Company events. Does the Team Building serve for any company event?

In this post we will talk about 12 different company events and their relationship with the Team Building activities.

But … What are these company events?

Take for example one of the most well-known company events: the congresses. The congresses are company events that are characterized by their periodicity, their openness to the public and by being self-financed by their participants. A congress is not a business event in itself, but rather a meeting of people with a common interest. The congresses are the simplest way for professionals in a certain sector (and employers and employees of a certain sector) to interact with each other within their own professional field, (sharing ideas and projects, showing their products, progress, etc. .). The participants to a Congress do not form a team and, therefore, in these company events, there is no need to organize Team Building activities to create teams. However, if you have contacted us various companies (usually pharmaceutical) asking for activities (not necessarily from Team Building) to be able to offer their clients and thus get closer relationships with them. Or, we have organized, to mention an example, an activity in which all the participants of a congress have been invited by a firm to build the human logo of the acronyms of the Congress or on another occasion, a big heart because it was about a congress of cardiologists.

Do not confuse a congress with a convention. A convention, unlike a congress, if it is one of the private company events, organized in a timely manner by a single company to, normally, bring your team together with the objective of informing and motivating, publicizing a turn in your image corporate, the launch of a new product, new internal procedures, etc. In the conventions are very often organized activities of Team Building and these activities are very appropriate in these events of the company since in them we have all employees of the company and it is a good time to encourage team spirit. Of all the types of company events that we talk about in this article, the conventions are perhaps where Team Building activities are best suited.

Other company events are fairs and exhibitions. These events have been carried out in very diverse areas, (not only in business) and for hundreds of years. The fairs and exhibitions are characterized for being company events carried out in venues destined for that purpose; and, unlike the congresses, its main objective is to publicize a specific sector the offer of this sector to the general public, not necessarily to the companies themselves. The ultimate purpose of the fairs and exhibitions is simply to inform the public about the latest trends, products, and developments in a sector. They are, in short, business events that are made to create a showcase abroad. Like the congresses, the request for Team Building in this type of events is low, but there are some exceptions, such as when an exhibitor organizes some original and different activity to, during or after the fair, strengthen relations with its clients or your potential customers

These three are the company events that move a greater number of people, but there are also more specific events oriented towards a smaller and specialized public. We speak, for example, of the press conferences, in which an organism, entity, or business group, for the case at hand, calls on the media to report on a specific issue, (either the launching of a product or a change in business policy, etc.). These company events are primarily intended to inform the public, through the different media, of something related to the company. On some occasions, the organizing company also organizes certain types of activities, either to attract and strengthen ties with journalists or to show their product in an original way and give an experience to the participant. A clear example is the company that invites journalists to know a product and then invites them to an experiential and original activity such as ballooning, sailing or participating in a gymkhana (this is what Panama Jack did to the present its new range of adventure shoes in a well-known hotel in the province of Barcelona, ​​to cite an example).

Other company events that move many people and that in some sectors are a lot of resources are vehicle presentations. There is a huge market in vehicle presentations. All the big companies organize presentations of the new models to the press and, in these company events, there is almost always a “Test drive” in which the journalist is invited to try the new vehicle. They are not Team Building activities in themselves, but they are experiences in which, sometimes, journalists are organized in teams and participate in some experience that goes beyond testing the vehicle.

Do not confuse, as in the previous category, two similar terms but notable practical differences: the press conference and product presentation. In the latter, the media also take on great importance, but in a different way, since, instead of being protagonists of the event, they are introduced to a cast of different profiles invited to the event. A product presentation, in short, is a company event integrated into the marketing strategy; it is a measured and calculated presentation, a carefully profiled market outlet.

In addition to these two, there are other company events oriented, also, too small groups of people; but, in this case, inside the company itself. These are the internal product presentations and in this type of presentations, if Team Building activities are usually organized and, normally, the organizer is looking for activities aimed at experimenting or knowing better the product that is being presented.

Another type of event is the shareholders’ meeting, which is the meeting of the management body that makes the most important decisions regarding the operation of the company. We do not know of Team Building events that have been organized for this type of meetings.

In contrast to this management approach, there are Kick-Off meetings, in which dialogues similar to those of the shareholders’ meeting are held; but directed, in this case, to the other collaborators of the company, (at any level) and which are meetings to gather a team for a specific project (task force). In these Kick-Offs, which can also be meetings to start a new season or a new fiscal year, if they get used to organizing Team Building events.

Once we have talked about these company events, there will still be three more. The smallest is integrated by a single type of event, (although not least): the Road Show. The Road Show is based on the itinerant presentation of a product throughout several important cities, shopping centers, sports, leisure, etc., (as the product presentation, but with an element of added mobility). Normally they are not accompanied by Team Building activities.

On the other hand, there are other types of company events that are entirely aimed at employees, such as training courses. The training courses are the easiest way for the company to update the knowledge and skills of its employees. Depending on the subject matter, many times, if they are accustomed to organizing Team Building events, but they are not events designed to build a team, but rather participative corporate events with which they try to put into practice the theoretical part that previously It has been given in the room to reinforce the understanding of the subjects. Clear examples are the theaterized commercial sessions or business strategy games that invite to put into practice skills such as sales, negotiation, leadership, communication, etc.

For the recreational environment and rather for celebration and recognition there are other types of company events, such as anniversaries, which are the company events destined to celebrate, as their own name indicates, the anniversary of the company; these events could make use of others, (such as conventions), to intersperse their leisure objectives, (such as organizing a dinner and awarding prizes to outstanding employees), with other objectives more aimed at marketing and positioning the company. brand, (like the launch of a new flagship product, identified with the anniversary itself). Anniversaries, at times, not only seek to celebrate, reward and recognize employees, but they are company events of special public relevance, and a unique opportunity for the company to establish new trends in its corporate image. Team Building events tend to be very appropriate for this type of celebration.

Last but not least, there are some traditional company events such as Christmas food: a dinner or lunch (at Christmas, of course), aimed at strengthening (or generating from scratch), relationships between employees and managers, or between employees themselves. And in this type of celebrations it is also appropriate to organize a Team Building activity although, in reality, many companies continue to opt for the classic and are limited to a lunch or dinner, without putting special emphasis on this type of activities. Team Building

Finally, we would find the last of the company events: incentive trips. Incentive trips are free trips, offered to employees, and managed by professional companies. Not every trip can be considered an incentive trip, (or, at least, not a good one): it is necessary that, among other things, the trip has recreational activities, (non-professional), and, as mentioned, a creation of communities, not just recreational.

Summary of the different company events and the Team Building

Congresses: Team Building can be done, but in reality little is done. It is only appropriate in very specific cases.

Conventions: In all the Conventions, they tend to become Team Building activities.

Fairs and exhibitions. Not appropriate They are organized on rare occasions.

Press conferences: They do not get used to doing Team Building activities. They do not tend to be adequate for the purposes pursued, with rare exceptions.

Product presentations: If they are made and often when it is a presentation to employees and very rarely when it is a presentation to the press or the general public.

Shareholder meetings: There is no point in doing Team Building activities.

Kick-Off: Yes, very appropriate.

Road Show: Team Building activities are not adequate.

Training Courses: If they can be complemented and done, with Team Building activities.

Anniversaries: Yes, many times, these celebrations are accompanied by Team Building activities.

Christmas Lunch: Yes, they are a good opportunity to complement with Team Building activities.

Incentive Trips: Yes, they are also a good opportunity to do Team Building activities, although the main objective is to make fun, unique and original activities to know the destination and that the participants have a great time.