How to Pick the Perfect Venue for Your Indoor Team Building Activity

When it comes to indoor team building, your venue can really make or break the activity. The perfect setting can help enhance the overall experience for your employees, whereas a not-so-great one can really put a damper on — or even hinder — the whole thing.

So, how do you make sure that you’re choosing the right venue for your indoor team building activity? There are a few factors to keep in mind when you start the planning process. Before making your decision, do some research and mark the following six things off your checklist:  

1. Venue Availability

Consider the specific date or time of year that you’re wanting to book your indoor team building venue. Unless you’re tied to a specific date or day of week, flexibility can be helpful when it comes to cost. If there are big conventions, other events, or holidays taking place around the same time, availability will likely be low and prices will be high. Venues tend to book up fast in the month of December, for example, because of holiday parties. These are some of the reasons why we always recommend planning your event as far in advance as possible.

2. Size

Do you have enough space? Consider the size of your group and if the venue can fit all attending employees comfortably. Keep seating style in mind, too: will your event require a theater, ballroom, or classroom setup? Different types of seating styles can drastically affect capacity and price (side note: some venues will charge for chair, table, and linens, too). Will you need a stage or extra space for Audio Visual Equipment? You’ll also want to consider the type of indoor team building activity you’re running and what kind of space requirements it may have. For example, an activity like Charity Bike Buildathon will call for additional room for building supplies and stations for people to assemble the bicycles at.  

3. Internet and Audio/Visual Equipment

73% of companies use social media for promotional purposes during their event — is there high-speed Wi-Fi for your attendees to access their social media, event materials, or work emails at your indoor team building activity? Do you need Audio/Visual Equipment? Some venues have A/V included in their rental agreement or built into their space. Check to see if that’s the case or if you’re able to rent from a third-party supplier if you need to or would rather do so — it can potentially save on cost. Also, is there staff available on-site that can support you with any technical issues? This is very important to note, especially if your indoor event relies on A/V in any capacity. Plus, A/V usually needs additional electrical power sources, so you’ll need to budget for that as well.

4. Accessibility

Is it easy to get to the venue? If your group is doing an indoor team building activity as part of something like a company retreat, is the space walking distance from your accommodations? Most hotels offer discounts on meeting room rates when you book your stay with them, which is something to keep in mind if you’re looking for convenience. Otherwise, is transit an option? Is there enough parking nearby or available on-site and does it come at an additional charge? Is there wheelchair access? If the venue is difficult to find or gain entry to, that can delay the start time of your activity and push back whatever else you might have planned for the remainder of the day.

5. Catering

If you’re going to be at your venue for long hours, you might want to consider catering. Having snacks, meals, and refreshments available are important for keeping your colleagues fueled and not feeling burnt out! See if your venue offers a catering service or if you’re able to bring external food in. The venue may discount their rental fee or waive it entirely if you choose to use their in-house catering service. The level of discount will be contingent on the cost of the space, the size of your group, and a minimum Food and Beverage (F&B) spend. When evaluating your catering providers, you’ll want to make sure that they can accommodate any food sensitivities, allergies, or restrictions that your team may have. And, if you plan on using the venue’s catering services, see if you can set up a tasting to sample the menu. If you’re serving alcohol, check to see if you’ll need a license, to bring in your own alcohol, or hire a bartender — or if these things are all included. Also, find out who is responsible for cleaning up.

6. Schedule a Site Visit

Once you narrowed down your top venue options for your indoor team building activity, contact the venues and set up a site visit. When you get there, take note of these important points:

• External Noise and Room Acoustics – Is the venue in a noisy location? Sirens and car horns can disrupt the focus of an indoor team building activity, especially one that might require problem solving. Also, check the room’s acoustics. Is there an echo? Is sound absorbed too much? If you’re doing any kind of presentation before, during, or after your activity, these are factors that can make an impact on your participants’ experience.
  
  
  
• Cleanliness – This is a big one! Make sure to check to see if the space is well-maintained and clean — especially when it comes to toilet facilities and the kitchen.
  
  
  
• Extra Amenities – Does the venue offer any extra amenities or services that could be useful for your indoor team building event? Think about things like couches, sitting areas, furnished dining areas, or a cloakroom that could be convenient for attendees.
  
  
  
• Helpful Staff – Customer service goes a long way. Especially if you need any assistance setting up, serving food, or with anything else that could potentially come up during your event, friendly staff members just make things easier.

