2018-12-11 01:41:04
KEEPING ATTENDEES ENGAGED IN AN ERA OF DIGITAL DISTRACTION IS NO SMALL CHALLENGE, BUT INNOVATIVE BAY AREA COMPANIES MAKE IT EASY TO INCLUDE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES THAT YIELD TEAM GROWTH AS WELL AS EXCITEMENT. HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICES THAT CAN BRING FUN, ENGAGING ELEMENTS TO YOUR NEXT MEETING. GAME ON For a large conference, Rembold recently introduced a fun, playful element by building a playground in a hotel ballroom, complete with a giant Yahtzee game, obstacle courses, hula hoops and foursquare courts. For immersive games, try Murder on the Menu, which stages mystery events where participants join a cast of actors in solving a whodunit. They can also work with meeting planners to create a customized program that reflects the meeting agenda. CULINARY CLASSES Not surprisingly, food-focused San Francisco is rich with opportunities to engage the taste buds. The Cheese School of San Francisco offers delicious workshops such as fondue-making and tastings, which can take place at the meeting location or the school’s new headquarters in Ghirardelli Square. They can also make snack breaks more interactive. Blythe Riske, director of business development, says, “We can set up a tasting station where a cheesemonger talks about the different cheeses and how to pair them with wines or other foods. We also focus on the story of local cheesemaking and how it ties in with California cuisine.” Attendees will enjoy trying their hand at sushi-making under the guidance of sushi master Kaz Matsune, owner of Breakthrough Sushi, who travels to meeting locations throughout the Bay Area, while chocoholics will have no trouble staying engaged during Teambuilding Unlimited’s cocoa-infused activities. The possibilities include the Chocolate Challenge, where teams compete to create cakes with the company logo or the Ultimate Chocolate Tasting, where participants discover the nuances of high-end chocolate from around the world. PEAK PERFORMANCE Get your attendees laughing with interactive performances. Techniques in improvisational theater are put to use in teaching leadership, collaboration and communication skills through Improv@Work, a division of BATS Improv, a San Francisco theatrical troupe. Improv@Work offers a wide range of exercises and training for groups. “A fun format is to do a workshop and then follow it with a performance where the employees can join in. The idea is to give people tools they can use to connect with others,” says director Ceci Walken. Or, give attendees the rock star treatment with Rock and Roll Teambuilding, which features workshops led by Grammy-winning songwriter and former INXS lead singer Chiaran Gribbin. Tuneful options include songwriting classes, recording an original song or posing as rock stars such as Madonna or Axl Rose. TOON TIME Personalized caricatures are the specialty of The Cartoon Guys, who create traditional chalk or iPad drawings of attendees that can include company branding. “It’s a fun thing for people to do at an event, and it really gets conversations going,” says owner Mike Rosenthal. Attendees can also make their own art through San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum, which offers customized workshops for groups at the museum or the meeting location.
©San Francisco. View All Articles.