(as of June 1, 2021 – although there’s a good chance that a lot of this info will change by the time you read this!)
We had some amazing experiences with our virtual events, but we can’t stop talking about how excited we are to take things back to the real world again!
(No, not the MTV show — but we do offer plenty of gameshows and other experiences to show off all the newfound skills you gleaned in quarantine). From scavenger hunts to patio game shows to code-cracking, we’ve updated some of our most popular events to be new-normal friendly.
But when it comes to COVID-19 safety, we’re not out of the woods yet. This means we all need to work together to keep both your employees and our event facilitators safe.
The good news is that finding fun and exciting ways to get people to ‘work together’ is kind of our thing. Which is why we’ve compiled a list of dos and don’ts of outdoor corporate and team building events to help keep things running smoothly (and safely) — and to ensure everyone’s expectations are managed.
Dos and Don’ts of Outdoor Corporate Events
- Do Wear a Mask If You’re Not Fully Vaccinated
- Don’t Pressure the Event Facilitator to Break the Rules
- Do Continue to Socially Distance
- Don’t Crowd Around Each Other
- Do Follow Your State and County’s Hygiene Guidelines
- Don’t Make Physical Contact with Your Co-Workers
- Do Opt for an Event That’s New-Normal Friendly
- Don’t Forget to Bring Proof of Vaccination
Do Wear a Mask if You’re Not Fully Vaccinated
Most states suggest that people gathering in large groups should continue to wear masks if they are not vaccinated.
This means that your non-fully vaccinated employees are still gonna need to mask up.
We get it. Masks are scratchy and itchy. And worst of all, you can’t tell if someone is making funny faces at you. But the good news is that your boss can’t tell if you’re making funny faces at him, either.
Plus, it’ll keep you (and our facilitators) safe.
Team building usually requires people to get relatively close to one another and since you won’t be doing these events with your family members, it makes sense to wear a mask unless you know that everyone has been vaccinated.
Don’t Pressure the Event Facilitator to Break the Rules
We know, we know. You’ve been wearing a mask all day. You’re (literally) itching to get that thing off.
It’s been a rough year, and all you want to do is give your work wife or husband a big hug after months of only communicating through Slack.
We get you. We really want to break the rules, too.
But we also want to keep our coworkers (and yours) safe. And the best way to do that? Follow the rules of our new normal.
We also ask that you not make things any worse than they already are by asking, pleading, begging, or demanding our facilitators bend or break the rules for you. In fact, we’re going to one-up this by asking YOU to enforce the rules with your employees.
Do Continue to Socially Distance
Whew. That last one got intense.
We also need to politely request that you continue to socially distance (within reason). This means continuing to avoid extremely close contact. On that note, we are monitoring our game selections in order to make sure we people don’t feel uncomfortable (ie: no piggy-back rides, hand-holding, etc.).
Don’t Crowd Around Each Other
In the words of Chunk from The Goonies, “Don’t crowd me!”
We understand that it’s so, so hard not to crowd around each other during a team event. What would team events even be without Gatorade showers and pig piles?
Sadly, the NFL can’t even do that stuff anymore, and neither can we.
The good news is that we’ve got plenty of ways to celebrate together — while continuing to physically distance yourselves.
Do Follow Local County and State Hygiene Guidelines
It’s so important to continue to follow hygiene guidelines — including routinely washing your hands and using hand sanitizer. We get it: your hands are probably raw, chapped, and red after 12-plus months of sanitizing. But they’re also (hopefully) germ-free.
Don’t Make Your Co-Workers Uncomfortable
We get it. We love high-fives, too. But some of your coworkers might not be ready to give you one back just yet.
So before you hug, hive five, fist bump, or make any other type of close physical contact with your co-workers, ask them where they are in the whole physical contact realm these days. Some people might be fine with it – but it might be too soon for others.
Remember, a team building event should be inclusive for everyone, and we don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
Do Opt for an Event That’s New-Normal Friendly
Good news! We have plenty of events that are perfect for the new-normal safety guidelines.
Measures We Are Taking to Keep Your Group Safe
Just because the CDC has relaxed its guidelines, doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods yet. While vaccinated participants don’t need to follow strict guidelines any longer, we understand that not everyone is in a situation where they can get vaccinated, and there are bound to be some participants that aren’t fully vaccinated.
This is why we’re taking the following steps to ensure everyone in your group stays safe:
- Ensuring our facilitators are fully vaccinated
- Providing hand sanitizer available at every game station
- Offering masks to those who prefer to wear them
- Cleaning all of our game supplies before every event
Remember: until we reach herd immunity, no one is truly safe unless we all stay safe.