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30 Recommended Venues for Indoor Team Building

Need some more inspiration for your indoor team building venue? You can try consulting some venue search websites like Venuefinder and thisopenspace, or take a scroll through the sites on the following list, which have been recommended by our Employee Engagement Consultants. These venues, located across North America from Vancouver to New Orleans, are diverse and offer a wide range of fantastic amenities. 

1. Rizzo Center

Location: Chapel Hill

Number of Meeting Rooms: 32

Capacity in Largest Space: 350 people 

2. Twilight Epiphany Skyspace by James Turrell

Location: Houston

Number of Meeting Rooms: 1

Capacity in Largest Space: 120 people

3. Four Seasons Whistler

Location: Whistler

Number of Meeting Rooms: 12

Capacity in Largest Space: 350 people

4. BMO Institute of Learning

Location: Toronto

Number of Meeting Rooms: 5

Capacity in Largest Space: 450 people

5. Hyatt Bellevue

Location: Bellevue

Number of Meeting Rooms: 15

Capacity in Largest Space: 1,945 people

6. Sheraton Fallsview

Location: Niagara Falls

Number of Meeting Rooms:  35+

Capacity in Largest Space: 3,000 people

7. Hilton Gaslamp Quarter

Location: San Diego

Number of Meeting Rooms:  14

Capacity in Largest Space: 350 people

8. Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center

Location: Nashville

Number of Meeting Rooms: 86

Capacity in Largest Space: 10,000 people

9. Shop Studios

Location: Manhattan

Number of Meeting Rooms: 3

Capacity in Largest Space: 300 people 

10. The Stave Room

Location: Atlanta

Number of Meeting Rooms: 1

Capacity in Largest Space: 1,500 people

11. Wynn Las Vegas

Location: Las Vegas

Number of Meeting Rooms:  20

Capacity in Largest Space: 4,732 people 

12. Carondelet House

Location: Los Angeles

Number of Meeting Rooms: 1

Capacity in Largest Space: 60

13. Marché

Location: New Orleans

Number of Meeting Rooms: 2

Capacity in Largest Space: 300

14. Buffalo Lodge Banff

Location: Banff National Park

Number of Meeting Rooms: 5

Capacity in Largest Space: 99 people

15. The Refinery

Location: Austin

Number of Meeting Rooms: 1

Capacity in Largest Space: 200

16. The Evergreen

Location: Portland

Number of Meeting Rooms:  1

Capacity in Largest Space: 550 people 

17. Fairmont Royal York

Location: Toronto

Number of Meeting Rooms: 38

Capacity in Largest Space: 1,670 people

18. Battery Wharf Hotel

Location: Boston

Number of Meeting Rooms:  15

Capacity in Largest Space: 300 people 

19. Hyatt Regency Chicago

Location: Chicago

Number of Meeting Rooms: 111

Capacity in Largest Space: 7,000 people 

20. Terra Gallery & Events

Location: San Francisco

Number of Meeting Rooms: 2

Capacity in Largest Space: 725 people 

21. John MS Lecky UBC Boathouse

Location: Richmond

Number of Meeting Rooms: 1

Capacity in Largest Space: 185 people

22. The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building

Location: Miami

Number of Meeting Rooms: 2

Capacity in Largest Space: 550 people 

23. W Montreal

Location: Montreal

Number of Meeting Rooms: 7

Capacity in Largest Space: 200 people 

24. Monorchid

Location: Phoenix

Number of Meeting Rooms: 1

Capacity in Largest Space: 373 people 

25. Windows on Washington

Location: St. Louis

Number of Meeting Rooms: 3

Capacity in Largest Space: 800 people 

26. L’Espace Canal

Location: Montreal

Number of Meeting Rooms: 2

Capacity in Largest Space: 275 people 

27. Alyeska Resort

Location: Anchorage

Number of Meeting Rooms: 5

Capacity in Largest Space: 300 people 

28. The Killington Grand Hotel

Location: Killington

Number of Meeting Rooms: 18

Capacity in Largest Space: 1,000 people 

29. Delta Grand Okanagan

Location: Kelowna

Number of Meeting Rooms: 14

Capacity in Largest Space: 1,750 people

30. The Loft at 600F

Location: Washington DC

Number of Meeting Rooms: 3

Capacity in Largest Space: 120 people

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Find Out More About How to Plan a Successful Indoor Team Building Activity

For further support and expert advice on how to plan an indoor team building activity that your employees will love, just reach out to one of our Employee Engagement Consultants.