hub in order: the timeline and checklist so the objective and the date are fixed, the budget guide for the per-head number and the CRA threshold, the activities page and venue guide together because the format chooses the venue, the food and drink page for the meal and the alcohol policy, the themes page for the name and the team kit, and the etiquette page before you write the invitation.
If you have done this before, the budget page and the survey template are usually all you need to make the case for the next one.
The full guide, with tables and checklists, continues below this video.
Start with the article
Team building that doesn’t feel forced is the short version of this hub: a skill people want, a low stake, a shared meal, and the two-question survey a week later. Send it to whoever signs off the budget.
Articles
Tools
The three organizers use most: the event budget calculator for the per-head number and the CRA threshold check, the post-event survey template for the two questions a week later, and the run of show template for the afternoon.
Risk register template
Templates
A one-page risk register for any event: the risk, how likely, how bad, who owns it, what you do now and what…
Read more
Sponsorship deck template
Templates
An eight-slide sponsorship deck outline for galas, festivals and conferences, with what goes on each slide and the questions sponsors ask.
Read more
Run of show template
Templates
A minute-by-minute run of show with cues for AV, MC, performers and catering.
Read moreElsewhere on the site
The Special Occasion Permit, Smart Serve and classroom seating entries cover the rules this hub refers to. Browse the entertainment directory for workshop providers and hosts, the Toronto venues list for activity venues and private rooms, and the Plan an Event index for the holiday party and conference hubs that often share a budget line with team building.
Reading order
If this is your first time organizing, read the hub in order: the timeline and checklist so the objective and the date are fixed, the budget guide for the per-head number and the CRA threshold, the activities page and venue guide together because the format chooses the venue, the food and drink page for the meal and the alcohol policy, the themes page for the name and the team kit, and the etiquette page before you write the invitation. If you have done this before, the budget page and the survey template are usually all you need to make the case for the next one.
A note on the founder’s work
That is a conflict of interest worth naming: his Directory listings carry a visible disclosure and no ranking preference, and nothing in this hub recommends his formats over a cooking class, an improv session or an afternoon at a conservation area. Choose the format by your objective and your team, ask every provider the same questions about insurance, sit-out options and what the room needs, and judge the day by the two survey questions a week later.
Related guides, venues and vendors
Team building venue guide
Team Building
GTA venue types for team building: activity venues, breweries, private rooms, studios, parks and ravines with permits, conservation areas, and offsite retreats…
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Team Building
Event hub
Team building that doesn't feel forced: formats by team size, GTA venues and activities, and how to measure whether it worked.
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Team building planning timeline
Team Building
From the first conversation to the follow-up survey: a working timeline for a GTA team-building day, with longer lead times for large…
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