The blog post below was written in 2009 by Event Co-ordinator, Michael Hackfort. It’s a well-written piece that neatly captures the spirit of the time. The economic downturn was upon us and had swept away the more frivolous team building which proliferated in the years leading up to the crash. Michael’s post reflected our background in training and development…and our belief in the value of well-designed team building interventions. It is interesting to observe that gamification is currently a real buzzword in the events market, and here at Eventus we are at the forefront of this. So what’s changed?
Gamification is not simply about getting people to play games. Rather it looks at the processes of game playing (and particular, video game playing) and what it is that makes games so engaging. In times where we are all bombarded with stimuli and information, gaining engagement with an audience, with a brand, with an idea is the holy grail of the events business. And this is where we can learn something from the game theory. This is not the place to expand further on this subject. It is however fascinating to look back and see how much of the original post remains true…and what has changed. One thing that’s sure is that our focus on outcomes and objectives remains as strong as ever.
Edit by Phil England, April 2015
Here the original post…
Author: Michael Hackfort (Event Co-ordinator) Aug 2009
Occasionally, when I’m talking to prospective clients about finding the right team building event for them, they will pose (in some form or other) the question, So, what type of games do you offer?
This is the point in the conversation where I try and identify exactly what outcomes the organiser has for the team. However, I confess that my initial (and internal) response to, What kind of games do you have? is None, and if we did have any games, you as an organiser shouldn’t be interested in them!
The reason I have this knee-jerk reaction is not because of a feeling of superiority or defensiveness (as I look down my monocle and sneer, ‘We don’t DO games’); it is simply a reaction to a misrepresentation not only of the service we provide, but of what our client is looking for.
Mr. Webster defines game in the most basic form as, an activity engaged in for diversion or amusement… and I can safely say that I have yet to speak with an organiser that is really looking for an activity that fits that definition. Nor (thankfully) could I offer any of our events that fit that bill.
This is actually a worrying mindset for an organiser to have. Sure, they want their participants enjoying themselves on the day; but I imagine they would have a lot to answer for if the team achieved only ‘diversion and amusement’.
Our team building activities offer diversion, plenty of amusement, and loads of fun. However, these are ultimately by-products of specially tailored events designed with much more direct purposes in mind.
Every event in our catalogue will have been born out of the need to innovatively and intelligently explore multiple aspects of solid team building. Anyone that comes through our Labyrinth event will tell you it’s a blast; they will also tell you that it required them to think about best team practice in their pursuit of the prize. The same with Treasure Hunt events, the same with our Bushcraft teambuilding event, etc.
We take our responsibility to provide proven and powerful team building events as seriously as team leaders should take their responsibility in finding one. If you come to Eventus looking for a game for your team, you may want to keep looking.
Alternatively, if you want some brilliant team building events that offer loads of fun (and, yes, amusement and diversion as well) then look no further.