It wasn't long ago when a corporate team building event comprised a collective visit to the pub or, at best, a meal at a second-rate local restaurant (more often than not followed by a collective visit to the pub).
The writer is by no means a critic of pubs, nor indeed of events held therein. However, we are in the twenty-first century and today we find ourselves exploring some more novel ideas for bringing our employees together, having some fun and building some tentative bonds between people who may not under normal circumstances socialise, or move around in the same circles.
Visits to theme parks, weekends at the coast, sporting events, paintball, yacht chartering and sailing are just a few of the ideas that have achieved some popularity in more recent years. The theory is that if groups of people can share challenges, resolve problems as team or develop strategies together it will make it easier for them to do the same in the work environment. Bonding was very much a buzzword not very many years ago. Today what is fairly much an identical concept falls under the generic umbrella of team building.
An increasingly popular manifestation of the whole team building idea is the semi-competitive sporting event, called sporting because it involves an amount of physical effort as well as an element of rivalry, and called semi-competitive because it is, after all, just a wee bit of fun.
We have already mentioned paintball, and there are a host of derivatives of the same idea including Laser Tag, a paintball lookalike without the mess or the pain. Quad biking is another endeavour with an certain element of competitiveness that has found favour amongst many in recent years.
Another idea, perhaps less well known but still certainly hugely popular amongst those who have taken part, is
sword fighting.
Sword fighting, or
sword fencing as it is sometimes called, is not as aggressive or scary as it sounds. Based upon the sport of fencing, sword fighting apparently reinvents a the required weapons but also the requisite kit and clothing to ensure that a good, spirited contest ensues within a safe environment.
As well as providing an excellent source of entertainment, whether it is for the adult
corporate event or the kids' party, the sword fighting experience provides an invaluable education and training in an acquired skill. It is generally fun, with no restrictive clothing or equipment involved. What hardware there is is highly portable, which means events may be held at a whole variety of locations without the need for any pre-installed machinery or facilities.
When considering a theme for a promotional event or teambuilding effort sword fencing does present a very attractive option.
