Sport for All

Planners looking to enhance teamwork frequently turn to sporting pursuits to inspire corporate groups, as activities from football to sailing require participants to work closely together to ensure success.

SAIL AWAY

Based in Thailand with facilities in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, Sail in Asia offers water sports at sea, on rivers and on lakes. Chief executive Michael Downard says its most popular activity is sailing.

“Large international regattas are quite prohibitive to corporations due to the high cost of chartering a yacht and entering a team. Our mini regatta is a fraction of the price. We have our own yachts and captains. We also arrange quality accommodation. It is ideal for groups of between 15 and 60 participants.”

Cardboard boat racing, in which teams must craft a boat from card, is another popular activity. “One of our clients from Germany requested a Pirates of The Caribbean theme for their event. Everybody was kitted out with eye patches, pirate hats, plastic swords, parrots and more make-up than Johnny Depp! This simple, fun element really helps to break down barriers that tend to exist between colleagues who work for the same company but operate in different geographical locations.”

Sail in Asia also hosts Beach Olympics, which incorporates kayak racing, kayak tug-of-war, beach volleyball, beach boules and coconut shotput. The event is held in Phuket in Ao Yon Bay. “This is popular with clients who are budget-sensitive,” says Downard.

The company is aiming to become the provider of choice for mass-participation events of between 400 to 1,000 people.

“Our Dragon Boat Festival Teambuilding is ideally suited to these sizes of groups,” says Downard, who adds he expects more companies to opt for outdoor, adventure-based activities. “Active events are attractive because they offer something different from working in an office. And being outdoors in natural environment, especially in Thailand, is invigorating.”

HIT THE SLOPES

Located in Kwun Tong, Play Hong Kong offers indoor skiing, snowboarding, baseball and softball, and is a popular location for press conferences and team building according to marketing and events manager Hailey Chan.

“Group size is usually around 40 to 80 people. We mainly cater to financial companies, banks and insurance firms looking to boost team spirit. We also work with team building agencies on behalf of their clients,” she says.

For skiing and snowboarding, most guests are beginners so it’s an opportunity to relax and have fun. However, for baseball and softball, there is a special indoor batting game with scoring zones so groups can compete.

The venue is also equipped with MICE and banquet facilities. Past events include Club Med product seminars and a Sony product launch fair.

“Planners can book to ski and snowboard with gear and coaches, place a catering order and also experience audio-visual entertainment,” Chan says. “We are seeing more corporate groups sharing their goals with staff during such sporting events.”

Asked to account for the success of team building activities with a sporting itinerary, Chan says: “It’s mainly because they can work out tactics during the game – with baseball, for instance, there may be three to a group and 15 balls per round. Some clients will select the most capable member to finish all batting rounds. Some may decide that each person should bat three rounds and then share the marks with the rest of the team.”

ENERGISE THE TEAM

Planners looking for energisers to set the scene may consider Team Building Asia’s sporting activities: “Fever Pitch” and “Sync or Swim”. The former sees two groups rooting for opposing football teams. For the latter, delegates take on the role of national synchronised swimming squad training for the Olympics. While swimming caps, nose clips and portable stereos – and even false eyelashes for maximum glam effect – are handed out, delegates don’t need to step foot in a pool.

The company operates in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau.

Becky Lai, sales and marketing manager, says: “These two activities are meant to get groups warmed up, break the ice, and get them excited for the next part of the conference agenda, which may be quite intensive.”

The Corporate Body Building programme, meanwhile, arranges staff in their corporate colours and positions them in a manner to resemble the company logo from an aerial view. “After this short 30-minute activity, delegates can continue with their conference or go on to watch a sports game with their special t-shirts on.”

Other activities include “Flat Out Afloat Sanya” and “Flat Out Formula One”, where teams build their own boat and car respectively and race. Lai says these activities are particularly popular with Asia-based participants, while Western clients usually book energisers.

A SENSE OF ADVENTURE

From its base in Hong Kong, Paradigm Consultants International (PCI) offers activities in China, Macau, Malaysia and Thailand. Programmes include: Voyager, of rock climbing and abseiling; Pirates of Paradigm, where delegates board a tall ship and face a series of challenges dressed as pirates; and an Adventure Race, which involves zip lining, kayaking and running.

Director Jake Erlich says: “Each [programme] has its own unique challenges due to the amount of time available, desired outcome, level of physicality, and of course the city itself.”

Tailoring activities to meet a group’s needs is not a problem, he adds. For example: “Our client based in Hong Kong was hosting a major conference in Seoul. The request was for a half-day city adventure challenge that highlighted Korean culture and incorporated a Halloween costume party.

“It needed to be fun, encourage collaboration and communication, and allow for non-Koreans to experience local culture. The result was an urban race with locations dotted throughout Seoul, and team challenges influenced by traditional Korean games. Those groups that successfully completed challenges earned access to Halloween costume items waiting back at the hotel.”

According to Erlich, each programme achieves a specific outcome. “Voyager is particularly well suited for planners who wish to get participants out of meeting space and into the city. As participants are grouped into smaller teams (six to eight people) there is opportunity for individuals to bond as they compete against other teams.”

Those signing up for Pirates of Paradigm, meanwhile, are split into larger teams and challenged to complete tasks, such as climbing the mast, shimming the bow sprit and raising the sails. “These allow the highlighting of desired behavioural changes in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, and decision-making,” says Erlich.