How much does team building cost? It's the question I hear most from clients, and the honest answer is: it depends on your preferences and on what we agree. There is no single price list, because a corporate event for a small team and one for a whole branch are completely different things. The cost of team building is made up of several parts, and each of them can be set according to how much you want to invest and what you expect from the day. In this article I'll show you what makes up the budget, what pushes it up and down, when it costs more and when less, and how to get the most out of your budget without cutting into the experience.
Why there's no price list
You may be expecting a tidy table with a per-person rate. We deliberately don't have one, because it would mislead you. The cost per person for a small group and for a large corporate event differs substantially, because the fixed costs of preparation, equipment, and the script get spread across a different number of people.
The same goes for a game a team plays on their own phones versus a fully staffed program with instructors in costume. Both are team building, but each sits at a different budget.
That's why the price always comes from your preferences and from what we agree. The pricing belongs in the quote we'll put together once we know what we're talking about. Until then, any number would be a shot in the dark that wouldn't help you decide anyway.
What it depends on
The size of the budget comes down mainly to the number of participants and the level of service you want from us. A small group on a morning game works out completely differently than a company-wide event with catering, hosting, and an overnight stay.
Format plays its part too. A sports afternoon in a city park has different preparation demands than a story-driven program with costumes, props, and a customized script. The more elaborate the experience you want, the more work and people stand behind it.
Then there's the location and the length. An event just outside town is logistically cheaper than a multi-day offsite in the mountains, where you have to transport people, equipment, and instructors. Every extra hour and every extra kilometer shows up in the budget.
What's in the budget
A corporate event budget is made up of a few specific line items. Once you write them out, you'll immediately see where you have room to trim and where cutting back would backfire.
The things most often forgotten are the contingency and the soft drinks for the drivers. Neither one will break the budget if you plan for it from the start. It's worse to deal with it at the last minute, when every change costs you more nerves than money.
Line these parts up next to each other and you get a real picture. And, more importantly, a tool for working with your budget: which item to grow, which to shrink, and what you can happily drop.
- Venue and equipment: space rental, sound, furniture.
- Catering: food and drink, including soft drinks for the drivers.
- Program and instructors: the activity itself and the people who run it.
- Transport and accommodation: if you hold the event away from the office.
- Contingency for the unexpected: weather, a change in headcount, small things on site.
Budget or full-service
Almost every program comes in a budget version and a full version. The budget option runs on the players' own phones, with no instructor on site and the rules explained by a short video. You save on people and equipment, and the fun stays.
Full-service is the opposite end of the scale. Instructors in costume, tablets, props, a host, and a script tailored to your company. You pay more, but you don't have to worry about a thing and simply enjoy the whole event.
Between those two poles is a whole range of middle options. It comes down to how much you want to handle yourselves and how much you leave to us. The final price moves with that, which is why it pays to be clear up front about what you really expect from the day.
How many people are coming
We need to know the number of participants first, because it changes the entire logic of the budget. Part of the cost is fixed: writing the script, transporting the equipment, the instructors' time on site. Those get divided among everyone who shows up.
For a large event the cost per head often comes out more favorably, because the fixed costs are spread across more people. For a small group the logic is reversed, but you get a more intimate, more personal format. Neither option is better; they're just different events with different budgets.
That's why we always ask about the number before anything else. Without it we can't give you an honest figure, only a ballpark range that we'll end up adjusting to reality anyway.
When it costs more
The date affects both the price and the availability of venues. Our busiest stretch is fall and December, when companies are booking Christmas parties and the popular venues fill up fast. That's when it's harder to negotiate and the better dates tend to be gone sooner.
Plan for spring or early summer and you'll have a wider choice of venues and a stronger negotiating position. If a specific date isn't urgent for you, just tell us roughly when you want the event. We can often find a day that suits your budget better.
How to save
You can save smartly without touching the experience. Pick a leaner program format, plan the event outside the busiest months, and combine it with something you'd be paying for anyway, like an annual meeting or internal training.
Logistics saves money too. An event closer to the company cuts both transport costs and time spent traveling. And a simple rule applies: the more clearly you describe what you expect from the event, the more precise a budget you'll get, with no needless items you wouldn't use anyway.
