DESAFIO PROVIDES TOTALLY UNIQUE TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES

Desafio Provides Totally Unique Team Building Activities

by Tui Frye, Special Events and Incentives Coordinator

We recently had the opportunity to host a Corporate Olympic Beach Games for a GPS company out of California. There were 44 people made up of their Elite Council and top performers and they stayed at the Hyatt Andaz Papagayo. When this request came across my desk, I have to admit I was extremely excited to start brainstorming with the Event Team what fun things we could come up with. We are an Adventure Company – so this kind of event was right up our alley!

Our contact was their Marketing Director, who is both a firecracker and total pro to work with. After our first phone consultation we learned that they were looking for a fun, corporate team building, Olympic-style challenge on the beach, inspired by the television shows Survivor and the Amazing Race. Having watched more episodes of those two shows combined than I will ever publicly admit to, I was confident in our ability to come up with some great ideas.

After our first logistics team meeting, we developed a concept and proposal that fit all of the parameters that they needed. Her initial message back was that we "knocked it out of the park" because it was exactly was they were looking for. (Which is always nice to hear in response to a proposal!) The event consisted of a series of challenges, eliminating participants until two people were left standing as the gold medal winners - all of this had to be done in less than two hours on the beach.

Desafio also had the privilege to plan a trip for the group to visit Borinquen Lodge at Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. Borinquen is an eco-lodge and adventure center that provides some of the most popular tours and activities in the area. The group got to enjoy horseback riding, ATVing, canopy ziplining, waterfalls, hot springs, mud baths and an authentic Costa Rican lunch. We sent two of our best guides to accompany the group – Marcos and Moises. Marcos was also our host and emcee for the corporate Olympic event, so it was great that he had the chance to meet and get to know everyone the day before. The group had so much fun at Borinquen, we were concerned that they may have been too exhausted to participate in the Olympics the following day. Fortunately, everyone showed up the next morning ready to compete with smiles on their faces!

Once everyone was divided into teams, they competed in a series of relay races, strategy games, treasure hunts and events that challenged them in creativity and team work. The bamboo beach bowling was one of the highlights of the event. Using coconuts, participants tried to knock down as many bamboo pins as possible. Our emcee, Marcos, had a lot of fun challenging teams with additional tasks like trying to bowl backwards, blindfolded, or with one team member on the others back. Everyone was treated to fresh pipas (coconut water) and cold watermelon and pineapple as teams participated. At the end of the Olympics, the top three teams received custom, hand carved "medals" made out of coconut shells.

Each team was provided a leader or liaison from Desafio who helped teams decipher clues and adhere to rules. Our team leaders were Danny, our Reservations and Sales Manager; Beatriz, from our Reservations Department and Selina from our Creative Department. They all did an awesome job and brought fun energy to the event! We also had Moises, one of our Adventure guides, as a liaison and on support in our safety kayak and on first aid. And of course, Marcos (also an Adventure guide) was our host and emcee.

Team Desafio did an amazing job of incorporating local culture and the company mission into the event. We included things that were totally Costa Rican, like football (or what North Americans call soccer) and fresh pipas (coconut water). Since the group was a GPS company, we included a challenge that involved one blindfolded team member being guided by their own personal GPS - the voice of their partner.

At Desafio Adventure Company, we use every corporate event as an opportunity to give back to our local communities. We also plan our events with the environment in mind, using natural or reusable items as much as possible, ensuring that we make a SMALL impact on the planet yet still making a BIG impact during events. The event required the purchase of soccer balls, which were all later donated to a local kids' soccer team. We also used all natural materials for coconut bowling, used recycled items for other events, gave out pipas instead of using plastic cups, and were able to reuse other materials for other events, around the office or to help the community!

Desafio is a full service, one-stop-shop that can plan all of the details of your next corporate trip. We can provide all hotels, transportation, tours and even customize and execute successful and fun events. Aside from planning and organizing events, Desafio is also an adventure and logistics company, operating our own tours and transportation across Costa Rica for over 20 years. When it comes to events, this allows us to guarantee and maintain the highest level of quality control and provide the best service possible.

At Desafio, we know that no two clients are the same, so no two events should be the same either. Every event we do is tailored to each client and their specific needs,vision and budget. Contact us now to start creating your custom designed team building event in Costa Rica!!

Have a look at some of the other Events Planning activities we can do for you here at this link. 

For more-detailed information on specialized events and wedding coordination, feel free to contact Tui Frye directly at her boutique planning company Blue Butterfly Costa Rica.

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