Partner Article

Biggest motivator for corporate day is having fun

FOCUS ON FUN, NOT FORCED TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES TO GET THE MOST OUT OF STAFF

Survey reveals that the biggest motivator for a corporate day out is to have fun with colleagues

Contrary to what many business leaders may want to believe, an overarching 67 per cent of employees feel that the main purpose of a corporate day is to have a genuinely good day out with colleagues doing an activity that they would do in their own time. The study commissioned by Go Ape, the multi-award winning forest adventure company, also revealed that almost all employees (91 per cent) saw the benefit in corporate days out and 41 per cent preferred them to involve a day of fun followed by a short company update, meaning that work needn’t be off the agenda.

The research highlighted that 85 per cent of employees feel that they should have a say in choosing the event. Speaker events and staged team building activities were lowest on the list of desired corporate days outside of the office walls, with just two per cent and 16 per cent of respondents respectively opting for these activities.

“Rather than attending staged team building events, it’s good to see that employees value a balance of work combined with having genuine fun with colleagues at their corporate events. We’ve seen many companies benefit from rewarding their employees as part of a corporate day out and doing something adventurous together,” explains Sam Hardy, corporate events manager at Go Ape.

From Easter 2013, Go Ape will be adding a further two Forest Segway adventures around the UK, bringing the total to 10. What’s more, from summer 2013, businesses in the Gatwick area will be able to take to the trees at a new site in Tilgate. The popularity of events such as Go Ape is constantly on the rise, with the company expecting to welcome a record 1000 corporate events this year.

With the forest doors open from February to November, Go Ape offers bespoke packages that create a full day of activities to suit a range of budgets. The adventure company can accommodate groups of all sizes from 10 – 280 and can provide a range of delicious refreshments including bacon and banana brunches and sumptuous Gorilla Grill BBQs. Conference facilities are also available as well as a forest shelter with exclusive use of the area and all of its facilities, including garden games like giant Jenga.

To enquire further about a Go Ape corporate events package, visit www.goape.co.uk/events or phone the events team on 0845 643 9315 or email groups@goape.co.uk

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

Companies can now benefit from any of the following for their forest adventure team day out:

Go Ape Tree Top Adventure – the classic and original Go Ape experience. Fly down zip wires, swing from branch to branch and get a whole new perspective on some of Britain’s most breathtaking scenery.
Go Ape Forest Segway - back on the forest floor, get off the beaten track and head out onto our woodland trails riding a rugged all-terrain Segway.
Jungle drumming - bonding to the beat in our professionally led African drumming workshops is one of Go Ape’s most popular corporate activities.
Conference facilities – Go Ape sites are great places to get together for a team meeting, whatever the occasion. Equipment and refreshments can be laid on.
Refreshments - teas, coffees, delicious fresh juices and pastries at times that suit your itinerary.
Picnic Lunch – Go Ape’s bespoke picnic lunches get rave reviews. A box of locally sourced treats to look forward to after a morning’s activity.
Bacon and Banana Brunch – with tea, coffee and juice so your tribe doesn’t go thirsty.
Gorilla Grill BBQ – Go Ape’s chef will cook up a feast of locally sourced homemade beef burgers, veggie burgers, sausages, chicken, and roasted vegetables. The perfect way to finish your day.
Dedicated Host - on hand to co-ordinate your day and make sure it’s the best it can be and will also attempt to capture some quality photographs of the day.
Forest Shelter - come rain or shine, base yourself in our Forest Shelter for the day.

2012 was Go Ape’s busiest year after hosting a staggering 800 company events with groups swinging through the trees and flying through the air on zip-wires. It also welcomed its largest group booking, with a team of 240 ascending up into the trees at the Crathes Castle course. Many teams also added Go Ape Forest Segway to their action-packed day of adventure, exploring the forest on two wheels on electric, all terrain Segways.

Testimonial:

“We rarely have the chance to get together as a whole team, and had just won an award so decided to treat ourselves to a day out. Go Ape was picked from a number of different possibilities and it proved to be such a brilliant, exciting day out. The BBQ afterwards was such a treat too!” explains Julie MacDonald at Zen, an Edinburgh based day spa.

About Go Ape! Tree Top Adventure

Go Ape! Tree Top Adventure is the UK’s leading forest adventure company with 28 giant outdoor sites nationwide. Visitors can experience a liberating sense of freedom as they swing through the forest on zip wires, cross wooden walkways and bridges, climb tree-top ladders and fly through the air on Tarzan Swings whilst safely attached to a harness. Instructors are on hand to help and all participants are given a thorough safety briefing before being let loose on an adventure like no other in the forest canopy.

Courses are suitable for participants aged 10 years old or above, are at least 4ft 7in (1.4m) tall and weigh under 20.5 stone (130kg). Visitors range from young and old families wishing to spend quality time together, adults on hen or stag events, businesses participating in a team building activity or people who simply want to ‘live life adventurously’.

For further information please visit www.goape.co.uk, find us on Twitter and Facebook

Style note: Please refer to company name as Go Ape! Tree Top Adventure

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Go Ape .